Another snail barrier test

Did another experiment with pennies (US) using a hungry snail (I had it in a bottle for a couple of days). Bad news is that it crossed a 3 penny wide barrier for its last meal (Corry's snail bait.) Conclusion: pennies work on slugs but not snails, at least hungry ones (and aren't they all hungry?)

Reply to
The Guy
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Try a bowl of dark ale for snails........ ;)

Works for us.

Slugs too.

Reply to
OmManiPadmeOmelet

But not much good unless you're trying to get rid of them in a confined area. If the area is not confined, it's too labour intensive to be maintaining the bait. Much easier to buy a few bags of mulch or separate the area with rough lumber.

And I'm sure there are some out there that would have better use for the beer...

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Reply to
cloud dreamer

I believe my snails and slugs must be made of tougher stuff than yours. Rough boards don't even slow them down, and both mulch and boards just give them a good place to hide from the sun.

Besides, beer cups are not labor intensive at all, unless you consider a leisurely stroll around your garden hard labor.

Use cheap, sugary beer. It's not worth drinking anyway.

Penelope

Reply to
Penelope Periwinkle

The barrier of rough lumber is meant to be dug down into the ground an inch or two - the slugs will not be able to hide under there. I use rough 4x4 (truly rough) and surround them with mulch. I have yet to see a slug or snail in the beds.

From my experience, it was messy, disgusting and time consuming. Disposing of the snails and slugs, cleaning refilling the containers...it's not leisurely to me in the least.

Not to mention the cost of having to keep them filled....cheap beer or no. Then if you slip up or don't have enough traps out....the buggers will go for the next best thing...the lettuce sitting right next to the traps. At least mulch and wood (properly done) is a consistent deterrent.

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Reply to
cloud dreamer

Just a thought...

Next time you pass a store that sells tropical fish, they also sell stuff (tm) to rid aquariums of snails. Perhaps the stuff (tm) could be adapted for your garden. I have no idea what this might do to or for your garden.

Reply to
Jim Carter

As I said, my snails and slugs must be made of tougher stuff than yours.

Hm, apparently I'm made of tougher stuff than you.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just admit it. My snails and slugs can kick your snails and slugs' sticky little bottoms. They'd break off splinters from your rough boards and impale your sad, sorry, slime-challenged snails and slugs, and leave their oozing bodies to wither in the sun as a warning to all the others.

Penelope

Reply to
Penelope Periwinkle

Nope. You're just a sucker for punishment.

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Reply to
cloud dreamer

Hell of a way to go out. Starved for a few days and then fed poison.

rob

Reply to
George.com

----- Original Message ----- From: "Penelope Periwinkle"

**SNIP**.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just admit it. My snails and slugs can kick your snails and slugs' sticky little bottoms. They'd break off splinters from your rough boards and impale your sad, sorry, slime-challenged snails and slugs, and leave their oozing bodies to wither in the sun as a warning to all the others.

ROFLMAO! They'd be slug-ging it out!

HAHAHAAAAA thanks for the laugh P !

Kate

Reply to
Kate

An extension to this: instead of using a multi-layer barrier of all pennies, construct it so the second layer is of a different alloy coin. If the pennies contain copper, make the second layer of something that is silvery (maybe a zinc/nickel alloy). That way, any time the snail makes contact with both alloys it feels a small electric potential. At best it's probably going to be no more than around 0.25 volts, but even this *may* be enough to disuade the snail from progressing further. I haven't tried it, there are no snails here as we are in a 3 year drought.

Just make sure that coins of different alloy are glued in place so they are near to each other BUT DO NOT MAKE CONTACT or this will short out the natural voltage that develops.

-- John Savage (my news address is not valid for email)

Reply to
John Savage

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