We did a little research and put together the top 5 home remedies for you that are guaranteed to work against a snail infestation. Prepare to be surprised, as you probably already have some of the remedies in the house so you can tackle the task straight away and fight the annoying snails in the garden. So, what helps against snails?
1. Cornmeal against snails
Maybe you already haveHeard of oatmealthat are supposed to be effective. However, people on the Internet currently swear by corn flour. A trap made from it is therefore considered one of the insider tips for fighting snails in the garden. The recipe is pretty quick and easy to make:
- 1 to 2 tbsp corn flour
- empty, clean and dry cup or mason jar
Put the flour in the cup. You then place this on its side in the bed. It serves as an attractant because the snails like to eat the delicious powder. However, the cornmeal kills the snails because it swells in the intestines. If you don't want that, you should use one of thechoose other methods.
2. Copper, but only if you do it right!
Copper remains a favorite on social media and is also grandma's home remedy for snails. Nevertheless, one repeatedly comes across claims that the metal does not have the desired effect. Now what's true?
The idea behind it is that contact with the snail slime causes a chemical reaction that is extremely unpleasant for the mollusk. As a result, it wants to turn back and save itself.And this is exactly where you should consider:
If the piece of copper you have inserted is too narrow, the snail will simply crawl over it and on to your plants. Why should she even bother turning around? Then she would suffer for more time than if she just kept crawling. So wire will hardly be effective.My beautiful gardenrecommends one for exactly this reasonWidth of at least 5 centimeters.
Whether you have a copper network orinsert a copper bandand it doesn't matter whether this is attached to the ground around the plants/bed or to the side of bed borders, raised beds and pots. The main thing is that the snail doesn't find a free space to get around (or should we say "crawl around") the copper.
Cool tip:You can buy a copper scourer (copper scourer) and pull it apart. You will now receive a copper network.
Does aluminum foil also work against snails?
Speaking of metal: Alternatively, you canInsert aluminum foil, yes. Although it doesn't necessarily look very nice, it shouldn't play a role, at least in the vegetable patch, as long as it serves its purpose. Lay the foil around the plant or bed, weighing it down slightly so that it doesn't blow away in the first wind. You can also crumple up the metal foil a little to make it even harder for the snails to cross it.
3. The scent of lavender drives away pests
Mostly pleasant for us, but not at all for the snails: the scent of lavender (andsome other spice plants) ensures that the pests stay away from your valuable plants. But for this purpose it must be applied to the plants. How does this work best?
- Mix water with a few drops of lavender oil. You can enhance the effect even further by adding some fruit vinegar.
- Add the flavored water to a spray bottle.
- Spray the endangered potted and garden plants with it.
Important tips:
- Do not spray your plants during the hot hours of sunshine as this can cause them to burn. Choose the evening instead, because that's right before snail season (they don't leave until it's not so hot).
- Repeat spraying every few days to ensure effectiveness. Reapplication is highly recommended, especially after rain.
4. Fight snails in the garden with Vaseline
Did you hesitate at first? Us too. The purpose of this method is to make it difficult or even impossible for the slimy molluscs to crawl. But it works more on smoother surfaces, for examplepotted plantsor if the bed is surrounded by a smooth border.
All you need to do is apply a generous amount of petroleum jelly to the edges. Then the path becomes too slippery for the snails and they fall off on their own.
Don't want to grease your beautiful pots? Then you can get flower stands instead and rub them with Vaseline. Then place the pots in the stand as they are.
Also cool:This slug repellent will last almost all season. So you don't have to repeat it over and over again. Time-saving and cheap at the same time, we would say!
5. Collect and carry away
It's not the most convenient or pleasant method for some, but the fact is that it's probably the most effective if you don't want to kill the molluscs.
To do this, use traps that the snails will use as a hiding place. They are looking for cool and damp places to protect themselves from the sun and you can take advantage of that. A few such variations are laying out wooden boards or bricks.
@thelockdowngardenerMy 5 defense system for protecting plants from slugs: put in a pot, raise up on a metal stand, slather vaseline on the stand and rim on the pot, copper scouring pads around tbe base of the plant and lastly some garlic spray! 😅 5 defenses! I hope theres none living in the soil already as i will have just trapped them forever 😆#gardenersofttiktok #gardener #gardentok #gardeningforbeginners #gardeningtips #easygardening #organicgardening ♬ original sound – Amy The Lockdown Gardener
