Although many experienced gardeners can identify and remove snail eggs in their beds, spring infestations are difficult to prevent. However, there are some preventative measures you can take to protect the plants in your vegetable garden from such pest infestations. Otherwise, snails can become a pest and eat their way through ornamental and salad plants. As a result, all your efforts for a better harvest will be in vain. To minimize any damage to your vegetable beds, you may want to consider the following tips and control remedies.
How to identify and remove snail eggs?
To prevent problems from new generations, it is important to first identify the eggs of slugs and garden snails. It is also advisable to find out more about the lifespan based on their life cycle. This begins when two snails mate to lay a set of eggs. Garden snail eggs develop through fertilization, with most species producing a maximum of 100 of them. However, there are also some that can lay up to 400 eggs. These tiny eggs are mostly inmoist garden soilhidden beneath the surface and hatch in about four weeks.
In addition, the diameter of the eggs with the protective viscosity shed on them is around 3 to 6 mm. Although many are washed away by rain or eaten by predators, the number of eggs that reach maturity is large. Additionally, snail eggs usually appear as jelly-like bundles on the soil surface. However, they are often covered in foliage or otherorganic wastecovered.
The slimy substance that coats the eggs is slightly rubbery. In addition, snail eggs do not have a perfect shape and, depending on the species of snail, are whitish or spotted and brownish in color. In some cases, snails also lay their eggs on vegetation, making them equally difficult to spot under plant leaves. Therefore, it would be useful to examine these areas carefully in order toLeafy vegetables and other cropsto protect against it.
Where can you identify snail eggs?
So when looking for snail eggs, you should look for brownish-gray and slimy bundles to make them easier to spot. After hatching, the larvae begin feeding immediately and reach adulthood in three to five months. To help with identification, you can use a flashlight as a suitable tool.
Additionally, it is important to check under plant leaves as well, as the bundles can cling to almost any surface. Snail eggs can be identified and removed from garden soil, but this may not be easy if the layer on the soil surface is too thick. Here are some tried and tested methods you can use to make gardening easier.
Detect and remove snail eggs with the right steps and means
You can start by cleaning up your garden and the area around your house. As you do this, try to collect accumulated organic matter and wood from the ground. Be aware of objects and dark, damp areas that could provide shelter for the slimy animals. You can also rake your garden floor and remove the soil layer in areas that are rarely usedDigging up garden areas.
Although finding the eggs is not an easy task, you can try it using the steps described below. Timely intervention plays a crucial role, as future populations of snails could have a very negative impact on the fruit or vegetable harvest.
Use common methods for pest infestations
- A solution withSalt water or dish soap- Salt or soapy water can prove to be an effective control against snail eggs in the garden. These substances act like natural repellents, and you can also use the solution on unhatched eggs.
- Detect and remove snail eggsPick– The more complex method is to collect the eggs by hand. However, you should definitely wear rubber gloves and never touch the snail eggs with your bare hands. It's best to search under plant leaves and topsoil, as well as in possible hiding places. Once you have picked the eggs, you can place them in a covered container and then discard them. Garden snails are nocturnal, which is why the best time to identify and remove snail eggs is during the day, after mating at night.
- animals asnatural enemies of snailsIntroduce chickens or ducks to your garden beds and the animals can limit the population of garden snails. However, you should also take into account that the seedlings of some vegetable plants are just as appetizing to these animal species. You may also be able to allow other natural enemies such as rats, snakes and toads to do the job for you.
- garden soil withPlastic planecover – This is a chemical-free and gentle method that allows you to get rid of snail eggs using the sun’s radiant energy. Try placing a plastic tarp on your garden floor in hot sunlight for about four to six weeks. This warms the soil surface and eliminates the snail eggs. Also try exposing the eggs to sunlight by digging them during shallow cultivation and thereby neutralizing them.
- Remove fromweedsas possible hiding places - Deprive snails of their possible breeding grounds by clearing weeds on lawns and garden floors. You can also look for them under tree bark to be able to identify and remove snail eggs even more effectively.
- Cultivation ofresistant plant varieties– Sage, rosemary and lavender are not attractive to snails.
