I’m a live and let live kind of a person usually, but when it comes to snails, I have limits!
When I’m in the garden and I come across a snail going about its business, I’ll either just leave it or throw it out on to the grass. I figure if it survives long enough to get back to its hidey spot, it may even deserve to live.
I don’t use snail bait on the ground, after a traumatic experience with a puppy and a $1000 vet bill, and I generally don’t get round to using other, non toxic forms of snail control.
What non toxic methods do you speak of? I hear you say. What I mean is some of the methods used such as putting down a physical barrier like sand, or coffee grounds, or using copper tape around the top of planter boxes etc.
The sand idea is meant to deter snails by being horrible for them to slither over, the copper tape is meant to give them a bit of an electric jolt (I think). Either way, that kind of thing takes organising, so it doesn’t happen in my garden.
Some snail baits are meant to be ‘safe’ for pets, but I’m not willing to test that theory, so I often just leave snails alone.
Not today.
Today I find some dastardly, slithering, b*#%^+d has had a chew on the Hippeastrum buds I’ve been waiting two seasons to see. Not happy.
Today I begin my quest to destroy all those who would chew on my plants and wreak havoc in my garden. I think my plan of action is to use the humane method of killing them outright with a direct hit with a gumboot.
Til next time!
The Flowerpot Pen 