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Slug and snail repellant plants

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So I come and check on my cactuses, and I find the slugs and snails have been having a field day (night). I found MANY snails at the growing tip about to have a munch. Suffice to say they never got their last supper.

So rather than going on killing sprees, I'd prefer to just grow a few plants that will ward off slugs and snails very strongly, and probably provide beneficial humidity during the day as well. Has anyone found any plants which are very good for this, and as importantly, won't themselves die? Any advice would be appreciated. :)

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Just a thought, if stressing a cacti could be considered a good thing in some way, maybe letting them have a nibble could be a good thing. As long as they aren't little seedlings or something, if they are only taking a nibble I wouldn't worry too much. Will leave scars but what does not kill it, will only make it stronger as they say. But here's some natural ways to keep em away, not plants but easy long lasting methods http://www.ehow.com/facts_7433627_natural-snail-repellent.html

Edited by Bretloth

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Stressing is not proven to really help at all. Furthermore, these cactuses are for breeding, and their health is the utmost importance. :)

I also did see that website, but I'm sure there's some plants that have an absolutely foul smell and will deter almost all slugs and snails.

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I had a look, couldn't find anything. I want to know actually, wouldn't mind a plant to keep the fuckers off other things.

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Tests in the USA have shown copper banding out-performed all other methods for protection from slugs and snails. When the pest makes contact with the copper it causes a reaction similar to an electric shock, which repels them. It is non-toxic, very long-lasting, with no possible potential poisoning of other animals, pets or children. It is very effective used as individual collars around young seedlings or pots. An adhesive sticky back makes application to itself or to suitable surfaces easy or it can be attached with a staple gun to the edge of a raised wooden bed.

http://www.greenharvest.com.au/pestcontrol/slug_and_snail_prod.html

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hmm i tried old cooper tubing kinda worked, snail baits were the best.

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molluscs :D

i have started keeping snails. i have one, which had most of its shell missing but it's on the mend. they are really amazing, fascinating creatures, although i appreciate the devastation they cause to plants.

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I too have a snail overpopulation. It started out with just a few nibbles which I didnt mind, but last night I went out and pulled 30+ snails out of one cactus pot! Similar story with my other pots. Im thinking Ill try the copper wire around the edges first as I'd like to deter the snails rather than kill them. They can keep eating my potato plants and the out of contol silverbeet.

I might use my hair shavings on a pot too to see if that will keep them away.

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Copper definitely sounds more humane and eco friendly than snail bait. There was a UK company making copper plant protectors if I can find the link i'll post it here.

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molluscs :D

i have started keeping snails. i have one, which had most of its shell missing but it's on the mend. they are really amazing, fascinating creatures, although i appreciate the devastation they cause to plants.

 

Are you keeping common garden variety snails or something else?

I used to work at this place with giant amazonian rainforest snails.

They produced eggs that looked pearls.

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i'v seen a copper tape at bunnings that your supposed to put around your garden bed to deter them. It said that it works by reacting with the acids in there slime and giving them a lil electric shock. Hey, if there are comercial products out there i would be surprised if it realy works. Perhaps a poop load of exposed copper wire around the sides of the pot may be a good idea.. That sould work along the same concept.

Ya and then if that doesnt work you can connect it to the mains power outlet and fry anything that tries to crawl up there! Yes yes!!

Kill kill kill...

Burn burn burn...

...

...

Sorry guys, got a lil carried away there :(

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They seem more active @ night, so grab a torch put on those work boots & go commit snail genocide, stomp away swiftly crunching them into afterlife, aaah sweet snail heaven cloud 9 a snails garden of eden all the silverbeet and chlorophyll plant matter a snail could ever wish to devour...all while looking down upon us with there snail wings thinking what bastards we humans are!

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snails drown easily, that might be the most practical, humane way to manually kill them.

Are you keeping common garden variety snails or something else?

I used to work at this place with giant amazonian rainforest snails.

They produced eggs that looked pearls.

 

south east queensland has a mind blowing array of small fauna. i will assess any snail i find as a potential keeper. i think they are estivating most of the time in the cold, but in the mountains giant snails can be found crossing the road. their slime is red. i want one of those. i may start a thread on snailing one day.

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They seem more active @ night, so grab a torch put on those work boots & go commit snail genocide, stomp away swiftly crunching them into afterlife, aaah sweet snail heaven cloud 9 a snails garden of eden all the silverbeet and chlorophyll plant matter a snail could ever wish to devour...all while looking down upon us with there snail wings thinking what bastards we humans are!

 

^ ^ ^ says he with a snail for a username,lol. I would prefer to collect the snails and sneak them into a neighbors house down the street.

south east queensland has a mind blowing array of small fauna. i will assess any snail i find as a potential keeper. i think they are estivating most of the time in the cold, but in the mountains giant snails can be found crossing the road. their slime is red. i want one of those. i may start a thread on snailing one day.

 

It would be good to see some freaky snails. They do have a good side ...

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Copper works.

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certainly picking up again the slimey fockers,

last year was bad and i wouldnt be suprised if this year is as bad, trying to manually keep on top of them early this year and hopefully that will control the problem.

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i'm surprised there isnt a product out there that can hold snail bait, protect it from weather, protect the garden bed from run off from the bait and attract them into the product (either by environmental atractants like moist dark areas or chemical attractants like pheramones or a food source) in my line of work we have rodent bait stations, which does all of the above and encourages the rodent to enter the bait station and eat the bait but providing a tight squeeze, dark place wich they feel secure inside of and low and behold, inside is some tasty delicious rat bait! Everyone has found snails and slugs at the base of pots before, perhaps there is something to that... Perhaps i'm over thinking it! Hahahaha

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oh also beer. Snails looovvveee beer. They get pissed in it and die, or so goes thw myth. I have used the left over yeast from a finished wort before to great. In any cast, simply pour into a dish and put it near your plants for those shelly lil bastards to find and they should find it.... Failing that feed the dish 240vac.

Sorry guys for being a lil silly, i just realy dont like snails

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Chooks like them I hear (not really a plant, but neither is copper tape). I personally dont think Iv ever seen a snail on a plant here. I sometimes see tiny ones under rocks, but never on or around plants. Maybe its just the climate here.

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Yes i'd certainly get chooks or ducks if I could and feed my snails to them, they both love snails and eat them up super fast so I don't think its at all cruel. Bait stations and snail bait however... Just my personal opinion though and I do admit cursing my own snails when they eat an entire garden bed of newly planted seedlings that took weeks to get big enough to transplant. :( I usually run outside after rain and manually extract them from my plants though to be honest haha. I realise people don't all have that opportunity though, manually removing them really isn't that hard but like Amazonian said, you then have to find somewhere to put them :lol:

As for snail deterring plants, my local snail population live under and within the prickliest plant in my garden so that's no help at all, just means I can't get them out without chopping up my hands!

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we pest controllers can be a heartless bunch, after all, killing is my game ;)

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:) Lol we can't all be huntsman spider rescuers like me :lol:

 

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im just glad im not amazonians neighbour, otherwise she(correction LOL) would be sneaking snail stashes into my yard...LOL!

and i have hatred for all pests, unfortunately there is no real way to really humanely way of killing anything death is death, its just whatever method is preferred for us, so we can live guilt free and feel better about it! I do like the idea of the ducks or chooks devouring the slimey little home carrying nuisances, the food chain is a great natural way to eradicate any pests...perhaps market them as edibles and post em to pierre land where they are considered a delicacy "escargot de Bourgogne" one may very well be sitting on a goldmine if there breeding like mice, some clever marketing aussie made and manufactured, sweet packaging and watch the bank balance grow!

Edited by applesnail

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Amazonian = she. :wink:

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