Snails and beertraps.

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longers

Legendary Member
Will they go for a bit of cider do you think instead?

They're eating my Acer, not touched it before but must be desperate. I've stuck cat hair and eggshells round the top of the pot for starters.

There's nowhere to sink it into the soil, will making one up in a plantpot work?
 

twentysix by twentyfive

Clinging on tightly
Location
Over the Hill
Put lots of sharp sand around - they hate that.
 

accountantpete

Brexiteer
rich p said:
I wouldn't have thought snails would eat acers, longers. Do you think it could be something else?

+1. I'd try a systemic insecticide if something is attacking them (presumably it can't be the sun/dry weather!)
 
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longers

longers

Legendary Member
There's trails on the stripped twigs and it's in the corner of the yard they hide in. Not much else in the way of snail friendly plants here.

They could bugger off but my neighbours don't grow much if anything to tempt them away or they'd have gone by now I'm sure.
 

rich p

ridiculous old lush
Location
Brighton
Mrs rich p has started using a copper strip product which you wrap around the top of pots. So far so good and the hostas are doing well and the slugs and snails usually destroy them.
 

rich p

ridiculous old lush
Location
Brighton
I've had a look around and it is highly unlikely to be slugs, longers. Try an insecticide for aphids, mealy bugs etc.
 
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longers

longers

Legendary Member
I think cider is cheaper than copper. I'd also rather they did themselves in than I had to squish them.
 
OP
OP
longers

longers

Legendary Member
Quick photo.

2hxo97b.jpg


No insecticide here, have used dilute washing up liquid for greenfly before now. Worth bothering with?

No sharp sand here either but thanks TwentySix.
 

brokenbetty

Über Member
Location
London
Beer traps work but you only get the ones that go for the beer.

Apart from slug pellets, the only really effective way I've found to get rid of the little beggars is to go out at night with a torch and kill them personally. I drop them in a bucket of water with washing up liquid in, not nice but they seem to die pretty quickly.

After a week or two of clearing 20+ a night you see a noticeable difference. Sadly too late for my clematis.
 
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longers

longers

Legendary Member
brokenbetty said:
Sadly too late for my clematis.

Same here, it survived last year but not this. That's where they kip so I've put some Speckled Hen up in a yoghurt pot up against that pot. I'm too soft to pick and drop.

Going OT but is the clematis likely to recover for next year?
 

brokenbetty

Über Member
Location
London
longers said:
Same here, it survived last year but not this. That's where they kip so I've put some Speckled Hen up in a yoghurt pot up against that pot. I'm too soft to pick and drop.

Going OT but is the clematis likely to recover for next year?

Sorry, I don't know as mine didn't even survive the first month :smile: b*st*rd slugs

I used to be too soft too but the clematis pushed me over the edge. It's still an icky job but I wear gardening gloves and just get on with it.
 

lukesdad

Guest
What is that in the pot with the eggshells longers? The eggshells need to be finer than that blitz em in a liquidiser. If its decomposing leaves thats whats attracting them, they prefer to dine on rotting vegitation than living stuff. Also remove any cover they ve got to hide under,
 

KEEF

Veteran
Location
BURNOPFIELD
:laugh:Ducks! We have ducks and have no snails or slugs or weeds come to think of it no plants grass or much of anything they have eaten everything:laugh:
 
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