If the leaves of cabbage suddenly disappeared on your beds, and wet tracks remained on the strawberries, most likely, snails started in your garden. These slow mollusks seem harmless, but in fact they are able to cause serious damage to the garden in a couple of nights.
What snails eat and why is this a problem
Snails do not sort and eat almost everything that grows on the site. They especially love juicy leaves and delicate fruits. At the risk zone, cabbage, spinach, salad, peas, strawberries, strawberries, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini and pumpkin. Even the tops of potatoes can be used. They do not disdain garden flowers.
Where to start a struggle
Before grabbing for chemistry, it is worth putting things in order. Snails love dampness and secluded corners. Old boards, wet grass, unnecessary buckets, thickets of weeds – these are their favorite habitats.
Regularly clean the site of garbage, mowed grass, fell. Water plants in the morning so that in the evening the earth has time to dry. Snails do not tolerate dry soil.
Folk methods that work:
1. Sand, ash, egg shell. Spray them around the beds. Mollusks do not like to move along the barbed, rough surface.
2. Beer traps. Drink jars into the ground and pour a little beer there. The smell attracts snails, but they will not be able to get back.
3. Catching manually. Early in the morning or evening, especially after the rain, you can simply collect them manually. This method is effective, but requires time and effort.
What else helps
You can plant marigolds, rosemary or sage around the beds. Their smell scares snails. Copper fences will also help. Upon contact with the metal of the slice, they get a weak discharge, and try to stay away.
There are special granules from snails on sale. But they should use them with caution, especially if children play on the site or pets run.
It is important not to start the situation
Snails multiply rapidly, especially in warm and wet weather. Therefore, the sooner you begin to act, the easier it will be to cope. Prevention and cleanliness of the site is the best remedy for uninvited guests in the beds.
