Garden Snails
All about Garden Snails
Garden snails are one of the most common creatures found in backyard gardens. The mollusks may be tiny but they can do an enormous amount of damage to your plants. If you spot garden snails, you will want to take immediate measures to get rid of them. The most common species is the brown garden snail, who has a hard shell which is medium to dark brown with several whorls on the surface, along with stripes and specks. They are only about three centimeters long.
These are the snails which are eaten in some European countries, such as in France where they are served as escargot. Most of the garden snails that are used as food are raised on farms. Most gardeners never see the actual snail because when he is afraid he hides in his shell. He needs moisture to survive, so if it is too dry or too cold, the opening to the shell is sealed with a special membrane to keep the snail safe.
If you were to see a snail emerging from his shell, you would notice that he has a soft, grayish body with four tentacles and one foot. The tentacles protrude from his body, two are eyes and two are sensors. These can protract back into his head. The foot is what the snail uses for motion--it is like a muscle which expands and contracts to move him along. It also secretes mucus, which enables him to slide with each contraction. If you were to look very carefully at a moving garden snail, you would see that the mucus makes it look like he is leaving a wet path.
Interestingly, garden snails produce both sperm and eggs, making them hermaphrodites. However, garden snails do mate and exchange sperm with one another. Then both males and females create fertilized eggs, make a nest in the ground and bury the eggs. Baby snails are born in approximately two weeks. They take two years to reach adult maturity. Snails are nocturnal. They also come out and are most visible when it is wet or raining.
Garden snails cause damage to all types of plants--vegetables, flowers, grains, and fruit trees. They can be managed in several ways. One is to introduce predators into their territory. For instance, frogs, snakes, turtles, lizards, birds, centipedes, various insects, and even some other snails will feed on garden snails. Many farmers use pesticides and there are non-chemical solutions, such as using garlic or wormwood sprays as a repellant. Many citrus producers put copper foil around the bottom of their tree trunks, which stops garden snails from climbing up the trunks.
Garden snails and slugs are in the same family, so both can be eliminated in the same way. If you have a small backyard garden, you can probably keep your plants free of snails and slugs by handpicking. Bait is also used. You may have heard of putting out a saucer of beer to get rid of snails and slugs. This method really does work but only in very small gardens. If you have small children or pets, there is a method of using iron phosphate that is considered to be safer than pesticides. It is sold under several brand names and is applied by simply sprinkling on the ground.
If you do spot garden snails around or on your plants, act quickly to eliminate them. They reproduce in large numbers and if left alone will eventually destroy an entire garden.