Expert: Mike Mascio - 12/3/2007

Question
Is there a home remedy for the control of snail eating putunias and impatients. Help

Answer
There are not many home remedies for snails, but there are many different inexpensive options for controlling snails and slugs. The one home remedy that does work is placing saucers in the garden with the top of the saucer even with the top of soil. Fill the saucer with beer. Since snails and slugs are attracted to the yeast, they will fall into the saucer and drown.

I have tried every control available over the years, including beer traps, diatomaceous earth, homemade traps, and copper. I must admit that I had moderate success with the beer, but it would evaporate each day and got expensive to maintain.  

I am happy to say that I've finally discovered an effective deterrent. It is a product sold by a company named Gardens Alive, and is called Escar-Go. The active ingredient is iron phosphate which causes the slugs to stop feeding and eventually die. Although it is a pesticide, it is organic, and is therefore non-toxic to humans and pets. It also stays active and solid even after a heavy rain. Just sprinkle small amounts around each plant, and reapply every 10 days.

In case you're interested in this product or several available snail traps, click on the attached website and search for Escar-Go. You can then type slugs in their search field for options on traps.

http://www.gardensalive.com  

Two other organic controls are Worry-Free and Sluggo. Both can be purchased at most garden centers or nurseries.  

If you don't mind using chemicals, you can purchase several snail and slug controls in local department stores or garden centers. They all use an active ingredient called Methaldahyde. It is resistant to rain and lasts up to two weeks.

Fuianlly, tilling the soil in the fall and again in early spring will destroy many of the eggs the have overwintered in the garden. Since I purchased a small tiller and taken this precaution, my snail population has decreased dramatically.  

Regardless of which control you choose, it will take up to 10 days before the snail population subsides.  

I hope this answered your question. Please write again if I can ever be of assistance.  

Regards,  

Mike