Hello, I’m Snail
ALIASES
No aliases though I am very similar to my relatives the slug, who do similar damage to your garden as the snail.
DESCRIBE YOURSELF
I am a bit of a nomad, travelling light and taking my shelter with me. But, rest assured, when I get to your place, if conditions are good, I tend to stay for a while. Some people say I’m slimy, but I reckon you should make up your own mind on that. I’m related to Slug and he pretty much does what I do in your garden, but he doesn’t call a shell home!
KNOWN ASSOCIATES
If conditions are right for me you will generally find my cousins, the slugs are also hanging around.
WHERE DO I HANG OUT
A moist environment, night time, cloudy days, curling up with a good egg cluster in warm months. Freshly planted seedlings are irresistible to my discerning palette. And I really love a beer – I just can’t hold it!
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU’VE BEEN MUGGED
All your newly planted seedlings, especially veggies and herbs, are munched right down to the ground. There are big holes in leaves, and shiny silver trails wherever I’ve visited!
MODUS OPERANDI
I love hanging out after dark, munching on newly planted seedlings, putting huge holes in leaves, laying trails!
HOW DO YOU MAKE ME FEEL UNWELCOME
Spray with coffee (one part espresso to ten parts water) on the plants I like to eat, and around the areas I like to travel.
Shout me a beer and lay it on its side where I am most active. I love a beer, but it’s the last thing I’ll ever drink as I’ll fall in and drown. Create obstacles with lime, cinnamon, wood shavings and sawdust around plants.
I’m not the athletic type, so any barriers will protect your vulnerable plants from my attentions. Try putting cardboard rolls from inside toilet rolls around new seedlings. Go spotlighting with a torch about two hours after sunset, and wear your gumboots for a bit of a hoedown with me. Otherwise, carry a container of strongly salted water and drop me in it. Mulch the area with some strong smelling herbs like wormwood, mint, tansy or lemon balm. And add some pine needles to stop me right in my tracks. Put some yummy citrus rind halves out for my daytime nap. If you catch me there before dark, you can squash the whole thing and throw in the compost pile.