Re: What's with the snails?

Hmm, I have tons of hungry birdies, so that must be what's keeping
mine in check.  There's one spot the slugs & snails collect from where
the runoff from the lasagna bed puddles up when I water and the birds
quickly learned to go "fishing" for snacks there every evening.   It's
pretty funny to watch.


On 6/17/05, Theresa <tchessie@comcast.net> wrote:
> This year is Snail heaven here too!  We've had rain fall to late this
> year (it actually rained again yesterday).  I've lived here for 7 years
> now- and prior to this year it has NEVER rained in June.  This year,
> it's already rained twice.  So the snails have devoured all of my hostas
> and about 3 weeks ago I just gave up and decided I'd have none this
> year.  I kill all the snails i find.  (on sunny days it is particularly
> satisfying to hurl then into the middle of the street where they will
> quickly cook or get eaten by the birds).  Sorry to hear you are also
> being slimed by all these mollusks!
> 
> Theresa
> 
> MyTGoldens@aol.com wrote:
> 
> >Hello Everyone! Long time no see me! It's Maddy Mason here, from  Accord NY.
> >I usually pop back up in the Summer, at the height of gardening  season, then
> >disappear to the depths of the other parts of my life for another  year!
> >
> >I hope this season finds all of you thriving along  with your gardens! Now,
> >this may not apply to everyone, since we all live  in such vastly different
> >climates and parts of the country, but here in the  Northeast, or at least my
> >little corner of it, we are so overrun with snails  that walking around sounds
> >like the crunching of snow, but it's the crunching of  little snails!
> >
> >We've lived here 5 years, and always had plenty of slugs to  deal with. A few
> >years ago we discovered the miracle of the new organic slug  killers such as
> >Sluggo, that use harmless iron phosphate very effectively. Well,  harmless to
> >other wildlife, which is good! This stuff works fairly well on  slugs,
> >although frequent applications are still necessary for good control. But  where has
> >this explosion of snails come from? (I noticed a lot of them last  year, but
> >this year is worse than ever.) The stuff doesn't work nearly as well  on the
> >snails, although it helps some. And it's not just my yard, due to some  upheaval
> >of the natural balance of things. I have neighbors here, and  friends in other
> >parts of NYS with the same problem.
> >
> >My garden covers various sections of a good sized area of land  (close to an
> >acre), so barrier methods are useless. No matter what I do, I  still find
> >scads of the crunchy critters chewing up my irises, daylilies,  delphiniums,
> >Lupines, even hairy poppies, and anything else they can get their  slimy teeth on.
> >(Slimy teeth?) Keeping the ground very clear of litter helps  some, but not
> >all that much. And yes, I handpick, but, as with the Japanese  Beetles scheduled
> >for imminent arrival, I could do that the entire day and never  get ANYTHING
> >else done!
> >
> >Anyone have a clue what might have caused this? We didn't even have  a very
> >wet Spring this year either. I think next year I'll get out the Sluggo  much
> >earlier. Perhaps that might put a lid on it, before it gets so out of  control.
> >I dunno!
> >
> >Happy digging to All!
> >Maddy Mason
> >zone 5/6
> >Hudson Valley, NY (No, do not even THINK of telling me to  eat them! )
> >
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-- 
Pam Evans
Kemp TX
zone 8A

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