Re: Slugs & Snails

Greetings from Sunny So. Calif.
There is a solution for snail and slug problems for some of us in So. Cal.
Check out this URL.
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn028.html#Natural Enemies
I have used these decollate snails in my garden for years and found them
highly effective. They are not fast at the job of eliminating European Brown
Garden snail but they provide a slow and steady control by eating snail eggs
and small offspring. To calm your fears they do not eat gardners! Decollates
can be purchased at many retail nurseries in So. Cal. or by mail. Be careful
that what you purchase is alive as some retail packages are just old and are
bags of empty shells. I have found that application of these critters is the
real trick. At dusk spray some water onto and under shrubs where Brown
garden snails are found, open the package of Decollates and spread them
around in the leaf litter under the shrubs. They will find cover and begin
their life of feasting on other snails. I have not found them eating
seedlings only dry leafy material. Generally they are hard to find in a
garden after they become established. Since first applying them over 10
years ago I have watched the walnut sized Brown Garden snails and the large
garden slugs dissappear. The presence of this predator, decollates,
establishes a biological balance not present in most gardens.  I do not
agree with the last sentance regarding their use in gardens, and please note
that there is a limit within California where these snails can be used. The
work but they are a long term project. The large European brown garden
snails are 4 years old before they lay eggs so kill off the big ones to
eliminate the laying of eggs and work on the smailler ones to prevent their
growing to egg laying size. Hire ducks, chickens, geese, possums, foxes or
even frenchmen to eat the pests. Or use whatever other system that agrees
with you. Watch out for the toxics like metaldehyde, they do work but can be
dangerous. I recommend the Decollates to everyone who complains about snail
problems in their garden, Decollates really work.!  Here is a paragraph from
the website. the website has a picture of the decollate.

Natural Enemies
Snails and slugs have many natural enemies, including ground beetles,
pathogens, snakes, toads, turtles, and birds (including ducks, geese, and
chickens), but they are rarely effective enough to provide satisfactory
control in the garden. A predaceous snail, the decollate snail [79K], Rumina
decollata, has been released in southern California citrus orchards for
control of the brown garden snail and is providing very effective biological
control. It feeds only on small snails or slugs and not on full-sized ones.
Because of the potential impact of the decollate snail on certain endangered
mollusk species, it cannot be released outside of Fresno, Kern, Madera,
Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa
Barbara, Ventura or Tulare counties in California. It is also not
recommended for garden situations because the decollate snails may feed on
seedlings, small plants, and flowers.

Phil Soderman sgrower1@rain.org


Richard Starkeson wrote:

> I heard once that there is another species of snail, which actually eats
> the common garden snail, but is not native to California, where I live
> (neither is the garden snail, having been imported from europe).  Does
> anyone know about this creature, or is it a myth?  If it exists, I
> wonder what else it eats, (any rare species that might be decimated
> here?).  It would seem that the garden snail has no "natural" predators
> in its Calfornia habitat, at least.  We do have lots of racoons here,
> having greatly increased in number in the last 20 years, which might
> munch on snails ocassionally, except they live so well off garbage
> instead.  If they do eat them, they sure haven't made any dent in the
> population.
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