Sometimes, when creating a moist, warm growing environment for our plants, we also provide a hospitable home for slugs and snails. It doesn’t seem like these slow-moving creatures could do much damage. But gardener, beware! Slugs and snails move silently in the damp darkness and leave a trail of carnage in their wake. When you check your garden in the morning, you’ll wonder what happened to your happy flowers. We’ll help you see the signs of slugs and snails in your garden and share natural solutions to keep them from ruining your vegetables and flowers.
African mallow shrubs are popular ornamental plants known for their beautiful flowers and attractive foliage However, they are also a favorite snack for snails and slugs These slimy pests can quickly chew through leaves, flowers, stems, and buds, causing unsightly damage. If you’ve noticed a snail problem on your African mallow shrubs, there are several effective control methods you can try to protect your plants.
Understanding Snails and Their Impact
To get rid of snails, it helps to understand why they are drawn to African mallow shrubs in the first place. Snails and slugs are attracted to the soft, moist foliage and prefer to feed at night or on cloudy humid days. They leave behind telltale slime trails and silverish holes in leaves as evidence of their feeding.
If left uncontrolled, snails can completely defoliate an African mallow shrub over time. This robs the plant of its ability to photosynthesize and produce energy. Repeated snail damage can open wounds on the plant, providing entry points for disease. Snails can even chew through tender stems, causing dieback. For this reason, it’s important to take action at the first signs of snails on your shrubs.
Remove Snail Habitats
The first line of defense is to eliminate places where snails like to hide during the day. Remove any boards, stones, debris piles, or weedy areas around your African mallow shrubs. This deprives snails of shelter and makes the area less attractive to them.
Regular garden maintenance like weeding, pruning, and picking up fallen leaves also takes away protective hiding spots. Keep the area around African mallow shrubs free of vegetation and mulch about 12 inches out from the base.
Handpick Snails
Handpicking is an easy, non-toxic way to get rid of small snail infestations. Inspect plants thoroughly first thing in the morning or after watering when snails are most active. Use gloves and collect any snails you find in a bucket of soapy water. Crush larger snail eggs clusters that you see attached to leaves or stems.
Perform daily handpicking to remove the maximum number of snails before they lay more eggs. Be diligent about checking the undersides of leaves and inside flower buds where snails like to hide.
Use Physical Barriers
There are several physical barriers that can prevent snails from reaching your African mallow shrubs:
-
Copper tape wrapped around pots or plant stems creates a barrier snails won’t cross. The copper gives them a mild electric shock. Maintain tape regularly to keep it working.
-
Diatomaceous earth sprinkled around plants cuts and dehydrates snails. Reapply after rain or watering. Avoid inhaling it.
-
Crushed eggshells or abrasive materials like sand or wood ash create uncomfortable terrain.
-
Aluminum flashing or petroleum jelly around pots block upward climbing.
Set Traps
Trapping is an effective way to capture and remove snails from your garden. Place traps near infested African mallow shrubs:
-
Shallow dishes of beer attract and drown snails. Keep liquid level low.
-
Wet cardboard or burlap attracts snails looking for shelter. Collect and dispose of them daily.
-
A board raised off the ground on sticks lures snails underneath during the day.
-
attractant like lettuce or banana peels under an overturned pot or empty flower pot creates daytime shelter to collect snails from.
Always empty and refresh traps regularly for continuous control.
Use Natural Predators
Encouraging natural predators is a chemical-free way to reduce snail populations over time. Create an environment to attract these helpers:
-
Ground beetles and their larvae feed on snail eggs and young snails in the soil. Avoid pesticides that would kill them.
-
Green anoles and garter snakes eat small snails. Provide hiding spots for them to nest.
-
Frogs, toads, and birds like ducks consume adult snails. Have a small pond or bird bath to attract them.
-
Keep chickens penned near infested shrubs for aggressive snail control. Their scratching also disturbs snail habitat.
Apply Organic Snail Bait
For severe infestations, using an organic bait may be necessary in addition to traps and handpicking. Look for bait containing iron phosphate, a natural occurring mineral, rather than toxic metaldehyde bait:
-
Sprinkle bait around infected African mallow shrubs, especially in damp and shady spots.
-
Reapply bait after rain or watering washes it away.
-
Use bait sticks around individual plants for concentrated feeding zone.
-
Follow all label directions carefully to avoid harming pets, wildlife or beneficial insects.
-
Discontinue bait when snail activity is under control.
Prevent Reinfestation
Once you’ve succeeded in removing snails, be vigilant about prevention to avoid repeated attacks on your African mallow shrubs:
-
Promptly remove damaged growth and picked snails from the garden.
-
Eliminate eggs and egg clusters you find to prevent new generations.
-
Maintain a clean garden free of debris for hiding spots.
-
Check for snails routinely, especially the undersides of leaves.
-
Apply new barriers, traps, or bait at the first sign of renewed snail activity.
Controlling snails takes persistence, but it’s necessary to protect African mallow shrubs. Combining removal tactics, barriers, natural predators, and bait will provide thorough protection without using toxic chemicals. Your efforts will allow African mallow shrubs to grace your garden snail-free and looking their best.
Understanding the Enemy: Slugs and Snails
Before we dive into the natural solutions, lets take a moment to understand the culprits causing the damage. Slugs and snails are soft-bodied, slow-moving creatures that thrive in moist environments. They feed on a wide variety of plants, making them a common threat to gardens. These pests are most active at night or on cloudy, damp days, which is when they do the most damage. You’ll need to find them before they find your tender seedlings.
Slugs may not move fast, but they reproduce quickly. Slugs can lay up to 80 eggs at a time, six times a year. So, it’s a good idea to eliminate them from your garden before they overwhelm your plants.
Find out where they’re coming from. Slugs and snails live under rocks, moist vegetation, and in damp and dark places. Slugs and snails avoid the sunlight and daytime predators. They’ll come out at night to feed. That’s why you won’t often see them unless you are looking for them.
Here are a few signs that you may have a slug or snail problem in your garden:
1. Chewed Leaves: Look for leaves with irregular holes or chewed edges, especially near the ground.
2. Silvery Trails: Slugs and snails leave a distinctive, silvery, slimy trail behind them as they move. This trail can often be seen on plants, garden furniture, or the ground.
3. Mucous Deposits: You might also notice slime deposits on the leaves and stems of your plants, which can hinder their growth and make them look unsightly.
10 Natural Ways to Keep Slugs and Snails from Ruining Your Plants
In our gardening past, we would have used salt and vinegar on snails and slugs. But those aren’t great for your plants. Fortunately, there are natural methods that do work and won’t harm your other plants or animals. Now that you can identify the enemy, lets explore some effective natural ways to keep slugs and snails out of your garden.
The beer trap is one of the most popular and effective natural slug and snail deterrents. Slugs and snails are attracted to the scent of beer, and once they crawl into the trap, theyll drown. To make a beer trap, bury a shallow container, in the soil so the rim is level with the ground. Fill it with beer (at least 1 inch) and check it daily to remove the drowned pests. Be sure to refill the trap as needed, as the scent of beer can diminish over time. A mixture of sugar, water, and yeast will also work.
Copper is known to repel slugs and snails because it delivers a small electric shock when they come into contact with it. You can create a barrier by placing copper tape or copper wire around the perimeter of your garden beds or pots. This simple solution can be highly effective in preventing these pests from reaching your precious plants. Make sure the area doesn’t already have slugs inside. Otherwise, you’re just trapping them in, where they will continue reproducing.
Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a fine, powdery substance made from the fossilized remains of diatoms. It is non-toxic to humans and animals but can be deadly to slugs and snails. When these pests come into contact with DE, it dehydrates them, ultimately leading to their demise. Sprinkle a thick layer at least an inch wide of diatomaceous earth around the base of your plants to create a barrier. Reapply after rain or heavy watering, as DE loses its effectiveness when wet. Use food grade or one labeled for pest control.
Crushed eggshells can be a natural and cost-effective way to deter slugs and snails. These creatures dislike crawling over sharp and jagged surfaces, so the rough texture of crushed eggshells acts as a natural deterrent. Save your eggshells, dry them, and crush them into small pieces. Sprinkle them around your plants to create a protective barrier. Seashells and other jagged barriers can also be effective. But these need to be in a thick layer and wide enough that slugs and snails won’t cross it.
How to Get Rid of Snails (4 Easy Steps)
How do I get rid of snails in my garden?
Alum (Aluminum sulfate) can be found in most grocery stores in the spice aisle. Dissolve 1-3 tablespoons per gallon of warm water and soak the plants for at least 2-3 hours, or up to 24 hours in milder solutions. It can be effective in removing snails, but is slightly less effective at getting rid of the eggs.
How do I get rid of giant African snails?
Because snails favor humidity, removing items such as mulch, dense vegetation and wood can help lessen the chance of an infestation. Some barriers also have been successful for minimizing the damage done by these snails.
How do I control slugs and snails in my garden?
Encourage natural predators in your garden to help control the slug and snail population. Frogs, toads, birds, and ground beetles are known to feast on these pests. To attract these helpful creatures, create a welcoming environment by adding a small pond or bird feeders to your garden.
Are snails destroying your garden?
Snails leave slime trails – a tell-tale sign that they’re in your garden. In terms of damage, they’ll nibble large holes in the leaves, blooms, and fruits of plants. And they’re not fussy – from veggies in your kitchen garden to dahlias in your flower beds, these pests will happily devour them all.