It seems that we already know a little about the world of mammals. Knowing how to distinguish between herbivores and carnivores is part of the general culture, even of instinct. However, there are some animals in which it can be more difficult for us to guess their main food source, especially if they are further away from us, such as insects or invertebrates. But since this is a gardening blog, we’re going to focus on a few small animals that can be a bit of a nuisance in gardens. Concretely, we are going to answer the question that you are probably asking yourself: What do snails eat?
In addition to explaining a little about how these invertebrates feed, we will also give some tips and tricks to avoid dealing with snails in our garden. If it’s already too late, don’t worry. We will also discuss what to do if they have already infested our crops.
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feed the snails
Like all animals, snails also need to eat something. But do you know what snails eat? These small invertebrates they are mainly herbivorous. However, on some occasions, they may also consume algae, fungi, and decaying plant matter. In general, snails feed on a wide variety of plants, especially their fruits, flowers, stems and leaves.
And how do they do it? These small animals have a mouth that houses a rough tongue, called a “radula”. With it, they can both scratch and cut pieces of food. They then digest the food in their stomach using digestive enzymes, just like us. In fact, if we look at them closely, we can even see how they eat. It is very curious!
If you are a horticulturist, you may have experienced a snail infestation before. It is quite common that they appear in the garden, especially when it has rained or we have watered recently. Unsurprisingly, this turns out to be an all-you-can-eat buffet for them. Among the vegetables that we usually grow, the ones that attract them the most are leafy vegetables, such as lettuce, but they also like tomatoes and peppers, among many others. For this reason, it is useful to know some methods of prevention and treatment in case of snail infestation. We will discuss what we can do next.
Which plants do not eat snails?
Now that we know what snails eat, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep planting these vegetables. In fact, a good way to prevent these animals from appearing is grow plants that do not eat around the crop. Among them are lavender, sage, mustard, rosemary, begonia, geraniums and nasturtium. Not only is it a good way to repel snails and slugs, but it will give our garden a nicer touch.
What else can we do to prevent the appearance of these invertebrates? As you probably already know, snails love humidity very much. Therefore we must Avoid overwetting the plants. A good method to achieve this is drip irrigation. In addition, it is advisable to water in the morning instead of doing it in the evening.
it doesn’t hurt either control damp and shady holes. This is where they like to take refuge and lay their eggs. Keeping an eye out from time to time will help prevent a larger infestation of snails and slugs. It is also strongly advised to remove the soil from time to time, especially in cooler and darker places, as they tend to lay eggs there.
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Another very effective method, both to prevent its appearance and to resolve a snail infestation, is the the introduction of natural predators. Among them are frogs, beetles, lizards, salamanders, turtles, vipers, ducks, hedgehogs, chickens, etc. We really have a wide choice on this one.
In addition to growing plants that snails do not eat around the garden, we can use other elements that will give us less work. Ash, for example, preventing these small animals from advancing. Spreading it around crops will be a big help. Also eggshells or crushed shells They are generally very effective. These invertebrates do not like to move on this type of surface.
Plague treatments
If our garden is already infested with snails and slugs, There are several ecological methods to solve it. Remember that the use of chemical repellents can affect the environment, our plants, other animals and ourselves.
The first option is just pick them up with your hands. If you give us a little something, we can use gloves to do this task. As they are very slow and quite visible animals, it is a quick solution in case our garden is not excessively large. In extensive crops, this task can take a long time, so it is better to opt for other methods.
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There is also the possibility of using traps to capture snails and slugs. Among the most used are stones, bowls, tiles, branches and other similar objects where they could hide during the day. With the help of these traps, it will be easier for us to locate the snails the next day. Other types of traps simply consist of laying lettuce leaves, waiting, and thus harvesting as many snails and slugs as possible.
To attract these little animals, you can also sprinkle a few cookie crumbs or place beer, sugar water, watermelon peels, oranges, potatoes or melon on low plates. Of course, we must place them in a humid and shady place. In this way we will attract many snails that we can easily eliminate. Another tip would be soak a cloth in beer or milk and leave it near the plants overnight. The next day it will most likely be full of snails and slugs.
I hope this information about what snails eat has been of interest to you. By following these little tips to prevent the appearance of these invertebrates in your garden, you should not run the risk of plague, at least from these animals.