Pet-Friendly Snail Bait

A garden snail on the move.

Snails can be among the most annoying of garden pests as they are tough to control, chew holes in plant leaves and leave behind a slimy mucous that defies removal from hands, plants, walkways, decks and garden tools. They also prefer to forage at night, making them hard to catch. Several methods of effective control are safe for pets and humans alike.

Iron Phosphate Baits

One of the oldest and safest baits for snails and slugs is iron phosphate. Used in conjunction with other controls such as hand-picking and removing areas of habitat favorable to snails, these baits are very effective. Marketed under several brand names, iron phosphate is safe for pets, children, birds, fish and other wildlife. Once the snails ingest the bait, they will stop feeding but may take several days to die. Scatter these baits around plants, on lawns and around sprinkler heads or wherever snails are feeding.

Beer

Beer-baited traps have long been a standard of snail control. Add beer to a dish that is too tall for the snail to crawl out of and buried at ground level. Snails are attracted to the yeast in the beer and will crawl into the container and drown. Since it is the yeast that attracts the snails, sugar and yeast can also be used. Suspend a pie pan on nails over the dish to keep out rain, debris, cats and dogs. This method, although much used, is not a very effective control considering the labor involved.

Melon Rinds

Melon or grapefruit rinds, cabbage leaves, boards raised one inch above the soil and overturned pots all act as attractive places for snails to hide. Then, after a heavy late afternoon watering, snails can be scraped off these items or handpicked off leaves and decks. While not the most enjoyable of tasks, picking snails off plants and destroying them is an effective and safe method of control. Snail hunting should be done at night with a flashlight, however, as they feed after dark. Rubber gloves or tweezers are recommended to keep their thick slime off hands. Crush them and leave them in the garden or dunk them in soapy water to kill them.

Habitat Management

Good habitat management goes a long way toward enhancing the effectiveness of any bait used. Remove debris, boards, stones or weedy areas from the garden as these are gathering places for snails. By eliminating as much cover as possible, snails will accumulate in fewer places but in larger numbers making control measures easier.

References

• University of California: Snails and Slugs
• University of Washington: Of Slug Slime, Spider Silk, and Mollusk Shells
• Texas A&M University: Snails and Slugs

Resources

• “The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Pest and Disease Control;” Fern Marshall Bradley, et al; 2009.