Autumn blitz: Defend your garden from snails naturally
Are you struggling with a snail invasion in your garden? These small but extremely voracious creatures can quickly destroy your carefully tended plants. Although autumn might seem to offer a respite for gardeners, now is the time to take action to protect your garden from snails for the next season.
3:51 PM EDT, November 2, 2024
Autumn is a key moment to properly secure the garden from unwanted guests. With the rain and cooler days, snails remain active, and their eggs can peacefully overwinter in the soil. Now is the best time to effectively prevent their spring attack on your plants. Snails can cause significant damage, destroying your painstakingly cared-for flowers and vegetables. Check out how to protect your crops with simple, natural methods.
Why is autumn crucial in the fight against snails?
Although temperatures are dropping and the days are getting shorter, snails are still active. Moreover, autumn is the ideal time for them to lay eggs that will survive the winter and hatch in spring. That is why it is so important to take action now.
Snail trap – beer as a natural bait
One of the simplest and most effective ways to get rid of snails is to use a beer trap. The smell of yeast and other fermentation products found in beer is extremely attractive to snails. As a result, it lures them into the container, where they drown in the liquid.
How to make a snail trap?
- You can use a plastic cup, jar, or shallow bowl.
- A few inches of beer are enough to fill the bottom of the container.
- Set traps where you often see snails, such fas under plants, shaded corners, or near the compost heap.
- Empty the traps and refill the beer every few days.
Homemade snail spray – Garlic as a natural repellent
In addition to beer traps, it's also worth applying homemade garlic spray. Garlic's intense smell repels snails and is safe for plants and pets.
How to prepare a garlic spray?
- Crush a few cloves of garlic.
- Pour boiling water over the crushed garlic.
- Cool the infusion and pour it into a spray bottle.
- Spray the plants and soil around them.
The garlic spray is best applied in the evening when snails are most active. Repeat the procedure every few days, especially after rain.
Fighting snails requires systematic efforts and using several methods simultaneously. Combining beer traps and garlic spray with regular garden maintenance will allow you to effectively reduce the population of these pests and enjoy healthy plants throughout the next season.
