Snails

[Pearlgirl]

I just planted a garden on the outside of my garden wall and for a few days I noticed snails crawling up the walls to the garden (its raised). I've planted succulents in the garden for ease of care plus I like the look - anyway, I've picked out a few of the snails. Does anyone know of a sensible way of getting rid of the snails. I would prefer not to use a pesticide but some homemade type remedy. I've heard that a small deep bowl of beer works - does anyone know of any other remedies or if the beer thing works?

[sbk]

Ducks. We live on a small stream and snails were a massive problem until my sister-in-law next door got a duck couple (Mr and Mrs Duck) who devastated the snail population. She eventually gave Mr and Mrs Duck to someone else but we never really had that many snails after that. And this was years ago.

[Tywais]

They seem to be seasonal at my place and when they're out they usually get on the porch and the dog's water bowl. Putting salt around the perimeter stops them. I will make a high concentration of salt water and use a spray bottle and spray the area they try to cross. Basically, salt dehydrates them. Here are several tips including the salt one.

http://www.sustainable-gardening-tips.com/garden-snails.html

[hazz]

Ducks, hedge hogs or anything else that likes snails is good.

However some non WMD alternatives:

Copper tape. not sure where top get this in thailand, I got my supply in the uk and brought it over. This is just like selotap, youu wrap it around what you do not want to snales to crawl up. Its best used to protect individual plant pots.

sharp sand, you put a ribbon of sharp sand a couple of inches wide around the ground you want them to stay out of. They do not like crawling over it

Beer, In the UK we use beer in containers buried flush with the soil surface. slugs are attracted to the smell, drop in and drowned. Never tried this n thailand and have no idea if it will work here.

[sbk]

I tried beer but because the snail population is worse in the rainy season it got diluted too quickly

[johnh101]

I tried beer but because the snail population is worse in the rainy season it got diluted too quickly

I used these ones in the UK, and they worked wonders, had to empty them out every morning.

http://www.agrisense.co.uk/images_retail/products/slug_trap.jpg

Here is some home made versions

http://www.instructables.com/id/Slug-Trap-from-Recycled-Water-Bottles/

Copper wire or tape around plant pots also works as the slugs / snails cannot cross it.

[Pearlgirl]

I tried beer but because the snail population is worse in the rainy season it got diluted too quickly

Thanks everyone for the helpful suggestions. I don't think Duck would work for us here as we are in a small village with a fairly small landd holding, and I don't think our neighbours would appreciate the ducks. But i can keep trying with the other solutions..