Autumn strategies: Protect your garden from snail damage
Are you battling a snail invasion in your garden? These small but exceedingly voracious creatures can swiftly destroy our carefully tended plants. Although autumn may seem like a respite for gardeners, now is the time to take steps that will protect our garden from snails for the next season.
2 November 2024 20:01
Autumn is a crucial time to secure the garden against these unwanted guests properly. With the rain and cooler days, snails remain active, and their eggs overwinter peacefully in the soil. This is the best opportunity to prevent their spring assault on our plants effectively. Snails can cause significant damage, destroying painstakingly cared-for flowers or vegetables. Discover how to safeguard your crops with simple, natural methods.
Why is autumn crucial in the fight against snails?
Even though temperatures are dropping and the days are getting shorter, snails are still active. Furthermore, autumn is ideal for them to lay eggs that will survive the winter and hatch in spring. This 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 centimetres of beer are enough to fill the bottom of the container.
- Set traps in places where you most often see snails, such as under plants, in 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 beneficial to apply a homemade spray made from garlic. Garlic repels snails with its intense smell 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 the 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 enable you to effectively reduce the population of these pests and enjoy healthy plants throughout the next season.
