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Gardeners World blog

Gardeners' musings

Hibernating snails

Posted by: Pippa Greenwood, 29 November 2007, 10.12AM

Hibernating snails The temperatures are dropping and the hill opposite where I live is a magical mix of golden, yellow, orange and bronze, as all the trees, largely oak and beech, are showing their autumn colours.

It is a sight that is a pleasure to see, even though I am sad to see the back of summer (what summer?!!). But there is something else I am pleased about, in a perverse, time-saving sort of a way.

Snails - not the small ones or the medium sized ones, just the large vegetable and ornamental plant-munching sort - are disappearing. They have started to slow down and go off for their winter hibernation (presumably so that they can save energy ready to attack my plants again next spring with an increased fervour!).

Now I may be a fool, but not fool enough to be tricked into forgetting them, oh no! For it is from now that any gardener who would prefer to reduce (dramatically) the damage done by these horrible little critters, grabs a bucket and goes off on a collecting spree.

Snails love to group together to while away the winter months, and if you find one you can be sure there will be a lot more in that protected hiding place too. Check under loose flaps of bark, behind stacked spare paving slabs, around unused flower pots, around the back of planters and pots... and even in gaps and holes in walls. They will be there... and the pickings will be rich!

I wonder what the greatest number ever found in one place is...

Comments

  • 30 November 2007, 01.25PM

    27 in bird nesting box amongst climber.

  • Carol Maguire

    30 November 2007, 12.09PM

    ...but what do you do with them after you've collected them? I can stomp on one snail but get squeamish about mass murder!

  • Gill Down

    01 December 2007, 12.09PM

    What a good idea to have a snail hunt. As soon as it stops raining I shall be out there with a pail of salt water.

  • Pippa Greenwood

    04 December 2007, 11.40AM

    Wow, havn't checked the bird boxes yet!! And talking of birds, they are one possible method of green-disposal!

  • Chili

    04 December 2007, 09.31PM

    Also, did you know that apparently all British snail are edible? (revenge or what)

  • Lynne

    05 December 2007, 03.56PM

    Are they really edible?? I have got lots in my small garden. Does anyone have a recipe for cooking snails?

  • Amoret

    05 December 2007, 04.56PM

    Icky!!! I did find a large amount in a plastic bag at the back of the greenhouse the other day. Needless to say, neck tied and in the bin! Perhaps a few bag lined pots selectively placed around the garden would help solve a disposal problem??

  • Jean

    06 December 2007, 11.56AM

    I went for a walk on the Scarborough disused railway track and at a disused platform there where hundreds of snails hibernating on the wall uck! If I Lived nearer I would take some salt water.

  • Susan

    08 December 2007, 05.36PM

    I just can't bring myself to kill them even thought one of some of my favourite plants are Hostas. I tend to collect them on a trowel and hurl them into the middle of the garden and hope the birds do it for me!!

  • Pippa Greenwood

    10 December 2007, 11.36AM

    mmmmmm, I'm very glad I'm a vegetarian, but do you know even if I were a rampant carnivore, I suspect there are some things I would not eat...how ever much garlic butter was used!!!! Neat idea about the poly-bag lined pots...

  • juicey45

    01 February 2008, 11.15AM

    you can eat snails, but you must purge them first, after collecting a few you must put them in a container, one they cant get out of... and let them get rid of any fecal waste they may have, obviously dont give them anything to eat, after about three days you can then cook them, garlic butter or whatever recipe you have for snails.

  • patty

    22 February 2008, 05.36PM

    I also cannot bring myself to kill all the snails in my garden that are nestling in between to stone walls. If I toss them over the fence into the park, do you think they will be eating by the birds or will crawl back into the garden (mine or a neighbours)?

  • Mrs Anne Anderson

    17 May 2008, 08.46AM

    I have a problem with olive green slugs, usually we have seen plain back slugs in the garden but these are mottled green colour?

  • Jeff Rayment

    13 July 2008, 12.06PM

    I prefer to give all snails i find in the garden flying lessons(there not very good at it)but at least when they hit the ground its fresh food for the birds

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