Opinion on treading on snails to kill them?

anne1990

Hi, I recently asked here if some of you kill the snails and slugs in their garden by crushing them underfoot, and I noticed that there is a mixed opinion about this topic, because some find it cruel to just step on them while others do think that it is totally reasonable.

What is your opinion about this?  I personally think that it kills the snails and slugs very quickly and that they don‘t have to suffer for long, especially when using rubber boots with a rough profile that - as harsh as it sounds - tears them apart quickly. 

I would like to hear from the community because I am curious how different gardeners think about this.

nutcutlet

goodbye

Lyn

Answered on your original thread.

in case you can’t find it, it’s here.

http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/tools-and-techniques/is-it-suitable-to-crush-slugs-while-gardening/1008506.html 

Stevedaylilly

Beer traps are more effective in my garden or just pick them up and in a bucket of salt water. Slice a few for the birds table. However, there are a few on here that thinks you should not touch them as I will effect the Eco system which in my opinion is silly as they breed continually and basically are a pest to all gardeners 

pbff

Generally, I don't kill them at all, just make vulnerable plants  harder for them to get to, by standing pot plants in trays of water or up on raised areas or by using copper.

I can live with a bit of slug damage.

The only exception is with young seedlings vulnerable to slug attack - where I do apply a light scattering of ferric phosphate pellets A small bottle lasts me at least two years, because I hardly ever use them.

I think opinion is generally divided on two counts:

1) TO KILL OR NOT TO KILL

2) IF YOU ANSWERED 'TO KILL', THEN THE SECOND POINT IS 'HOW TO KILL'

When it comes to actually killing slugs, the more squeamish of us would probably shudder at the thought of squashing a slug and seeing what we've done, whereas when you poison a slug, it potentially suffers as much or more, but we don't have to see it.

Personally, I don't think I could bring myself to stamp on them or snip them or anything like that... then again, I squash aphids and mealybugs, so I guess that makes me a hypocrite.

And I love snails - certainly can't bear to kill those. I feel guilt-ridden for ages if I accidently tread on one. That dreaded crunching sound....

I remember going to a restaurant one evening for my birthday with my family. When we came out to go back to the car, I found dozens of snails making their way up and down the stone steps of the veranda, around the pot plants. Many had been crushed and a woman walking ahead of us crushed one (accidently I think as it was quite shadowy) with her high-heel, which made me wince. 

So there I was, in my best clothes, bent down gathering as many snails as possible before the next diners came out and removing them to a nearby hedge.

The family realised that I was no longer with them, so came back to look for me and hastily started gathering snails too (realising it would be ages before we got home if not)!

I'm not barmy or anything....

pbff

I'd never crush any snail, Philippa, whether it's right handed or left handed.

Although, I think it was a left-handed snail that was without a mate wasn't it, called Jeremy?

When they found a mate for Jeremy, all of the resulting babies were right-hand coiled, so as you say - if you look closely you can find some unusual snails out there.

I love the brown-lipped snails, they're so pretty - we nickname them 'liquorice snails'.

Britain gastropods are sadly under-appreciated - we could start a snail-lovers society - I don't know whether we'd get many members though...

Perhaps Anne could be our first convert...

Last edited: 06 December 2017 16:54:26

Kitty 2

Awww, pbff. You big softy .  Nice restaurant story.

I can't stand stepping on slugs or snails anne, far too messy .  I send mine on holiday by collecting them in a bucket and tipping it into the green recycling bin. They then get to live out their days in the giant council compost heap ? ?.

pansyface

PBFF,

I'M WITH YOU ON THE SNAIL THING. I PUT THEM IN A PLACE OF SAFETY TOO. I DO THE SAME WITH WORMS THAT I FIND ON THE PAVEMENT AFTER RAIN. MY FAMILY JUST KEEP ON WALKING AND IGNORE ME.

I WAS WITH A BUDDHIST ONCE IN A PARK AND HE ACCIDENTALLY STOOD ON A SNAIL. HE STOPPED, PUT HIS HANDS TOGETHER IN SUPPLICATION, BOWED AT THE LITTLE BODY, SAID A FEW WORDS UNDER HIS BREATH AND THEN WE WALKED ON.

pansyface

I READ "ROHINGA (SP)" AS "ROHINGA SPECIES" AND THOUGHT THAT MIGHT BE HOW THE BUDDHISTS SEE THEM.

I ONCE SAW A GROUP OF JAINS WALKING ALONG THE SIDE OF A TRUNK ROAD IN INDIA (LIKE A BRITISH MOTORWAY) WITH THEIR MASKS AND LITTLE BROOMS.

THE MASKS TO PREVENT THEM ACCIDENTALLY INHALING AN INNOCENT FLYING INSECT AND THE LITTLE BROOM TO SWEEP ANY EARTHBOUND CREATURE AWAY FROM THEIR STOMPING FEET.

THEY THEMSELVES SEEMED TO BE IN IMMINENT DANGER OF BEING FLATTENED BY PASSING LORRIES THAT WERE DRIVEN BY NON JAINS.

pbff

Thanks Kitty, Phillipa and PF - at least I now feel normally abnormal!

We could form a thread specifically for members of the 'Snail Lover's Society'...what do you think?

pbff

The Snail Lover's Society is now active:

http://www.gardenersworld.com/forum/wildlife-gardening/the-snail-lovers-society/1008709.html