I planted 4 Dwarf Pawpaw trees in my garden. They are really a wonderful sight to behold. But suddenly, these wicked snails just invaded my farm and are presently destroying the Pawpaw fruits. I have been searching for a more milder way to exterminate them without using chemicals. Gurus in the house, pls help. see pics below

more pictures of the destruction....

Never knew they could be so destructive.

babaegun:
I planted 4 Dwarf Pawpaw trees in my garden. They are really a wonderful sight to behold. But suddenly, these wicked snails just invaded my farm and are presently destroying the Pawpaw fruits. I have been searching for a more milder way to exterminate them without using chemicals. Gurus in the house, pls help. see pics below

MANAGEMENT
A good snail and slug management program relies on a combination of methods. The first step is to eliminate, as much as possible, all places where they can hide during the day. Boards, stones, debris, weedy areas around tree trunks, leafy branches growing close to the ground, and dense ground covers such as ivy are ideal sheltering spots. It won’t be possible to eliminate some shelters such as low ledges on fences, the undersides of wooden decks, and water meter boxes, so make a regular practice of trapping and removing snails and slugs from these areas.

Did a snail eat my plant?
Locate vegetable gardens or susceptible plants as far away from snail and slug hiding places as possible. Reducing hiding places allows fewer snails and slugs to survive. The survivors congregate in the remaining shelters, where you can more easily locate and remove them.

Switching from sprinkler irrigation to drip irrigation will reduce humidity and moist surfaces, making the habitat less favorable for these pests. Choose snail-proof plants, such as those listed below, for areas where snails and slugs are dense. Copper barriers can be useful for protecting especially susceptible plants. Though baits can be part of a management program, it is better to use them in conjunction with other habitat modification, especially in gardens that contain plenty of shelter, food, and moisture.

Plant selection can greatly affect how difficult your battle with snails and slugs will be. Because snails and slugs favor seedlings and plants with succulent foliage, you will need to vigilantly protect these. Some plants these pests will seriously damage include basil, beans, cabbage, dahlia, delphinium, hosta, lettuce, marigolds, strawberries, and many other vegetable plants. On the other hand, many plants resist snail and slug damage including begonias, California poppy, fuchias, geraniums, impatiens, lantana, nasturtiums, and purple robe cup flower as well as many plants with stiff leaves and highly scented foliage such as lavender, rosemary, and sage. Most ornamental, woody plants, and ornamental grasses also aren’t seriously affected. If you design your landscape using snail and slug resistant plants, you are likely to have very limited damage.


Read more here:
http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7427.html

ajokebelle:
Never knew they could be so destructive.

Snails and slugs are among the most bothersome pests in many gardens and landscapes. The brown garden snail, Cornu aspersum (formerly Helix aspersa), is the most common snail causing problems in California gardens.

Read more here:

http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7427.html

ajokebelle:
Never knew they could be so destructive.

hmmm. Those slimy guys are one of the most wicked animals in agriculture. I underrated them too until they dealt with me.

cosade:

MANAGEMENT
A good snail and slug management program relies on a combination of methods. The first step is to eliminate, as much as possible, all places where they can hide during the day. Boards, stones, debris, weedy areas around tree trunks, leafy branches growing close to the ground, and dense ground covers such as ivy are ideal sheltering spots. It won’t be possible to eliminate some shelters such as low ledges on fences, the undersides of wooden decks, and water meter boxes, so make a regular practice of trapping and removing snails and slugs from these areas.
Did a snail eat my plant?

Read more here:
http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7427.html

Thanks Cosade.

I will start moving them one by one and also remove their abode. Am just tired of them. When I should be enjoying the fruits of my labour, they just reared their ugly head. Thanks a lot jare.

So I set out to find solution to my snail issue. I have tried some of the solutions i find online. see the result of my experiment.

1. Ash - Wood ash is quite alkali, with a very high Ph level. Snails and slugs do not like travelling over it as it irritates their mucus linings


Remarks: Not true. Those guys were busy performing Rio Olympic on my Pawpaw tree In fact, I witnessed uSnail Bolt on the ash doing 100m dash on it.

2. Copper - Copper repels snails due to a reaction between the metal and the mucous (or slime) produced by the snail as it moves.



So I tied copper wire round my Pawpaw tree. I now moved few snails near my pawpaw tree - experiment

watch the movement of the snails..

a lot of them turned away from the copper wire....

still watch their movement. 1 snail turning away and more snails coming up the trunk...

Watch the big snail. It turned back immediately it touched the copper ... wow!!!

wow. what a barrier...

Wow. they are all turning back....

ahhhh!!!!! This guy got past the barrier... out of 4 snails...

more guys making a dash up the pawpaw tree.... and another making a u turn...

and another snail making a dash accross the Copper Barrier....

These guys not risking it again.... they just turned back...

Ahhhh. Another snail made it through the barrier. It initially turned away but now its back and climbing over the barrier. chai. Making it the 3rd snail to cross...

So, ash and Copper barrier can not 100% deter snails.

Whats Next

My options --- Egg shells, Beer, Coffee etc.

I will try out another and feed you back...

babaegun:
I planted 4 Dwarf Pawpaw trees in my garden. They are really a wonderful sight to behold. But suddenly, these wicked snails just invaded my farm and are presently destroying the Pawpaw fruits. I have been searching for a more milder way to exterminate them without using chemicals. Gurus in the house, pls help. see pics below

Why not construct a small pen, hunt them down and start a mini snail farm with em, right there in one corner of ur garden?

Ok modified:
I'm thinking they're no the breed to farm with, there are other options,

1. park the ones you see in the day time physically, crack and use them for fish farming, if you have a pond, otherwise just destroy them.

2. set a bait for them, maybe cut ripe paw paw in half, and place at the base of your paw paw tree and other strategic positions in the farm, by 7pm go to the garden witha torchlight and arrest them while they're seriously feeding.

3. Lastly, use the good old pesticide to exterminate them.

SnowJay92:

Why not construct a small pen, hunt them down and start a mini snail farm with em, right there in one corner of ur garden?
Ok modified:
I'm thinking they're no the breed to farm with, there are other options,
1. park the ones you see in the day time physically, crack and use them for fish farming, if you have a pond, otherwise just destroy them.
2. set a bait for them, maybe cut ripe paw paw in half, and place at the base of your paw paw tree and other strategic positions in the farm, by 7pm go to the garden witha torchlight and arrest them while they're seriously feeding.
3. Lastly, use the good old pesticide to exterminate them.

@SowJay,

Thanks. I was just experimenting with some of those solutions. I will take your advice.