Our favorite plants are also some of the most palatable for mollusks, especially snails. When the rains come, the time comes when we have to protect the succulents from the attack of these animals that, if not controlled, could become a plague.
Although they may seem harmless to us, and even funny in principle, we must bear in mind that if we do not take measures, the snails could be the cause that the plants simply spoil forever. To avoid it, I am going to recommend these home remedies.
What are the damages they cause in succulents?
From one day to the next our cacti, succulents and plants with caudex can suffer a significant aesthetic deterioration as a result of the attack of snails. But, How can we know that it was them and not other animals? Very easy:
- By the own slime that they leave on the plant
- Seeing debris from the mollusk itself (they are like small black strips)
- Leaves and / or bodies that appear bitten by any area
- Finding the snail itself
What home remedies against snails are there?
Although there are molluscicides, if they are used badly in addition to eliminating the snails, we could also load the plant, so before opting for them I advise trying any of these home remedies (or all), since surely there are some that really help us:
Pick them up and carry them to a minimum distance of 600 meters
If there are few, it is the best option. We put on some gloves, put them in a bucket and take it away from our succulents. Thus, most likely they will not bother us anymore.
Diatomaceous earth, the perfect insecticide
Diatomaceous earth is fossilized microscopic algae that forms a very fine white powder. It is a very complete insecticide; In addition, it repels snails. You just have to pour a little on the surface of the substrate (The dose is 30g for each liter of water).
Beer, the quintessential anti-snail remedy
Beer has long been used to both repel and kill snails. We will fill several low-rise plastic containers with this drink and place them near our plants..
Garlic, they will flee from its smell
The smell of garlic is, as we know, very strong, so much so that many animals dislike it enormously, such as aphids or snails. We can take 4 large garlic cloves, put them to boil in a pot with water and then fill a sprayer with this solution. Next, we wait for it to cool down and spray it on the surface of the substrate.
Did you know these remedies to eliminate and / or repel snails? If you know of any more, do not leave it in the inkwell 🙂.