Expert Advice to Get Rid of Snails in Your Garden or Yard

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Plus, prevent future infestations with these tips
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Finding snails in your garden, yard, home, or aquarium can be frustrating. If left to their own devices, snails will munch on your plants, leave sticky trails everywhere, or overtake your fish tank. Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to get rid of them. We interviewed plant specialist Melinda Meservy to teach you how to get rid of snails in your yard or garden, prevent future infestations, and recognize signs you have snails. Plus, we'll explain how to keep aquatic snails out of your fish tank and the difference between snails and slugs.

How do you get rid of snails?

  1. Pick snails off of plants by hand and dispose of them.
  2. Put copper tape or wire around plants to keep snails away.
  3. Put a small container of beer in the soil to trap and drown snails.
  4. Get a pet chicken or encourage natural predators to eat the snails.
  5. Make a protective barrier of egg shells, diatomaceous earth, gravel, or cedar chips.
Section 1 of 5:

Getting Rid of Snails in Your Yard or Garden

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  1. If you have the time and aren’t squeamish, one of the easiest ways to get rid of snails is by picking them off plants individually. Don a pair of gloves and dispose of them by tossing them in a bucket and taking them somewhere far away from your yard or garden. [1]
    • Snails tend to hide during the day, so you’ll have the most luck if you search for them early in the morning or at night when they’re most active.
    • To make the process quicker, put an overturned pot or bowl near where you’ve seen the snails. They’ll likely hide under the pot, which will make it easier for you to find them .
    • If you prefer to kill the snails rather than move them, fill the bucket with soapy water.
    • Meservy says to “start looking closely at the plant, holding the leaves, looking under them, [and] picking those snails up and throwing them away. Just [remove] as many as you can possibly find.” [2]
  2. Use copper tape or wire to discourage snail activity. Copper gives snails a tiny shock, so they will instinctively avoid it. Meservy recommends “[buying] a little copper tape and [putting] it around where you don't want the snails to go,” like around potted plants or garden edges. [3] If you’re using copper wire , tie it around your pots or make copper garden stakes. [4]
    • As another option, sprinkle pennies, which contain copper, around the area.
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  3. Snails are attracted to the yeast in beer, making this an effective way to catch and dispose of them. Meservy suggests pouring beer into a small container, “like a little bowl.” [5] Bury the container in your garden or wherever you saw the snails, leaving at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the container above the soil. The smell of the beer will attract the snails, which will then drown in the container. [6]
    • Adding yeast will make the traps more enticing to the snails.
    • You may need to put out multiple traps, as they will only be effective for snails that are close by.
    • Other great options for your beer container include a plastic cup, yogurt cup, old tuna can, or pie dish.
    • Don’t bury your beer trap at soil level, as other beneficial bugs might accidentally die in it.
  4. The acetic acid in vinegar is lethal to snails, as it causes them to dehydrate and die. Mix equal parts of vinegar and water in a spray bottle, then spray the solution around the edges of your yard or garden, plant pots, or anywhere you’ve seen snail activity. Don’t spray your plants directly, however, as vinegar can damage them. [7]
    • A similar option is to create a garlic spray. Soak 3 crushed garlic cloves in 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of vegetable oil overnight. Then, strain the liquid into 1 litre (4.2  c) of water. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle. Add 1 teaspoon (4.9 mL) of liquid soap to the solution, shake the bottle, then spray the solution around your yard and garden.
  5. Commercial snail baits can be very effective at killing snails, but many contain chemicals that can harm beneficial insects and wildlife. Whichever you choose, use it according to its directions. Here are a few options to consider: [8]
    • Iron phosphate : Iron phosphate is the safest snail bait to use because it’s non-toxic to humans and pets. It typically comes in the form of pellets you can scatter around your garden or mix into the soil. This will make the snails stop eating, though it may take as long as a week to kill them.
    • Boric acid : Boric acid is a chemical compound that is deadly to snails but poses minimal risk to other organisms. Sprinkle it around the edges of your yard or garden, or mix it with water and spray it on infested areas.
    • Molluscicide : Molluscicides are pesticides designed specifically to kill mollusks, like snails and slugs. Sprinkle a light layer of a molluscicide that contains ferric sodium EDTA around the area you’ve seen the snails. After they ingest it, they’ll die within 3 days. This can harm other animals, however, so keep children and pets away from the area.
  6. Chickens enjoy munching on snails, so allowing one to roam around your yard or garden is a great natural solution for snail control. The chicken will find the snails for you, so you don't have to do any of the snail removal yourself. Make sure your local laws and ordinances allow you to keep a chicken in your yard before purchasing one, however. [9]
    • Ducks may also eat snails, but they prefer slugs over snails.
  7. These include frogs, toads, turtles, birds, possums, and snakes. Which predator you choose will depend on your environment, so talk to your local agricultural extension office or gardening club for recommendations for biological controls that will work in your area. [10]
    • They can also recommend which plants or shrubs to grow, as well as natural habitats you can build, like rock gardens.
    • Additionally, search online for the best ways of encouraging natural predators in your area.
  8. If you’ve tried a bunch of removal methods and your yard or garden is still overrun with snails, it may be time to hire professional pest control services. Pest control often has tools and methods unavailable to the public that can effectively manage snail infestations.
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Section 2 of 5:

Preventing Future Snail Infestations

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  1. Snails need to lay eggs in moist soil, and they typically lay eggs while they’re active at night. By watering your plants in the morning, the ground will dry out over the course of the day and will hopefully be dry by the time the snails emerge. [11]
  2. Snails are very attracted to moist, decaying organic matter, like dead leaves, so they’ll likely stick around if you don’t clean up often. Check your yard and garden for debris at least once a week. Remove these items and place them in a compost pile or your trash. [12]
    • Keep in mind that a compost pile is going to be a carnival for your snails. If you have one, keep it far away from your yard and garden. Additionally, surround it with an abrasive barrier to reduce snail activity.
    • Meservy says “if it’s too wet, it’ll attract snails.” [13] Even if you put mulch in your garden or flower bed, check regularly to make sure the area isn’t too moist.
  3. Surround your home or garden with material like broken eggshells, diatomaceous earth , gravel , wood ash , or cedar chips . These items are hard for snails to cross, and in turn, help keep them away from your home. Sprinkle a thin layer around the location you want the snails to avoid. [14]
    • Eggshells can also help fertilize the soil !
    • Find diatomaceous earth, gravel, wood ash, and cedar chips at a local gardening store or online.
    • Some people have had little success with eggshells and find that the snails crawl right over them, while others find that this method works fine. If it doesn’t work for you, try another material.
  4. Because snails are sensitive to caffeine, they will naturally avoid used coffee grounds. Spread the coffee grounds on top of the soil or around the base of your home, as needed. As a bonus, coffee grounds add nitrogen to your soil, which can aid in plant growth! [15]
    • If you don’t drink coffee, check with your local coffee shops, as they may give away their used coffee grounds.
    • This may not be the most effective method, as some people have found that the snails crawl over the grounds anyway.
  5. These include foxglove, euphorbias, Japanese anemones, day lilies, geraniums, astrantia, begonias, salvia, and fennel. Each of these plants has either a smell that snails don’t like or an uncomfortable surface that makes it hard for the snail to climb around it. If you have these in your garden or around your home, snails are less likely to stick around. [16]
    • For example, put a potted plant near the area where snails are crawling on your home.
    • Keep in mind that foxglove is toxic, so it may not be a good option if you have children and pets in your home.
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Section 3 of 5:

Signs of a Snail Infestation

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  1. One of the most obvious signs of snail activity is the presence of a slime trail. Check on and near your plants for signs of snail mucus. If there are visible trails, it’s a good sign snails have been munching on your plants. [17]
    • Slugs often leave behind the same signs as snails, so it may be difficult to tell which infestation you have without seeing them directly. Luckily, snails and slugs are generally removed the same way.
  2. Garden snails lay their eggs on the soil’s surface and are typically found in clusters. Look for small clear or pale white eggs. If you find them, plow or till the soil to crush them and prevent more snails from hatching. [18]
  3. Snails often leave irregularly-shaped holes in the leaves of various plants. The holes are typically large and ragged, and located in the center of leaves or flowers. Holes made by other pests are typically neat circles. [19]
  4. Snails often feast on young, tender plants. If your seedlings look like they’ve been nibbled on or have disappeared altogether, snails could be to blame. Look for other signs, like slime trails, to be sure. [20]
  5. Snails eat all kinds of organic matter other than leaves, including flowers, tree bark, vegetables, and fruits. If you notice jagged holes or other damage to these plants, it could be a sign you have a snail problem. [21]
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Section 4 of 5:

Keeping Your Aquarium Snail-Free

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  1. Aquarium plants are the most common source of unwanted snails. They often harbor eggs or baby snails, which then reproduce once they’re in your tank. Quarantining them for 2 weeks before putting them in your tank allows you to spot and remove unwanted snails before they infest your aquarium. [22]
    • If you see any snails during the quarantine period, pick them off the plant as soon as you notice them.
  2. Create a bleach solution by adding 1 part bleach to 19 parts water. Then, dip each individual plant into the solution and immediately withdraw it. This will kill any lingering snails or eggs. Rinse the plant in fresh water before putting it in your aquarium. [23]
    • You only need to submerge the plant in the solution for a second for it to work, so just dip and remove the plant in one motion.
  3. If you have time, removing snails by hand is a great way to ensure they’re all gone. Move your fish to a temporary tank, then empty the water from the aquarium. Remove everything, including the gravel and substrate, then scrub all the snails from the sides of the tank. Sanitize your tank , then move your fish back in. [24]
    • Replace your gravel and substrate with fresh material for the best results.
    • Before you put your plants and other decorations back in the aquarium, clean them . One way to do this is to dip them in a cleaning solution that’s 19 parts water and 1 part bleach. This will kill any snails or eggs that are on them.
    • If you don’t want to take everything out of the tank, use a siphon to suck out just the gravel and substrate. Additionally, you’ll need to pick the snails off the sides of the tank.
  4. Some fish eat snails and can clear out your tank for you. When selecting a predator fish, check its fact sheet to make sure it won’t eat your other fish. Additionally, make sure it’s not too big for your tank. Zebra or dwarf chain loaches are often good for small tanks, while clown loaches, pictus catfish, koi, or large goldfish work well for larger tanks. [25]
    • As an alternative, consider placing an assassin snail into your tank. It will enjoy eating the other snails in the tank and won’t reproduce often.
  5. A snail trap entices the snails to enter a cage and then prevents them from leaving. This allows you to easily catch and remove all of the snails without harming your fish. Find snail traps at your local pet store or online. [26]
    • Alternatively, make your own snail trap by clipping a large piece of lettuce to the side of your tank. Leave it in place overnight, then remove it in the morning. It should attract a fair number of snails, which you can easily remove from the tank. [27]
  6. Snails are sensitive to copper, so they will usually die if the water contains copper sulfate . Most fish are unaffected by copper sulfate, making it a safe option for most aquariums. Find it at a local pet store or online. [28]
    • If you’re worried about your fish dying, check their fact sheet to see if they are sensitive to copper.
    • Don’t use this treatment if you have shrimp or ornamental snails, as they are also sensitive to copper.
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Section 5 of 5:

The Difference Between Snails & Slugs

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  1. Snails and slugs are very similar in appearance and behavior. They typically eat the same things and can be removed with the same methods. However, slugs are more flexible due to their lack of a shell and often hide under rocks, inside logs, and in other damp locations. [29]

Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    How do you control snails?
    Melinda Meservy
    Plant Specialist
    Melinda Meservy is a Plant Specialist and the Owner of Thyme and Places, a botanical boutique offering plants and gifts in Salt Lake City, Utah. Before starting her own business, Melinda worked in process and business improvement and data analytics. Melinda earned a BA in History from the University of Utah, is trained in lean and agile methodologies, and completed her Certified Professional Facilitator certification. Thyme and Places offers indoor plants and containers, a fully stocked potting bench, and tips on plants to suit your space and lifestyle.
    Melinda Meservy
    Plant Specialist
    Expert Answer
    The best way to get rid of snails is to keep your garden as clean and free of debris as possible. If you still find snails coming around, try placing a beer trap or putting out some copper tape to deter them.
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  • Question
    Do coffee grounds deter snails?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    Coffee grounds may deter some species of slugs but their effectiveness as a deterrence is varied––some gardeners have found that snails and slugs just speed up to get past the grounds quickly. Caffeine sprays have been found to be effective when sprayed on leaves (snails don’t like such leaves)(Nature 2002), so in some cases it may be more effective to use the coffee grounds diluted in water as a spray. Using coffee grounds to deter snails is worth trying but realize it can impact beneficial insects as well, so keep an eye on how it works for your garden. To avoid acidity build-up in the soil, use used coffee grounds (neutral pH) rather than fresh (acidic).
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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  • Question
    What is the juice/water ratio for the yeast and sugar trap? (alternate to beer trap)
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    For the trap mentioned in the article above, 1 to 2 cups of water or grape juice would work, depending on the container size used. For another similar trap, using a standard jar, the suggested amount is: two cups of warm water, a packet of dry yeast, and one teaspoonful each of salt and sugar. For more detail on yeast traps, see How to Get Rid of Snails with Yeast .
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      The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
      • Use a small 1lb container or tub to make peanut butter traps! Put a teaspoon of peanut butter in the bottom surrounded by a ring of salt. Slugs love peanut butter and will go right into the container to get the bait, dying in the ring of salt. If you smear a little vegetable oil about 1 inch up from the bottom it will help the slugs slide in better and make it harder for them to escape. Birds love to eat them in the morning too, and the trap won't hurt anything but slugs.
      • Do not sprinkle salt everywhere. Salt will kill all of your plants. You can, however, use it as a weed killer in the cracks of your driveway—just fill them with cheap rock salt.
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      Warnings

      • Avoid using salt to kill snails, as it will likely damage your plants or the soil in your yard or garden.
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      • Be careful when using coffee grounds, as they can affect the pH of the soil.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://cals.cornell.edu/new-york-state-integrated-pest-management/outreach-education/fact-sheets/slug-and-snail-control
      2. ↑ Melinda Meservy. Plant Specialist. Expert Interview. 18 August 2020.
      3. ↑ Melinda Meservy. Plant Specialist. Expert Interview. 18 August 2020.
      4. ↑ https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7427.html
      5. ↑ Melinda Meservy. Plant Specialist. Expert Interview. 18 August 2020.
      6. ↑ https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/pests-and-diseases/pests/snails-and-slugs/
      7. ↑ https://www.housedigest.com/1393545/vinegar-hack-pest-control-snail-slugs-garden/
      8. ↑ https://www.aos.org/orchid-care/orchid-pests-and-diseases/slugs-and-snails
      9. ↑ https://cals.cornell.edu/new-york-state-integrated-pest-management/outreach-education/fact-sheets/slug-and-snail-control
      1. ↑ https://cals.cornell.edu/new-york-state-integrated-pest-management/outreach-education/fact-sheets/slug-and-snail-control
      2. ↑ https://cals.cornell.edu/new-york-state-integrated-pest-management/outreach-education/fact-sheets/slug-and-snail-control
      3. ↑ https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/pests-and-diseases/pests/snails-and-slugs/
      4. ↑ Melinda Meservy. Plant Specialist. Expert Interview. 18 August 2020.
      5. ↑ https://ucanr.edu/sites/glennmg/?story=1614
      6. ↑ https://today.oregonstate.edu/news/used-appropriately-coffee-grounds-improve-soil-and-kill-slugs
      7. ↑ https://cchp.ucsf.edu/sites/g/files/tkssra181/f/SnailsSlugs_FCCH_IPM.pdf
      8. ↑ https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/pests-and-diseases/pests/snails-and-slugs/
      9. ↑ https://ucanr.edu/sites/glennmg/?story=1614
      10. ↑ https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/pests-and-diseases/pests/snails-and-slugs/
      11. ↑ https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7427.html
      12. ↑ https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7427.html
      13. ↑ https://injaf.org/articles-guides/beginners-guides/beginners-guide-to-aquarium-plants/
      14. ↑ https://youtu.be/CKBfLPhKIgo?t=56
      15. ↑ https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/features/articles/problem-solver-snails
      16. ↑ https://injaf.org/?s=snail&submit=Search
      17. ↑ https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/features/articles/problem-solver-snails
      18. ↑ https://www.petguide.com/blog/invertebrates/fish/aquarium-snails-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/
      19. ↑ https://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/features/articles/problem-solver-snails
      20. ↑ https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7427.html
      21. ↑ Melinda Meservy. Plant Specialist. Expert Interview. 18 August 2020.

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To get rid of land snails, start by soaking crushed garlic cloves in vegetable oil overnight. Then, strain the liquid into some water, and pour the mixture into a spray bottle to use as a repellent around your yard and garden. You can also spray snails directly with cold coffee to kill them. Or, you can sprinkle used coffee grounds around your yard and garden since snails avoid caffeine. To learn how to get rid of marine snails, scroll down!

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