Gardenias And Snails

Identification

• While you may think you have a snail invasion in the garden, the pests may not have caused the plant damage. Examine the gardenias carefully to look for irregularly shaped holes. These tell-tale holes will have smooth edges that do not appear rough or jagged. Snails also leave behind evident trails when they invade plants. Look around the gardenias for mucous trails that appear silvery in color.

Manual Removal

• Instead of using chemicals on the gardenias, remove the snails from the plants by picking them off by hand. Water the gardenias in the late afternoon to encourage the snails to come out and then look for the mollusks at night with a flashlight. Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands and pick the snails off of the plants. Place the snails into a bucket of soapy water to kill them. Continue to inspect the gardenias daily until you eliminate the snails.

Beer

• Beer attracts snails and offers an alternative to dangerous chemicals. Pour beer into a shallow container and bury it in the garden so that the top of the container sits flush with the soil. When the snails come out at night to eat the gardenia foliage, they will be attracted to the beer. The snails will fall into the beer and drown. You may need to replace the beer daily until you kill the majority of the snails.

Copper Barrier

• Once you remove the snails from your gardenias, create a barrier to keep them away from the plants. According to The University of California at Davis Integrated Pest Management Program, copper barriers react with the snail slime, which sends an electric shock to the nervous system. Place copper screens, copper foil or copper bands around the gardenia plants. A properly placed copper barrier can keep snails out of the garden for many years.

Tips and Warnings

• Never pour salt onto snails to kill them because the salt remains behind in the soil. Gardenias do not thrive well in soils that have a high salt concentration. If you have a severe snail infestation, remove the pests with baits that contain metaldehyde but keep the baits away from children and pets because they are dangerous. Baits that contain iron phosphate are safer to use. Sprinkle the baits in the areas where you notice the snails but avoid creating mounds or piles. Attract natural enemies to the garden, such as ground beetles, toads and birds, if you want to avoid dealing with the snails. You can also sprinkle volcanic rock or eggshells around the gardenias to protect the plants.