How to Get Rid of Snails: 10 Effective Ways | The Pest Dude (2024)

Snails are slimy and destructive, posing a real threat to your lawn and garden.

Fortunately, you don’t have to live with them forever.

Pest Dude has over 20 years of pest control industry experience, which we’ve compiled into this guide.

We’ll share our top tips to eliminate snails from your property and reclaim your outdoor space.

How to Get Rid of Snails

The garden combines all the things snails love most: moisture, shelter, and food sources.

Fortunately, it is possible to get rid of slimy pest snails naturally and organically.

Here are a few tactics we recommend:

1. Pick snails by hand

Hand-picking snails is an effective, eco-friendly way to control their population in your garden.

Although it’s time-consuming, it’s a good way to remove these pests without chemicals.

Here’s how to do it:

• Pick the Right Time: Snails are most active during cooler, damp parts of the day like early morning or late evening. They also come out after rain or watering, making it easier to find and remove them.
• Use a Flashlight: If hand-picking at night, a flashlight will help you spot snails. Check under leaves, around plant bases, and in damp, shady areas.
• Wear Gloves: Snails can carry pathogens, so protect your hands with gloves. Use disposable gloves or a dedicated pair of gardening gloves.
• Collect and Dispose Properly: Collect snails in a container with a lid to prevent escape. Dispose of them in a way that they can’t return to your garden or harm others’ gardens. Some gardeners relocate them far away or use them in compost.
• Monitor Regularly: Check your garden regularly and continue hand-picking snails to keep their numbers down. This helps identify new snail hotspots.
• Set Traps: Use traps like overturned flower pots where snails tend to gather. This makes finding and picking them easier.

By following these simple tips, you can reduce the snail population in your garden, leading to healthier and more vibrant plants.

2. Set homemade traps

Grapefruit Halves or Melon and Orange Rinds

For an inexpensive homemade trap, you can use inverted grapefruit halves or melon or orange rinds scattered throughout your garden.

These natural attractants lure snails, making them an effective and eco-friendly solution.

Beer Traps

If you have a can of beer in your refrigerator, you already have an effective form of snail bait.

Beer contains yeast, which attracts snails.

For best results, fill a shallow bowl or wide-mouthed jar about halfway with beer.

Place it anywhere you’ve noticed snail activity, burying the bowl slightly in the dirt to make it easier for snails to access.

When the snails come out to feed, they’ll smell the beer, crawl in, and drown. You can then toss the dead snails out.

Regardless of which method you choose, traps work by emitting a scent that attracts snails and then trapping and killing them when they arrive.

Pros: Inexpensive, easy to set, effective, a good fit for households who want to avoid poison or store-bought bait

Cons: Requires you to dispose of the trap and dead snails, traps need to be reset regularly, and may take weeks or months to fully kill a snail population.

3. Use barriers and repellents

Barriers and repellents can be an effective method for getting rid of snails without killing them.

Here are a few options for each:

• Copper. Copper is an ideal barrier material for snails since the metal creates electric shocks that make it difficult for snails to navigate. Simply place a strip of copper around your garden or any other place you’d like to keep snails away from. It can also be effective to sprinkle copper fragments around these areas.
• Diatomaceous earth. Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a non-toxic material that is an excellent barrier or repellent for pests. The substance, which is made from fossilized diatoms, has rough edges that are difficult for snails to crawl over. While it will not kill them, it will slow them down.
• Coarse substances. Coarse substances like ground-up eggshells, sandpaper, gravel, rough wood chips, and lava rock will provide an effective barrier for snails. You can also get rid of snails with coffee grounds. Research has found that a 1-2% caffeine solution will kill snails, while coffee grounds will simply form a barrier snails do not like to cross.
• Boric Acid: Boric acid can dry out and eliminate snails. It’s safe for humans and pets when used correctly and won’t harm your plants. For best results, sprinkle boric acid where you usually see snails, like in garden beds or around the perimeter of your home.
• Vinegar. Vinegar from your pantry can be an effective snail repellent. The acetic acid in vinegar dehydrates and kills snails. Interestingly, it also works for ants and rodents. To use vinegar as a snail deterrent, mix equal parts vinegar and water and spray the solution around garden edges, plant pots, or snail activity areas. To prevent damage, avoid spraying the mixture directly on plants.
• Garlic spray. Make a homemade spray out of water and crushed garlic cloves – simply steep the cloves in water for a few hours, then strain and spray it on your garden.

Pros: Barriers and repellents are effective, affordable, and easy to deploy

Cons: You need to re-apply barriers, especially homemade barriers like DE, eggshells, and coffee grounds, regularly for them to be effective

4. Natural predators

Chicken, geese, and ducks are natural predators of snails and slugs, as are turkeys, frogs, beetles, nematodes, and birds.

Introducing any of these animals into your yard is an effective way to control snail populations without using poisons and traps.

Pros: Effective, eco-friendly, safe for a household with kids and pets

Cons: Requires the introduction of another animal, may be difficult to manage in some households

5. Plant snail-resistant plants

Some plants are less attractive to snails than others. The following varieties resist snails, slugs, and other gastropods:

• Hostas
• Lavender
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Poppy
• Geranium
• Fuchsia
• Nasturtium
• Lantana
• And other aromatics

These plants are beautiful and can be an effective barrier to keep snails out of your garden.

Pros: Affordable, non-toxic, eco-friendly, safe for households with kids and pets

Cons: Does not kill snails, is most effective when used in conjunction with other methods

6. Use salt, chemicals, or pesticides

If you want to kill snails, you can do so with salt. Salt, for example, absorbs water from mollusks, which dehydrates and kills them.

Sprinkle the salt directly onto the snails or use a thick layer of it to create a barrier. Be aware, though, that salt can harm plants and other animals.

Garlic, iron phosphate, and bleach will also kill snails.

Pros: Effective, affordable

Cons: Most effective when used in conjunction with other solutions

7. Adjust your watering schedule

One excellent way to get rid of snails is to simply change the way you water your garden.

Instead of watering it in the evening, start watering your plants in the morning.

The change in schedule should not affect the health of your plants – as long as they are still getting adequate water.

Watering in the evening will make your garden drier at night, making it less attractive for snails that come out to feed in the dark.

Tip: Consider using drip irrigation which reduces humidity and minimizes moist surface areas, thereby making your space less attractive for snails.

Pros: Effective, easy to do, affordable

Cons: Most effective when used in conjunction with other methods

8. Seal all gaps

If snails are crawling into your home, the first step to stopping snails is identifying their access points.

Use a flashlight to spot dried slime trails and trace them back to entry points.

Seal all gaps around windows, doors, and foundations, and replace weather stripping on doors. Use caulk or silicone sealant for small cracks and expanding foam for larger cracks.

Pros: Effective, affordable, safe for kids and pets

Cons: Does not get rid of snails already in your home

9. Eliminate hideouts

Cut back tall weeds and grasses, remove loose organic debris from your garden and property, clear ground cover, and pick up tarps, boards, and anything else that could create a dark, moist hiding place for snails.

10. Set baits

If all else fails, you can try commercial snail bait.

Be advised, though, that you should only do this as a last resort! Most commercial baits contain chemicals that could harm beneficial insects, birds, and other wildlife in your garden.

Here are some tips for using snail bait effectively:

• Read the Label: Always check the instructions on the product label to know the right dosage and how to apply it.
• Choose Eco-Friendly Options: Go for snail baits that are safe for wildlife and beneficial insects whenever you can. Iron phosphate and metaldehyde are great options to kill snails.
• Apply Sparingly: Use just enough to control snails. Using too much can lead to unwanted side effects.
• Target Problem Areas: Focus on spots where snails are most active, like moist, shady areas and places with dense vegetation.
• Monitor and Reapply: Keep an eye on how well the bait is working and reapply as needed, following the intervals recommended on the label.
• Protect Pets and Kids: To prevent accidental ingestion, place the bait where pets and children can’t reach it.
• Combine with Other Methods: For the best results, use snail bait along with other methods, like manually removing snails and setting up barriers.