Snail Invasion

[Rosebug]

Does anyone else have this problem, every morning i go out to feed my rabbit joey and there's about 5 snails crawling around in his bed and up the walls. I take them out everyday but they have been doing this non stop for two weeks now! :X

 

[MiniLopHop]

I am guessing he is in a hutch? I would try drawing the snails into a trap at the base where the snails crawl up the posts. You can bury a small bowl so it is level with the dirt (easy to climb in) fill with beer. The snails are drawn to the smell and will drown drunk. I do this in my garden and it works great, I would think it would keep them out of the hutch.

 

[fuzz16]

Are snails bad?

 

[Samara]

You could lasso a hundred hedgehogs and wrangle them around the bunny hutch....

Just kidding!

I'm not sure how to handle outside snails...just snails in the aquarium. I would take suggestions from any gardeners though!

 

[LakeCondo]

You could always sell the snails to a French restaurant, lol.

A band of copper is supposed to repel slugs, so I assume the same would be true of snails. And a ring of diatomaceous earth should keep them out as well. D.E. feels like fine powder to us & to most animals, but slugs, snails & soft-bodied insects experience it as broken glass or some such.

 

[MiniLopHop]

Samara wrote:

You could lasso a hundred hedgehogs and wrangle them around the bunny hutch....

Just kidding!

I'm not sure how to handle outside snails...just snails in the aquarium. I would take suggestions from any gardeners though!

LOL I had forgotten about hedgies being native in England, that's a great solution! I would totally invite little hedgies into my garden if they were native.

I drown the snails in beer to protect my garden, at least they go out feeling good

 

[gmas rabbit]

I sympathize with you. With the cool and wet weather here in BC I have to go out every morning and remove up to 10 slugs from the walkways in Derby's yard. Good thing my grandkids aren't here as they would insist that I give them funerals as I flush them. I have set out containers of stale beer, noticed this morning that there were several particpating in the drink and swimming program.

 

[Rosebug]

can i just say your ideas all made me laugh and are nuts but i could give the beer a go for a laugh D:

 

[blondiesmommie]

Hahahaa I think it's that time of year for them to "come out of their shells" lol

 

[patches2593]

SNAILS!!!!??? ive never heard of that problem before?

 

[Nancy McClelland]

Snails and slugs--used to put a saucer with beer at both ends of our strawberry patch. Evey night for a week and didn't have to do it again for 3 months.

 

[1357rabbitlover]

Rose! My bunnies cages are like this every morning! Especially because of all the rain we've had! I didn't know beer would work, i think i'll try it!

Also, does anyone know if the snails are bad for bunnies? they eat my bunnies veggies when he leaves a bit in his bowl, and if he eats it after them will it harm him? Thanks

 

[Nela]

In case you don't want to kill them:

You can also make a trail of broken eggshells/gravel or salt around the hutch. They don't like this (the textureis too rough for them to cross and salt kills them)and will not cross it. I think coffee grounds are also a repellant. You might want to google these things. I am sure I remember the eggshells... The good thing is it prevents them from crossing, but also, if they choose, they can nibble on the eggshells for some extra calcium which, in turn, heals their shells.

Of course, that depends on how shielded the area is from wind too. Otherwise, some gravel would be handy.

(The beer really does work, but like other have mentioned, they are a staple food for hedgies and birdsand well, maybe you don't want to kill them yourself. However, beer is still a good idea if you are looking for a more immediate effect)