More nature trails.
 

Following on from threads about Foxy-Loxy and Mrs Tiggywinkle, I'd like your help with another question about nature.

Have you got snails?

I've been quite keen on gardening since being a child. Growing up in Oswaldtwistle in the 60's/70's we didn't have any snails. There were plenty of slugs, but no snails. In fact snails seemed quite exotic. Brian on the Magic Roundabout being the only one I knew personally.

When I lived in London my garden had lots of snails. This is were I wish I knew the collective noun for snails but I don't, but there were hundreds of the shell inhabiting blighters.

When I left London to move to a gardenless flat in Scotland, all my tubs of plants came back to Lancashire. Some to my cousin at Knuzden, but most to my Mother's in Ossy. Since moving back to Oswaldtwistle I've reclaimed my plants and they sit happily at my door.

Sadly what's also sat happily at my door, eating anything that takes their fancy, are the snails. There are also colonies in Knuzden and at my Mums.

I've been blamed for bringing London snails to Lancashire, somewhat unfairly I believe. My defence is that global warming has brought the snails to the wet, warm north, and that they have migrated here of their own free will.

Do you have snails, or are these isolated cases that I've inflicted on members of my family and my neighbours?

Please help. I'm living with guilt I don't feel I deserve.:(
:e32: :e32: :e32: :e32: :e32: :e32: :e32:

Re: More nature trails.
 

Yeh, course we got snails Garinda, two climbing up patio door window as I speak.

Grandaughter used to collect from my garden and keep as pets. Once won 'most unusual pet' competition at Scout Open Day. 'Course she had only collected them that day and let them go when she got home (quite kind really) .. tee hee.

Question is, how can I tell the difference between a London snail and a Lancashire snail ?

Oh Look .. one wearing a cloth cap, the other a bowler, that it ? Sure you lot have better suggestions than this.

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How long have you had snails though Kate?

I mean your garden not you personally?:D

Dates are vital for my defence.

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you didnt bring em from london rindy they set off before you were born and arrived at the same time as you.;)

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But have we always had snails in Lancashire?

Did I not see any growing up because they were too scared to come into my garden?

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Errrrrrm .. reckon about .. ever since I moved here .. 32 years hence .. you just a sprogg then.

Cashman: you suggesting they knew about 'The Coming' :dflam:

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Thank you. If you've had them so long I'm not to blame.:)

Why did I never see any as a kid though, when I was weeding? I had all sorts of traps to get the damn slugs, glasses of old beer, upturned grapefruits, but never needed anything for snails.

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remember snails when i was young, you are NOT GUILTY.:D

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Court adjourned .. ya' daft buggers. :D

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Thank you Mi Lud.:)

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Strange that you started this thread Rindy. We were down the bar earlier (what a surprise!) and there was a programme on the tv, all about snails. Spanish commentary so I couldn't catch all of it but it appeared to be a snail breeding farm, probably for eating at some point.

It made me wonder how snails had babies! They put the eggs in plant pots and cared for them but how on earth does a snail egg get out of the shell?

I know, I'm stupid!

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Good question June! i`ve no idea but looking forward to someone`s answer!!

I remember when i was young in the 70`s and my bro and i having snail races, and putting them all in a box and seeing who got out first. Now i hate the blighters and there`s loads of them in the back yard!

Did anybody ever watch Snailsbury Tales, kid`s cartoon? now they were cute snails :D

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Are they attracted to certain plants or habitats or anything? like overflowing plants that provide good shelter for them in the sun? or walls with crevices in to hide out in? I`m just guessing, no idea really! just going of different places i`ve lived, some gardens seem more prone to snails than slugs or vice versa, and some have equal numbers.. Is it just luck of the draw where the happy little campers set up home?

Re: More nature trails.
 

Are they attracted to certain plants or habitats or anything? like overflowing plants that provide good shelter for them in the sun? or walls with crevices in to hide out in? I`m just guessing, no idea really! just going of different places i`ve lived, some gardens seem more prone to snails than slugs or vice versa, and some have equal numbers.. Is it just luck of the draw where the happy little campers set up home?

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They are, they love things like Hostas and Sweet Peas. In the 70's we never saw any, now there are hundreds of the munching beggars.

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We have tons of the little blighters, plus in a few weeks we'll be inundated by teeny tiny frogs (or could be toads, I have no idea really). The back of our house has steps down from the back garden to the back door and forms a path around the house that is closed in. So, the frogs hop down there (I don't know why) and then because they're only tiny they're not big enough to hop back up the steps so we spend weeks rescuing them.

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Two or three years ago, we only had slimy slugs. Now each year we have.....Snails. and not a slug in sight. I don't know where theyre from!!!
:mad: ....................:engsmil:

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Thanks.:)

I told my Mum about this thread today, no matter what you say she still thinks it's me that brought the snails up from London.

Sadly they aren't very nice in garlic butter.:o

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Still no answer to how the snails have eggs though!

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I don't know, but they do lay eggs after doing this 'special' dance.:eek:

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Rindy, you are as daft as I am. I just need to know how the eggs get out!!

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Snails have a shell on their back, they still have a tail.
They don't like the sun, it dries their slime up that they use to get about. they produce the slime which acts as a lubricant and helps them stick to windows etc. They get about by rippling muscles along.
the longer tenticles are the 'eyes' the shorter are the 'nose' they breath through a small hole in it head, if you look close you'll see little white dots running around on a slug, so even little pets have little pets.
Snails were declining at one time, perhaps thats why you didn't see any rindy, but by what your saying they're increasing again.

hedgehogs also like worms, but they too are on the decline mainly because of an imported nasty worm that eats our english worms. Never get rid of garden worms, as well as a source of food for mr bristle the hedgehog, they make holes in the soil, which helps plants to grow better and helps the soil to drain better.

good morning to you , at last some one with down to earth views. we live in clayton on what once was sefton farm, and yeeeees we have snails, and plenty of the other slimy fellows those little slugs, we love to hate. my plants would live alot longer if we could eradicate the little fellows.:eek: :not_ripe: :Banane25: :Banane47:

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Snails have always been here i remember poking their eyes when i was younger and my little girl used to collect hundreds in a bucket count them and then let em go because soo many in the bucket grossed her out!! lol

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I can,t remember seeing snails when I lived in England there were plenty of slugs though. we have snails here in Oz , a empty icecream container with a few drops of beer seems to catch them,

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good morning.
egg shells work to a certain extent, also beer traps as expat says, they also say copper rings, but I'm not sure if it's the copper, or if they don't like the sharp top to the ring.

I even get snails on my roof garden, ones on top of the ground floor the others on top of first floor they climb up just eat my hostas :mad:.

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I presume the hostas are in tubs if they are in a roof garden?

Rub the rim of the tubs with petroleum jelly and hey presto snails/slugs can't get at their tastiest snacks.

Cheaper than the copper rings because a large tub of vaseline can do a whole garden.:)

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Hmmm, good idea but the leaves touch the other plants that are in other pots. bit cramped on there that bit's only about six foot square, If I ever get it looking decent this year, I'll take a pic. I've lost most of my bedding plants, some git pinched two whole trays, 48 plants, so I hid the rest untill i put them out but then couln't get to water them. so lost another tray. why do be people have to be such selfish b...... I only like doing them because they brighten the street and block up :mad: some times it really gets me down and I wonder why I bother with the plants or christmas lights. :(