It seems that we already know the world of mammals quite a bit. Knowing how to distinguish between herbivores and carnivores is part of general culture, even instinct. However, there are some animals in which it can be more difficult for us to guess their main source of food, especially if they are more distant from us, such as insects or invertebrates. But since this is a blog about gardening, we are going to focus on some little animals that can be a bit of a problem in gardens. Specifically, we are going to answer the question that you are surely asking yourself: What do snails eat?
Apart from explaining a bit how these invertebrates feed, we will also give some tips and tricks to avoid having to deal with snails in our garden. If it’s already too late, don’t worry. We will also discuss what to do if they have already infested our crops.
feeding snails
Like all animals, snails also need to eat something. But do you know what snails eat? These little invertebrates they are mainly herbivorous. However, on some occasions they can also consume algae, fungi and decomposing plant materials. In general, snails feed on a wide variety of plants, especially their fruits, flowers, stems, and leaves.
And how do they do it? These little animals have a mouth that houses a rough tongue, called a “radula.” With it they are able to both scrape and cut pieces of food. They then digest the food in their stomach with the help of digestive enzymes, just like us. In fact, if we look closely at them, we can even see how they eat food. It is very curious!
If you are horticulturists, it may be that you have already experienced a snail infestation. It is quite common for them to appear in the garden, especially when it has rained or we have watered recently. Not surprisingly, it turns out to be an all-you-can-eat buffet for them. Among the vegetables that we usually grow, the ones that attract them the most are leafy vegetables, such as lettuce, but they also love tomatoes and peppers, among many others. For this reason, it is worth knowing some methods of both prevention and treatment in case of suffering from a snail infestation. We’ll discuss what we can do next.
What plants do not eat snails?
Now that we know what snails eat, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep planting those vegetables. In fact, a good way to prevent these animals from appearing is growing plants that do not eat around the crop. Among them are lavender, sage, mustard, rosemary, begonia, geraniums and nasturtium. Not only is it a good way to repel snails and slugs, but it will give our garden a more beautiful touch.
What else can we do to prevent the appearance of these invertebrates? As you probably already know, snails really like humidity. Therefore we must Avoid over-wetting plants. A good method to achieve this is drip irrigation. In addition, it is advisable to water in the morning instead of doing it at night.
It doesn’t hurt either control humid and shady holes. That is where they like to take shelter and lay eggs. Keeping an eye out from time to time will help prevent a larger infestation of snails and slugs. It is also highly advisable to remove the soil from time to time, especially in those places that are cooler and darker, as they tend to lay eggs there.
