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Snails
PestMedium impact
Shell-bearing molluscs that feed on foliage and young plants, leaving similar damage to slugs. They are more active in mild, damp conditions and tend to shelter in visible daytime hiding spots such as walls, pots, and debris.
Key facts
- Type
- Pest
- Active season
- Mar - Oct
- Peak season
- Apr - Oct
- Vulnerable stages
- Sown · Growing
- Spread rate
- slow
- If confirmed
- Act soon
Signs & symptoms
- -ragged holes in leaves with smooth edges
- -silvery slime trails on foliage, soil, or pots
- -visible snails sheltering under pots, boards, or debris near beds
Management
Do now
- -Hand-pick snails from hiding spots during the day and at dusk
- -Apply ferric phosphate pellets around vulnerable plants
- -Remove daytime sheltering spots near beds (boards, piles of pots, debris)
Prevention
- -Copper tape or sharp grit around raised bed edges provides a deterrent
- -Encourage natural predators such as thrushes, hedgehogs, and ground beetles
- -Check and clear hiding spots regularly rather than only treating reactively