Snails generally get little respect from most people. They are usually seen as slimy and unattractive creatures that are also annoying pests for agriculture and horticulture. However, we cannot put every snail on the same comb. Not all snails are pests and after careful observation and study, a snail can even be considered a very interesting and useful animal. Some people even keep it as a pet.
Anatomy
The snail belongs to the class of mollusks and has a soft, elongated body. On the head there are two pairs of antennae, the top one being slightly longer than the other two. Inside the two longest tentacles are the snail’s eyes that allow it to detect light but unable to form an image. The lower tentacles then have a scent function. When the snail moves, these tentacles sway gently through the air, sensing the environment. Behind the head is a fleshy lobe, also called “foot”. called, which contains the organs. Snails do not have any structure that can be compared to brains, but why do they have ganglia distributed all over the body. This ganglion is often described as a nerve knot and thus it also forms the central nervous system of the snail.
Way of life
The mouth of a snail, like other molluscs, contains a radula or rasp tongue, which is covered with rows of sharp teeth. These teeth are used for cutting or gripping active prey such as worms. Such radula can contain up to 27,000 of these tiny teeth.
Snails mainly eat fresh or rotting plant parts and fungi. In addition, they sometimes also feed on insects, worms, carrion, animal feces, kitchen waste and animal food. Some snails even eat their own kind.
Snails are mainly active at night because the environment is much more humid than during the day. They can be active in the winter, but when it gets too cold they prefer to hibernate. Some species die at the end of the season and thus live for only a few months while others live easily for six to seven years.
Reproduction
A snail is a hermaphrodite, which means that it has both male and female reproductive organs. During mating, the snails will bind with each other, exchange sperm and then separate from each other again. The leopard snail, for example, has a very unusual mating ritual: the two mating snails climb a tree or shrub and then lower themselves back to the ground by means of slime. Mating then takes place in the air while the snails descend along the slime cord.
Once the sperm has been transferred from one snail to another, it will fertilize the eggs in the snail’s body. Depending on the type of snail, up to several hundred eggs can be laid. These are usually white or transparent and are placed in sheltered areas such as in trees or under leaves. The snail will not guard or incubate the eggs after ejection. The eggs remain closed until the environment is suitable for the eggs to hatch.
Snail slime
Composition
Snail slime contains water, slime and salts. Slime is made from mucins, a combination of proteins and carbohydrates that form a sticky substance when in contact with water. Snail slime, due to its stickiness and ability to absorb water, is quite difficult to remove from skin and other surfaces.
Functions
The snail’s soft, soft body will dry out quickly if not protected. Therefore, the skin glands secrete large amounts of mucus that keeps the skin moist and thus acts as an anti-dryness agent. This is also the reason why snails mainly occur in nocturnal environments and they are therefore especially noticeable at night.
A second important function of the mucus is related to the locomotion of the snail. The bottom surface of the snail’s body contains many glands that secrete mucus that enable the snail to move, even on vertical surfaces, in a wavy motion. The snail sticks part of its body to the surface by means of the mucus and uses its muscles as a kind of lever to move the body further. This slime also prevents the snail from being injured when moving on rougher surfaces.
The glittering slime trail that remains after the snail has passed contains chemicals that can be recognized by other snails. This is very useful when a snail is looking for a mate. During the mating season, the slime will also contain certain chemicals, which will attract other snails even more. These substances also attract predators in some cases.
Fight snails in a natural way
While it is understandable that farmers and gardeners declare war on snails, most species do not target plants. Snails that are attracted to plants can cause a lot of damage, but most of them are completely harmless and therefore certainly do not need to be eradicated.
Manual removal
The most obvious method of removing snails from your habitat is to simply pick them up and put them back in a different place. This is also the safest method for the environment, pets and children.
It is recommended to attract the snails in a certain way so that they gather in a certain place. The peel of a grapefruit can be a useful tool for this. Even a well with moist soil will attract the snails at night. The depth of the pit will prevent the snails from escaping.
Drowning
A popular way to catch and kill snails is to use a small bowl filled with beer. When this bowl is buried, and there is no longer a difference in level, the snails will be attracted to the beer, climb into the bowl and then drown. Water with sugar and yeast has the same effect as beer.
salt
Sprinkling snails with salt is also very effective in controlling snails. After all, the salt will extract all the moisture from the snail, causing the animal to dry out. However, this method is not recommended in the garden as it will increase the salinity in the soil.
Barrier
A physical repellent (e.g. sand, broken eggshells and coffee grounds) around the plants will also help keep the snails at bay. However, this method is not foolproof: the wet surface allows the repellent to be absorbed by the soil. In addition, the nature of the material can influence the properties of the soil. For example, eggshells will increase the acidity of the soil.
Copper wrapped around stems is also very repellent to snails. The exact mechanism of this repulsion is unknown, but it is suspected that the copper and certain components of the slag glue work together to give the slag an electric shock.
Chemical slag control
There are two main pesticides used to kill snails namely iron phosphate and metaldehyde.
Iron Phosphate
Iron phosphate tablets contain snail food combined with pesticides. These should be placed around the plants and act as bait. The snails come to this, eat the tablets and then die. Iron Phosphate has very low toxicity to children and pets and is also sometimes labeled as non-toxic as it is also used as a human mineral supplement. Nevertheless, this product should be kept out of the reach of children and pets. After all, many chemical products are safe in small quantities but can be harmful in large quantities.
Metaldehyde
A second chemical pesticide often used in the control of snails is metaldehyde. This substance is much more toxic than iron phosphate, so its use is not always without risk. This substance is especially dangerous for dogs and cats and can even be fatal if not treated in time after ingestion of metaldehyde.
Usefulness of snails
Many snail species play a useful role in the environment. They recycle and break down plant and animal material in the soil. They also provide food for birds, frogs, snakes and even mammals. Studying the snail slime and snail movement mechanism allows scientists to create new materials and devices with useful applications.