Hunter snails?

[gaiatechnician]

Have any of you used snails to hunt snails and slugs.
I just recently discovered that some snails do little damage because they spend the rest of the time eating nice juicey slugs!
I do not know which ones eat plants and which eats slugs
I have lots of slugs and I use copper wire (I strip down wires from old appliances sometimes) round the tops of pots to stop them climbing in.
It seems to work. I also make beer for them.
Brian

[MistieMae1]

I looked all over for this information, but the only predatory snails I found were tropical or semi-tropical.

You're in British Columbia, right? There's a really cool site called <a href="http://www.efauna.bc.ca/">E-Fauna BC</a> about the species of fauna found in BC. I specifically linked that to the page on snails and slugs. Unfortunately, there are maybe 90-some species listed there, and they do not list the dietary habits of any of them specifically. Perhaps you could look up some of the ones that are native to your area and see if any are predatory. I would, but I just don't have the time right now.

My biggest slug killer in the garden is the small population of toads. I've seen them with slugs sticking out of their mouths before. It's really quite fascinating. Both the toads and slugs like the same habitat in my garden, mainly inhabiting small rockpiles that I've placed throughout. I just moved a rockpile the other day, and I saw one little toad stalking two large spotted leopard slugs. I don't think he could've handled them, but I know there are bigger toads around!

Wish I could have been more help.

[MistieMae1]

Sorry about the link above. I get so used to using HTML! E-Fauna BC (http://www.efauna.bc.ca/)

[gardengirl72]

For slugs and other nasty critters I crunch up tons of egg shells and scatter them around my precious plants. You have to keep up with it though, but it works well.

If I find an area that is being beat up really bad I bring in the big guns, some chickens, provided the plants are old enough not to get eaten by the birds.

[gaiatechnician]

I have neighbours cats and racoons so i do not think toads or chicks would survive.
I do know that killer snails were used further south in the states with some success.
And I believe there are some here in bc and probably all across the world. It is probably not a habit that we associate with snails. They say that a population can build up for several years until you get greatly reduced damage from the completely herbivore snails.
In my case (and my neighbours generally) it would be useful due to the house cat population keeping such pressure on other slug predators.
I will probably have to get locals involved until we uncover the cougars and wolves of the snail ecosystem here.
Brian

[Backyard Permaculture]

Elliot Coleman recomends Ducks for snail and slub eating. Ducks won't eat garden plants to the same degree as chickens.

Another helper is the Guinea Fowl. They are nearly strictly carnivores, usefull for reducing insect populations, and they don't scratch like chickens. However, they fly much better, You need to start with Keets (Guinea chicks) and raise them on the property you want them to stay on.

You can close them up at night to protect from coons and cats.

Ron

[AbbeyLehman]

Elliot Coleman recomends Ducks for snail and slub eating. Ducks won't eat garden plants to the same degree as chickens. [snip]

I saw this in his book...Do ducks do well as simply egg producers/pest control? I don't like to eat duck, so I would lean toward the pet end of the spectrum. I will still have chickens once my new garage is up--is this redundant?

[Fred's Fine Fowl]

If you want ducks that are great foragers and lay regularly, one great choice is the khaki Campbell variety. Just thought I’d toss in my two cents there… not every duck variety lays well and some are wonderful self contained cruisers. Geese are also a good choice for bug and weed removal, if you have the space.

They live much longer than do chickens! Ducks also do extremely well in colder climates.

They do not require a pond, but must have a drinker that they can completely immerse their head in at a minimum.

[Seasons Eatings]

I saw this in his book...Do ducks do well as simply egg producers/pest control? I don't like to eat duck, so I would lean toward the pet end of the spectrum. I will still have chickens once my new garage is up--is this redundant?
Yes. I raise runners for eggs and pest control. They are The Slug Patrol. They can easily cause a lot of damage to a garden from the time the seeds are planted through the plants being small. They especially love greens. They don't have the sharp beak of a chicken so they're much easier on tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables.

Don't forget the benefit of manure. You can compost dirty bedding for the garden.