Snails can cause a lot of damage in various arable and vegetable crops. This damage consists of loss of quality and loss of yield. Last summer's changeable weather conditions were ideal for snails. The population of snails therefore seems larger than ever.
In general, snails are most active in spring and autumn when it is moist, but they also thrive in cool, wet summers. Normally there are 2 generations of snails per year, but during humid summers there can be several generations. The snails that do damage on arable and vegetable crops, the gray field snail (Deroceras spp.) and the black road slug (Arion spp† These snails mainly eat soft plant parts, young seedlings and germinating seeds.
Rapid Population Expansion
Snails can spread very quickly. Most snails are hermaphroditic but must mate for reproduction. After mating, each snail (from April) lays its eggs in slime under soil clods, tree bark and the like. After a week or 3 small snails hatch from the eggs and immediately start to feed. Two months later, these snails are mature and ready for further reproduction. During the winter, the eggs wait to hatch until favorable weather conditions in the spring.
Sprouting matters and young seedlings
In the coming period crops such as grass seed, rapeseed and winter cereals will be sown. Snails like to eat the germinating seeds and the young seedlings, resulting in poor emergence and thin stand. In addition to food, green manures are also a good hiding place for snails, making it easier for them to get through the winter period.
Winter prices
In the autumn, snails hibernate under leaves, between clods of soil or in the ground to withstand the cold. Some of the snails can die due to frost. The snails that survive the winter are awakened by the spring heat. Under the current wet conditions, snails will continue to actively search for food for longer. It is therefore important to prevent snail eating and further build-up of the population of snails.
Control
To keep the pressure of snails low, it is important not to keep the soil too clogged. The choice of green manure can also play a role. It is also important to combat the snails in time. This is possible with slug pellets like Iroxx, Derrex or Molluxx† Use a snail mat to monitor the numbers of snails. Sprinkle the granules as soon as snails are observed or if feeding damage is expected. This treatment can be repeated when all the grains have been eaten away and snails are still observed.