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We've got the GIANT snails everywhere (and have since we started gardening on this land in 2002).
Dry weather, they're not to be seen.
Wet weather, they eat everything vegetative, whether dead or alive.
...anybody else blessed with the company of these sleazy buggers?
...how to be rid of them?
James Weatherford, Ph.D.
15-1888 Hialoa
Hawaiian Paradise Park
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I assume African, easily caught with metal roof laid flat, sprinkle snail and slug killer underneath, harvest weekly!
Left in a damp corner in bucket, the ants will empty the shells, leaving a dry land conch shell (sell to tourists as Hawaiian Hi tide sea shells).
Up mauka we get the same thing without shells, Slugs even God doesn't like em, didn't give em a home!
The African shells also make good fishing sinkers, fill with cement and lead scrap with a SS snap swivel!
Gordon J Tilley
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quote:
...anybody else blessed with the company of these sleazy buggers?
...how to be rid of them?
We have them too. We are coffee drinkers so we save the coffee grounds every day. When we have a bowl full we take the grounds and make a 1/2-1" mound of grounds around plants. Seems to keep many insects away. Doesnt seem to make an difference to slugs about grounds quality. Good coffee, organic coffee, or Folgers work just the same. French, med, or "why bother mild" strengths dont seem to matter either.
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What about scraping them out of the shell, BBQ them on skewers, and sell to the tourist as a "Hawaiian delicacy" at the Hilo farmers market?[  ][  ][xx(]
If you advertise them as "organic" the Cali tourist might take all you can get!! OK, OK, just a Joke Here[ ][ ]
Royall
What goes around comes around!
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Dr W, is there any reason (disease,some toxin or whatever) that the snails couldn't be eaten, they're kinda meaty! Mabe UH could do some research! A poential delicasy! Mabe China might like em, same rush as oysters, and they are sure easy to grow!
About snails and slugs! Seriously, there are small types which can cause real sickness! Any organic grown should be inspected (every leaf), catchment is suceptable also!
Beer is also a bait and killer in one, Wasteful tho!
Gordon J Tilley
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quote:
I assume African, easily caught with metal roof laid flat, sprinkle snail and slug killer underneath, harvest weekly!
Left in a damp corner in bucket, the ants will empty the shells
\
What a good idea, I've read about the danger of those snails so I bought pet/kid "friendly" snail killer, problem is I'd have to spend a fortune to cover our acre every two weeks! This seems like a good solution and it keeps the kids/pets out of the poison and away from the snails. altho with the trouble my 4 year old gets in, I'd better stake that roof down! Thanks for sharing ]
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Giant African Snails have been in the Islands for a long time. I recall them occurring in dense abundance in wet areas like on Tantalus on O'ahu. I've seen many of them at a friend's place in HPP. There is a non-native predatory flatworm, often called the Arrowhead Flatworm, that is present in the Islands and I believe it predates on earthworms, slugs and Giant African Snails. I don't think they can keep up with the reproduction rates of the giant snails, though. I'm not sure what's happening on Tantalus (spraying, regular weed trimming, natural die-off), but there seems to be fewer of them these days.
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Transport of anything related to the snails (GALS -- Giant African Land Snails) is very VERY strictly prohibited off the island. Shells, even empty are not allowed to be taken off the island. Apparently, they leave little snail bits inside the shell that can spread the snails (like "snail spores" or something).
John Dirgo, R, ABR, e-PRO
Aloha Coast Realty, LLC
808-987-9243 cell
http://www.alohacoastrealty.com
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"Snail spores".... sounds like something you definitely don't want to inhale into your nostrils!
I don't think these critters can regenerate from a bit of flesh, but the shells may carry some viable eggs.
The Apple Snail is also very prolific and might have some limitation on transport. If it doesn't, it probably should be considered for controls since it can impact a wet taro farm.
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They are carriers of a nasty parasite; angystrongylus cantonensis. Be careful handling them.
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