Hosta ..snails buffet? Should I trim off the eaten leaves?

Bernice H
by Bernice H
I transplanted the hosta away from the snail buffet..should I trim back the damaged leaves?❓❓ I put down snail and slug bait,but after watering it swells up and gets moldy...I have several Hostas in pots and the same thing happens to the bait. Is it still active if it gets wet?😳 edited...IAPPRECIATE THE DETERRENTS BUT....do I trim the old damaged leaves off? 😳And what about the bait?
  5 answers
  • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on May 20, 2018

    You can put jar covers filled with beer down, they love it, but drown in it. Crushed egg shells work as a deterrent.

  • Heje Heje on May 20, 2018

    Egg shells or coffee - they hate caffeine!

  • Mogie Mogie on May 20, 2018

    We had a horrible problem with snails until we got chickens. They free range inside our fenced property. They LOVE snails. Not one in sight now!

  • Chubby58 Chubby58 on May 20, 2018

    Grate some Irish spring soap and sprinkle it around the hostas. The snails will leave it alone and so will the rabbits.

  • William William on May 20, 2018

    Sink a few bowls or plates in the ground level with the surface. Fill the bowls/plates with (cheap) beer. The yeast attracts the slugs. They drink their fill and drown. Not their sorrows


    Anything you can make it uncomfortable for the slugs/snails to crawl on will deter them. A combination of solutions from everyone here should take care of them.


    Broken nutshells work in the same way as egg shells when getting rid of slugs. Break up the nutshells into small pieces, and create a protective barrier around your plants. Any slugs that come near your vegetables will soon turn the other way.


    Crushed egg shells work as a great home remedy of slugs. This is because slugs don’t like moving across sharp objects, although it isn’t not impossible for them to do, they just prefer not to. Break up the empty egg shells into small(ish) pieces and place around the flowers, plants, vegetables, and fruits you want to keep safe from slug damage.


    Ash and Cinders make a rough protective barrier, and the fine ash also acts as a desiccant that dries the slug out. Wood ash and cinders are preferable. Avoid direct contact with plants.


    Grit and Gravel. The sharp rasping edges of finely crushed ‘horticultural grit’ makes an excellent slug barrier. Coarser gravel is largely ineffective, other than for decorative purposes.


    Sandpaper. Cut rings of sandpaper and slip them round the stems of vulnerable plants.


    Sawdust makes a good coarse barrier around tender plants, also acting as a desiccant that dries the slug out. Hardwood sawdust is most effective, and some people recommend cedar or oak.


    Copper Rings or Discs. Solid copper rings/discs of various diameter, used to encircle single or small groups of plants to inflict a mild electric shock on the unsuspecting slug. Look for rings that clip together. These are easy to slip round established plant stems, or join together to form a larger barrier.