Biology of Snails
One of the weirdest pets out there in the United States today is the garden snail. Snails are a bit of a confusing category because in fact the name refers to an entire line of animals, in fact the second most successful invertebrate after insects. The snail we usually think of when we are talking about garden pests is the helix aspera or garden snail (surprise). The weird thing about this species is that it is the same type of snail that people eat as escargot, and it is also used in different types of skin creams. Diverse applications, for a pest that you are likely going to just throw away!
Before we get into the biology of the garden snail a little bit more, it is important to understand why we are talking about understanding snails on a site dedicated to pest control. Well, integrated pest management, the method that we advocate as it is most effective and least harmful to the living population of the world as a whole, depends on a solid grounding when it comes to the animals that we consider pests. We are not trying to change your mind about the status of the snail; naturally you want to get rid of a creature that is eating away your garden or orchard. Instead, we advocate the use of the knowledge as it is used in the targeting and controlling of snails through species specific, least toxic methods. Knowing what triggers a snail infestation, how they breed, and what they eat is useful in the campaign against these pests.
Physical appearance of the snail
Adult snails are of course marked by their thin calcerous shells, which are usually a light brown in color. The snails can vary between a few millimeters to a few centimeters in size. Aside from the shell snails are also known for their moist bodies, which render them vulnerable to drying out agents such as salt.
Snails and breeding
Snails are hermaphrodites, bearing both male and female reproductive organs. The eggs produced by the cross mating of two individuals are laid in soil that is slightly moist, and generally unhealthy. An excess of nutrients within the soil is detrimental to the sensitive body of the snail, and it actually prefers soil which has been leeched out by chemicals.
Snail diet
Snails are most likely to emerge during wet weather or after a garden or orchard has been watered, again preferring the moist conditions. They will eat a wide variety of plants, including fruit trees, vegetables of all kinds, flowers, and cereal grains.
Garden snails are close to the bottom of the food chain and provide a good part of the diet of many different animals, including other snails. This is one of the reasons why it is so important to realize that not all “snails” are the same; like the insect world, the snail world includes both predators and prey.