# Snails - a puzzle.



## Devonboy (Nov 19, 2009)

So for some time I have been puzzled as to how snails can leave a "snail trail" on the mat inside the kitchen door overnight, which is a PVC door. There is no trace of the offending snails in the morning. However I am even more puzzled now as yesterday I found a snail in the door shut of the car. How on earth do they do that?


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Dunno Dave but when we found trails on the floor of our conservatory, the next time I couldn't sleep I went looking with a torch and evicted the bugger.

Ray.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Snails

Don’t you love them?

They eat my plants , but carrying their homes they shuffle from place to place 

And live in my ivy 

Dave they have gained entrance , and live inside 

A night they come out

And one day you will find an empty shell or even a full one 

Sandra


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Sprinkle a little salt on the floor where they go, I won't mention why.😲


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Well you know me 

I don’t do death

Otherwise I could just poison the rats who drink from the pond

Although there is no longer the pond to drink from at the moment 

I just can’t bring myself to kill anything 

Sandra


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

We have an awful lot of slugs at a time of the year when I seem to use quite a bit of salt.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

Well you maybe right Jan 

Me well I don’t kill 

What can I do to change ?

Rats cavorting on my lawn 

Well they really are quite delightful 

Sleek, clean and shining 

We eventually trap them and release them far from human habitation 

But others take their place 

And covert on our lawn once again 

I think it is the circle of life 

And I doubt we’ll stop it turning 
Sandra


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

You must have food for them otherwise they would have no desire to be there.
They like compost heaps, but I'm sure you don't have one, what food is left out? We probably have them in our garden at times because our neighbour has chickens, but we're open to any animal with no fences.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

We have compost 

And I guess they live in that 

We feed the birds and I’ve watched them on the fat balls

Hanging on bird feeders 

Gosh they are so supple 

As they climb the bird feeders 

And what should I do?

Decide they are less than wildlife ?

Are they ?

Well as yet

The jury’s out 

Sandra


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

They make very good pets I am told.


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## Devonboy (Nov 19, 2009)

But the puzzle for me is how on earth do they get in?


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Devonboy said:


> But the puzzle for me is how on earth do they get in?


When you open the door, they can be very quick 😃


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

They do

My daughter had two

I doubt the wild ones do 

Sandra


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

I have to leave you two and your wild life questions because I need to recharge my brain, I'm orf to the land of slumber, hopefully.
Good night all.😴


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

They can make excellent pets but.....


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Penquin said:


> They can make excellent pets but.....


We were talking about rats, you know Sandra, she can change the thread subject in two posts anytime. :grin2:


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## raynipper (Aug 4, 2008)

Yuck Dave.
Many years ago we used to make home made wine and put the bottles all nicely labeled up down our cellar. Some time later we went looking for a nice Elderflower wine and the snails had eaten/chewed up all the labels. We were told they liked the glue. But it was interesting tasting various wines.

Ray.


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

JanHank said:


> They make very good pets I am told.


Rubbish. Useless at fetching sticks.


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## Devonboy (Nov 19, 2009)

Penquin said:


> They can make excellent pets but.....


That must leave some snail trail!


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## JanHank (Mar 29, 2015)

Yuck.


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## Penquin (Oct 15, 2007)

There is a lot of controversy about those Giant snails, but that one is massive, although quite how she copes with the mucus trail it will leave on her hand and probably clothes, I cannot imagine.

The mucus they leave behind is very difficult to wash off and is protective for the muscular foot, slugs, of course, produce the same mucus.

Interesting animals to study, the same group as advanced forms such as the octopus and squid - both of which have eyes virtually identical to mammals and those molluscs are capable of learning..... Cousteau demonstrated that many years ago in one of his made for TV films where the octopus learned to unscrew a glass jar lid to get at a small crab for lunch. It remembered the technique months later.....


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## Sprinta (Sep 15, 2010)

I knew a chap who used to race snails.

One day in an effort to streamline it for more speed he removed its shell.

That apparently just made it sluggish 🤪


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Yum yum here.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

I was never allowed proper pets as a child. All I had was a Tortoise (two at one point), some Mexican jumping beans and an African Giant Snail. The Snail was rubbish and never moved. It took a while to establish that it was in fact an Ex Giant Snail and had ceased to be.  I blame my older sister and brother who were allowed Rabbits and stuff like that but never looked after the little feckers so my father had to do it and by the time it got around to me wanting a pet they were pretty much banned. I brought a "Dace" home once (a fish) that I caught in the river Tees and put it in a tin bath but the next morning it was dead. I think all this "Pet Trauma" scarred me for life.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

Ah, so that's why


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## nicholsong (May 26, 2009)

barryd said:


> I was never allowed proper pets as a child. All I had was a Tortoise (two at one point), some Mexican jumping beans and an African Giant Snail. The Snail was rubbish and never moved. It took a while to establish that it was in fact an Ex Giant Snail and had ceased to be.  I blame my older sister and brother who were allowed Rabbits and stuff like that but never looked after the little feckers so my father had to do it and by the time it got around to me wanting a pet they were pretty much banned. I brought a "Dace" home once (a fish) that I caught in the river Tees and put it in a tin bath but the next morning it was dead. I think all this "Pet Trauma" scarred me for life.


I think all those potential pets got off lightly - after all you killed the pug you had, flogged it to death.


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## Pudsey_Bear (Sep 25, 2008)

That's harsh even for a Pug, Jim would not be pleased.


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## barryd (May 9, 2008)

nicholsong said:


> I think all those potential pets got off lightly - after all you killed the pug you had, flogged it to death.


Its been restored apparently and lives to ride again! I dont want it back. Got a bad back after twenty miles.


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

They do Jan 

My daughter had two 

But of course they were not wild

Very intelligent 

And I just can’t bring myself to kill an intelligent animal 

But then again I couldn’t kill one deemed to be unintelligent either 

Slugs snails do we know they have no intelligence ?

Feel no pain ?

So my garden is not a killing zone 

And together we just make do with what we have

And young rats are so delightful as all young are 

And I have to say I’ve so loved watching them play 

But of course I’m weird 

Sandra


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## aldra (Jul 2, 2009)

JanHank said:


> We were talking about rats, you know Sandra, she can change the thread subject in two posts anytime. :grin2:


True you love me or hate me

My mind wanders between today and yesterday

And I don't really mind if you hate me

I'm old, maybe never right

But this girl is not senile yet

Feels really strongly about things

Be it frogs , rats, brexit etc

Sandra


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