It is not pleasant for any gardener to find snail eggs. Usually it is not clear whether it is a beneficial or harmful species. Snail eggs are often confused with egg capsules from earthworms or depot fertilizer. The color and consistency as well as the storage location provide information.

Snail eggs are easy to see with the naked eye

Table of Contents

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  1. the essentials in brief
  2. Determine snail eggs
  3. Eliminate snail eggs
  4. Prevent snails
  5. frequently asked Questions

    6. the essentials in brief

    • Snail eggs are mostly white with little to no cutting through. An exception is the tiger slug with transparent eggs.
    • Eggs are laid between summer and fall in humid and warm environments. They are usually found on the surface of the earth or in the upper soil layers. Spherical depot fertilizer is distributed throughout the substrate.
    • Snail eggs dry out in the sun and should be removed from the potting soil. The eggs die as a result of the hot rotting in the compost. In the aquarium, the focus is on controlling adult snails.

    What do snail eggs look like?

    Snail eggs are spherical

    Snail eggs are whitish, translucent and spherical. Their water-light color makes them stand out from the earth. They can reach the size of a pinhead and lie loosely together in small clusters. By squeezing, you will find that snail eggs are very soft and yield easily. If you are unsure, consult pictures of snail eggs.

    number of eggs in the clutch coloring storage location needed
    Roman snail 40 to 60 whitish, only slightly translucent self-dug pits 3-5 cm loose soil
    Spanish slug up to 225 whitish glossy, not transparent Soil surface, plant litter, burrows humid and shady environment
    tiger slug 100 to 300 transparent, clear and colorless substrate surface warm and humid environment
    Grove snail 30 to 60 whitish with calcareous shell self-dug burrows moist tall herb corridors

    Typical storage locations

    If you find supposed snail eggs, pay attention to the environmental conditions. The location gives you clues as to whether it is a snail clutch. Snails prefer well-protected and moist areas to lay their eggs. They prefer to place their clutches in compost, under densely growing plants or in burrows and dead wood.

    Here you should look for snail eggs:

    • under planters, buckets and troughs
    • in dug beds and piles of leaves
    • under moss and bark mulch
    • between paving slabs
    • under loose stones
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    When do snails lay their eggs?

    The Spanish slug begins to lay its eggs in suitable places from the end of June. There is a peak between August and September. In particularly mild years, oviposition extends into December. It is therefore important that you remove clutches of this species before winter. The eggs hibernate and cause a plague of snails the following spring.

    digression

    This is what depot pellets look like from the inside

    Nutrient salts are coated with a layer of synthetic resin. This shell has fine and microscopic pores. In the soil, the globules absorb water so that the powdered nutrient salts inside are dissolved. The dissolved salts are sucked out of the grain with the water. This process is slow, so the plants are supplied with nutrients for up to six months. However, there are depot globules with different durations of action, which are colored yellow, green or red depending on their duration of action.

    How can I eliminate snail eggs?

    Edible snails eat snail eggs and thus prove to be useful helpers in the fight against slugs. Tiger slugs are also beneficial and should be protected. The easiest way to kill eggs from unwanted snails is to dry them out. Place the clutch in a sunny spot. Hedgehogs and birds clear away the leftovers.

    Factors that endanger snail eggs:

    • high temperatures
    • low humidity
    • direct UV radiation

    Snail eggs in the aquarium

    If snail eggs are introduced unintentionally, they should be removed as soon as possible

    Eggs are often introduced into the system by aquatic plants. Once the young hatch, they spread en masse. Such a spontaneous accompanying fauna can have a positive effect on the habitat, because aquatic snails accelerate the decomposition of organic residues.

    How to recognize snail spawn:

    • often small white cocoons
    • sometimes colorless and transparent or yellowish eggs
    • jelly-like formations in which a point can be seen
    • stick to panes, decoration, aquatic plants or technology

    Many clutches are difficult to get rid of, so you should remove the adult snails from the aquarium. They can be lured with a lettuce leaf or a piece of cucumber. Once the animals have settled on the treat, you can remove it from the water. To avoid introduction, wash newly purchased aquatic plants thoroughly before planting.

    control in compost

    You can collect visible clutches on the compost and let them dry out in the sun. If you find that snail eggs have also been laid in deeper layers, you should mix the compost thoroughly and regularly. Ensure good ventilation and avoid over-wetting the substrate. In a functioning compost, temperatures of more than 60 degrees occur during hot rotting. This kills snail eggs.

    tips

    If snail eggs have survived despite the high temperatures, store the substrate in the sun before applying it or spread it out on the unplanted bed. Here the remaining eggs dry out quickly.

    Snail eggs in potting soil

    If snail eggs are discovered in the flower pot, the plant should be repotted as soon as possible

    It can happen that snails lay their eggs in the potting soil or on the substrate surface. This is the case when you put potted plants on the terrace and balcony in summer. Since the plants are watered frequently, a warm, humid microclimate develops in the root ball. A wild vegetation, as it prevails in some balcony boxes (109.00 €), favors the survival conditions for snail eggs.

    How to destroy snail eggs:

    • Get the root ball out of the planter
    • shake off old substrate
    • examine for clutches
    • Dry the soil over a wide area in the sun
    • then compost

    tips

    If you are not sure, crush the supposed egg between your fingers. Depot fertilizer balls crack when the synthetic resin shell breaks. Snail eggs are slippery to the touch and can be crushed without making a sound.

    Prevent snails in the garden

    Since chemical agents are unsuitable for fighting snails, prevention is of great importance. If snails have already settled, check the snail hotspots regularly. You can bring the volume under control with suitable measures.

    digging up beds

    Dig up your beds in late fall after the main oviposition. It is beneficial to evenly level the crumbly soil. In this way, snails cannot find any depressions in the ground and are prevented from laying their eggs. The measure should be repeated in early spring so that previously undiscovered eggs can be exposed and removed.

    Snails overwinter when young or in the egg stage. Therefore, the eggs laid in the fall are a spring hazard.

    Avoid mulching

    If you have been struggling with a plague of snails for a long time, you should avoid a layer of mulch. This protects the soil from drying out and ensures a warm, humid environment in which snails also feel comfortable. If you still have to mulch in spring, you should remove the layer from the beds by August at the latest.

    frequently asked Questions

    How long does it take for snail eggs to hatch?

    How long the snails need to hatch depends on the type of snail and the outside temperature

    Exactly when young snails hatch depends on the type and time of egg laying. The Spanish slug lays eggs several times a year. Snails develop from clutches produced in June in the same year. Eggs laid later survive the winter, so that the young snails hatch between February and March of the following year.

    The temperature also has an influence on the development speed. At 20 degrees, the first snails hatch 30 to 37 days after the eggs are laid. Temperatures between 10 and 15 degrees are ideal. If the thermometer rises above 25 degrees, development stops and the eggs die.

    Can I specifically incubate snail eggs?

    If you know it's a useful species, you can collect the clutches and place them on moist soil in a jar. Place the jar in a mild, shady place and ensure high humidity. But beware, because Roman snails are under nature protection. Snails and their eggs must not be collected from nature.

    I bought a pack of potting soil and when I opened it I noticed small yellow balls. Are those yellow snail eggs?

    You don't have to worry about buying contaminated potting soil. Snail eggs are not yellow, but whitish and translucent. When you pick up the yellow-colored beads, you will feel a solid consistency. Snail eggs would not be as easy to handle as they are very soft and sensitive to pressure. They feel wet and slippery. Incidentally, the fertilizer pellets can also be colored green. This colored coating gives gardeners information about the duration of the fertilizing effect.

    Identify fertilizer balls:

    • loosely distributed in the substrate
    • crack when crushed
    • empty shell does not dissolve
    • Contents of fresh balls are dry and powdery

    I don't think there are little yellow balls of fertilizer scattered around my garden. Are there any other eggs to consider?

    If the eggs are lemon yellow or brownish in color and more or less distinctly pointed at both ends, it may be an earthworm egg capsule. This earthworm cocoon contains a nutrient liquid so that the offspring are well supplied. Earthworms lay their eggs in the upper layers of the soil, often covering them with feces. Depending on the species, the size and color of the cocoons can vary. They are about two to seven millimeters long and initially not translucent but shiny. As they develop, the cocoons become transparent.

Category:

Animals in the garden