Forum home Wildlife gardening
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Slugs and snails no longer classed as pests says RHS

2456789

Posts

  • Jenny_AsterJenny_Aster Posts: 945
    Lived umpteen years in a region of Spain where rabbit and snail paella was their traditional dish. Basically a farm worker would catch a rabbit, collect a few snails and harvest a few handfuls of rice from the fields while he was working, over a fire he'd cook his paella. Goodness knows how the Spanish cope with parasites, although of course the snails would have been cooked which would no doubt kill the parasites. 

    A Spanish lady taught me how to clean the snails after collecting them from the fields, they put the snails in a box to starve them, then introduce a few lettuce leaves - the process takes about 14 days. I'm afraid I can't cope with eating them. But I do love prawns, which I hear is basically like a snail. 
    Trying to be the person my dog thinks I am! 

    Cambridgeshire/Norfolk border.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Fire said:
    Can we class cats as garden pests instead?
    And children. :|

    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742

    A Spanish lady taught me how to clean the snails after collecting them from the fields, they put the snails in a box to starve them, then introduce a few lettuce leaves - the process takes about 14 days. I'm afraid I can't cope with eating them. But I do love prawns, which I hear is basically like a snail. 
    Similar to the regime used by the French for their edible snails - basically cleaning the guts before eating them.  I never fancied them when living in either country :D
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    I do have gardening friends here who collect and "clean" garden snails for the pot.   Nothing like prawns in taste or texture!

    Slugs and snails are not the only sources of parasites that can get into a chook as she fossicks and forages.  We'd have to do an autopsy to establish which ones we have here.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    Oh  well. Looking on the bright side, it's not often I feel I know better than the RHS. 

    I love cats and children in my garden, though. 
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Oh well, that's great news. If they're not classed as pests, we needn't worry about them. Moving on.....
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    Upon which criteria have they come to this conclusion?
    Devon.
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    The carry lungworm which is very dangerous to dogs and humans can get it as well
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Yes @Nanny Beach.  We are now making sure the chooks stay i the potager and the dogs stay out.   The dogs have been wormed and so have the cats.

    That just leaves the slugs, snails and any mice about.

    I really like my chooks and their different characters so it's all just a tad frustrating.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    In fact, the slimy creatures are misunderstood, as only nine of the 44 recognised species of slug in the UK eat garden plants, according to research by the RHS.

    I'll have the other 35 recognised species in my garden then please!
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


Sign In or Register to comment.