Everyone together now:Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeugh!
There was carnage on the terrace last night. Many little dishes were put on the gravel floor and also placed in the worst-afflicted pots, near the chewed lilies. Beer was poured in. I wished the hidden snails bonne nuit and went to dinner in Williamsburg.
In the wee hours I prowled the terrace (this takes 3 seconds, end to end) again in the dark, with a flashlight. It was working. I could hear tiny sluggish drinking songs coming from far below, at the base of the pots. This morning I crept out and behold. The revellers had expired en masse.
Yay!
A word to my sister-in-law, who at this moment is pursing her lips and saying, but isn't that photograph below..? Yes, it is: the fancy saucer of one of the beautiful cups you gave me for Christmas. I took good care of it, I did. I placed it softly on the gravel, poured the beer in softly and felt in my heart that the slugs and snails would approach softly and not stomp on it in their usual fashion. Your brother was disapproving. I could tell he was wondering what sort of person he had married. But I had run out of little dishes, and was desperate. A woman under siege develops tunnel vision.
A luta continua.
Makes a fine casket. Good catch.
ReplyDeleteYou know why they like beer?
They must, (hypothesizing here), have a sense for fermentation or other signas of decay. I believe they prefer decaying matter over fresh -when its available.If its not available, your poor lilies will have to do.
This. Is. Insane. Congratulations. :)
ReplyDeleteDo you think there are more?
ReplyDeleteMy goodness! When you said you had some snails, you meant you had a LOT of snails.
ReplyDeleteThat is a beautiful saucer, you know. She just might not forgive you.
Marie, you have joined the ranks of the desperate! Yes, I have used "precious" plates, well, a crystal dish, actually!
ReplyDeleteI did contemplate wrangling the brutes into boxes and feeding them on meal then purging them for the kitchen...but it seemed too much hard work for so little space.
And the bonus? The chooks happily ate beer-flavoured snails!
The power of the beer trap is never to be doubted! lol!
ReplyDeleteI used to have a blackbird that would eat all of the fermented slugs and snails before I could empty the traps too.
Ryan
My gracious goodness! Who would have guessed there were so many of them. Perhaps you have to limit yourself to sterilized potting soil or something.
ReplyDeletePam
Funny how I thought I was instead disapproving of the mass drowning. One gets confused.
ReplyDeleteHello Marie
ReplyDeleteI am staggered at the amount of snails you have on your tiny terrace! So glad my suggestion of this snail remedy works that well.
I wonder if wine would work as well?
Lyn
... waiting to hear some wonderful recipe for beer-marinated snails in garlic... or something... beer-marinated snails sautéed? a shrimp and beer-marinated snails rice?... I'm just thinking. As for me, I think I'll turn vegetarian.
ReplyDeleteA bit surprised, perhaps, (I had anticipated seeing pictures of the said China but not anticipated that kind of content) but it takes far more than that to insult me. I'm such a good-natured, easy going person. And please don't ever write to me again.
ReplyDeleteI think the beer trap probably works better in fine china. Even snails have good taste.... or, is it snails taste good? I never can keep those two straight!
ReplyDeleteIn either case snails in garden = bad!
Snail Soup! :o)
ReplyDelete