monster snails

[Lor]

Can anyone please tell me what these are? Actually, it doesn't really matter anymore because they have eaten almost every plant including two whole lilies, roots and all and I'm gonna have to exterminate them. Now I'm a vegetarian and I don't kill live things at all so I'm so bummed about this. What is the most humane way to kill these beauties? There are hundreds. Waaa! Very sad.

 

[Jhn]

Look like ramshorn snails. Usually those don’t mess with plants, at least healthy plants all that much.

Unless, you put something in your pond that eats snails, ie fish or turtle, it will be just about impossible to wipe them out. If you put a chemical into kill the snails it will in all likelihood wipe out invertebrate life in your pond.

 

[Stephen Noble]

I like the no kill management option. Doubtful you will be able to completely eliminate them but you can significantly reduce their population and everyone will be happy. Now is the time to do it since there are no plants.
Look up: got a snail problem petcha.com
I wrote that for aquarium use but it also works in small ponds.
How big is your pond? Live trapping coupled with eliminating excess food in the pond will greatly reduce the population.
Stephen

 

[Lor]

Thanks! Yes, even getting them down to manageable levels would be great. That snail trap is an excellent idea and I'm gonna order it asap. Great idea! But what do I do with the snails after I trap them? They're not invasive in Miami so maybe the nearest river. Btw, the pond is about 1200 g / 1 to 2 feet deep.

 

[bettasngoldfish]

Ramshorn snails are good little cleaners in fish tanks (although they do not destroy plants)

Maybe you can trap some and list for sale or free on craigslist or even ask at your local pet/fish stores. They may take them or know someone who will want them.

 

[Stephen Noble]

Please don't wild release them. Besides possibly being illegal, it could really disrupt the delicate ecosystem. There are many options for relocating them. Here are a couple: Get a small 'focus' aquarium and turn it into an aquatic snail display. You can control the population very easily in a small, decorated, focus tank. Put some wood in there and it will look great. If your conscience allows, give them to another hobbyist who can use them to feed other animals. It is one of the way things work in nature. Your pond is ideal size for the snail trap. Just pay attention to my second paragraph where I talk about management...and you will be good to go.
https://www.petcha.com/got-a-snail-problem-in-your-fish-tank-try-sera-snail-collect/
Please let me know how it works out. Good luck!
Stephen

 

[LarryM]

I don't know what your fish population is, but if it were me I would put in a few red ear sunfish. They will eat those snails as fast as they hatch out. Their nickname with fishermen is "nutcrackers", specifically because they love to feed on snails. Once they do their job and if you decide to take them out it's a simple matter of catching them with a worm and hook and transplanting them into most any pond, lake or river since they are native to the entire US.

 

[BittenSCW]

I don't know what your fish population is, but if it were me I would put in a few red ear sunfish. They will eat those snails as fast as they hatch out. Their nickname with fishermen is "nutcrackers", specifically because they love to feed on snails. Once they do their job and if you decide to take them out it's a simple matter of catching them with a worm and hook and transplanting them into most any pond, lake or river since they are native to the entire US.

From what I read...Red ear sunfish are not native to all the US. Releasing them can cause significant impact on native mollusk populations.

https://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=390

 

[ROW FISH]

Get any loach species and they will help with the population numbers. I have weather loaches and a dojo loach. Dojo's are the hardiest to overwinter in ponds. mine is about 3 years old now and over 1/2 foot long.