Burgundy snail Helix pomatia
Weeding in the garden, I stumbled upon the burgundy snail. I must have looked frightening with the hoe in my hand, the snail quickly withdraw the tentacles. Could it speak I surely had heard it say: “I’m no killer slug”.
The burgundy snail is a welcome guest in the garden, just as the leopard slug. Together they are the reason I do not use slug poison, slug nematodes or the beer traps. The have their place in the ecosystem in the garden, the live here in moderate numbers and they are a joy to meet. Slugs and snail are also health food for the toad – he who rules in the garden. Only in case of a serious slug attack will I try to moderate the slug balance in the garden. It could very well happen this summer, as the “killer slug” was reported in the next street last summer. For that reason I’m alert on slugs this year, hope to stop them “at the gate”, and hope for help from the toad, the leopard slug and the burgundy snail.
In the toad's garden 