Mike Lyle wrote:

[-]


I used to have a blank north-facing house wall. Where did snails think
(if "think" is the right word) they were going when I found them
fifteen feet up and still climbing? I've often wondered how such
behaviour could possibly be adaptive.

Our north-facing first floor window looks into a neighbour's tree, and I
often see snails on the upper branches of that. If memory serves, in hot
weather temperatures at/near ground level in full sun are high because
of solar radiation absorbed by the soil. Snails are programmed to climb
to find coolth away from ground level, so may climb even north walls if
the weather is warm; alternatively there's a reasonable crop of algae
available on your wall/that tree. Or perhaps they're just stupid :-)

regards
sarah


--
Think of it as evolution in action.

In article , Stephen Howard
writes

It's unlikely the same snails have found their way back -

Once upon a time an urgler collected snail from his garden, painted the
shells and chucked them far away over the back wall. They were back in a
couple of days )))))))

--
Jane Ransom in Lancaster.
I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg
but if you need to email me for any other reason, put ransoms
at jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see

In article , Stephen Howard
writes

It's unlikely the same snails have found their way back -

Once upon a time an urgler collected snail from his garden, painted the
shells and chucked them far away over the back wall. They were back in a
couple of days )))))))

--
Jane Ransom in Lancaster.
I won't respond to private emails that are on topic for urg
but if you need to email me for any other reason, put ransoms
at jandg dot demon dot co dot uk where you see

.. Or have snails got
a "homing instinct" ???? MT

I read on the Dutch FAQ that they do. Don't know if it is true.

My past method. Front garden, toss them across the road into the grass
patch. Logic, if they return, they won't arrive safely (lots of traffic).
Back garden, toss them across the - much less busy ;( - road into the
grass. My reasoning, I have nothing against snails I just want them to eat
somebody else's food. In this case, municipal supply since they are owner
and manager of the grass patches where I "planted" the guests.

Yesterday I was moving some primulas and discovered they were hosting a lot
of snails. My old method was too time consuming so I picked them all off the
plants and put them in the greens container. They can eat to their hearts
content and dream away until Thursday morning garbage collecting where no
doubt most of them will be crushed. A few will remain in the container. I
always keep the lid closed so there is no escape. They are welcome to live
there as long as they can.

An alternative to the egg shells and sharp sand, saw dust. Since I have two
challenges in the garden (snails and cats) I think I will go to the do it
yourself store nearby and beg them for some saw dust. If my plants are too
close the snails are having a party, if I spread them more sparingly the
cats will start digging again.

Caroline

"margthompson" wrote in message
...
Just recently had a good Snail-hunt. Garden was host to many families of
them. Took the trouble to pick them all off, took them all (about 35 of
them - Mums and Dads-Kids, Aunties, Uncles, Cousins and Friends) out to
the
back lane and suggested to them they might like to set up their community
out there. Lo and behold there are lots more to evict. Or have snails
got
a "homing instinct" ???? MT

I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't back in your garden before you were.

There is only one way to deal with then and that is to put the boot in!

Alan

--
Reply to alan(dot)holmes27(at)virgin(dot)net

"margthompson" wrote in message
...
Just recently had a good Snail-hunt. Garden was host to many families of
them. Took the trouble to pick them all off, took them all (about 35

35!!! - you weren't really trying, were you?


Even a moderately efficient snail hunt should net over a hundred. You
don't really have a snail problem ;-)

of
them - Mums and Dads-Kids, Aunties, Uncles, Cousins and Friends) out to
the
back lane and suggested to them they might like to set up their community
out there. Lo and behold there are lots more to evict. Or have snails
got
a "homing instinct" ???? MT


--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

The message
from Kay contains these words:
"margthompson" wrote in message
...

Just recently had a good Snail-hunt. Garden was host to many families of
them. Took the trouble to pick them all off, took them all (about 35

35!!! - you weren't really trying, were you?


Even a moderately efficient snail hunt should net over a hundred. You
don't really have a snail problem ;-)

If I liked escargots I could give up buying other sources of protein. In
less pecunious moments - er - periods, I have thought of turning them
into rissoles, sausages, sweet-and-sour snailballs, spaghetti
gasteropodi, etc.

I could have gone out and collected a bucketful last week, before I
pulled the ivy off the end of the house. Now I might only gind a gallon
or so...

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
The message
from Kay contains these words:
"margthompson" wrote in message
...

Just recently had a good Snail-hunt. Garden was host to many
families of them. Took the trouble to pick them all off, took
them all (about 35

35!!! - you weren't really trying, were you?


Even a moderately efficient snail hunt should net over a hundred.
You
don't really have a snail problem ;-)

If I liked escargots I could give up buying other sources of
protein.
In less pecunious moments - er - periods, I have thought of turning
them into rissoles, sausages, sweet-and-sour snailballs, spaghetti
gasteropodi, etc.

I could have gone out and collected a bucketful last week, before I
pulled the ivy off the end of the house. Now I might only gind a
gallon or so...

Serious question: why _don't_ we fancy eating our home-grown snails?
I've asked myself many times over the years; but have never received
the reply "Well, go on, then."

Mike.

In article , Mike Lyle mike_lyle_uk@REMO
VETHISyahoo.co.uk writes

Serious question: why _don't_ we fancy eating our home-grown snails?
I've asked myself many times over the years; but have never received
the reply "Well, go on, then."

A lot of preparation for little return? The Roman snail is much larger.

Bear in mind that a good proportion of the population shudders at the
thought of mussels, cockles, squid ...
And quite a few people won't eat meat unless it is quite unrecognisable
as such.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains these words:

I could have gone out and collected a bucketful last week, before I
pulled the ivy off the end of the house. Now I might only gind a
gallon or so...

Serious question: why _don't_ we fancy eating our home-grown snails?
I've asked myself many times over the years; but have never received
the reply "Well, go on, then."

I don't like any molluscs except the cephalopods. You can keep your
mussels, winkles, cockles, clams, whelks, oysters - oh, but I'll have
those scallops, thank you.

While living next to the sea on the isle of Lewis and about 35 miles (by
road) from Stornoway, some degree of self-sufficiency was desirable.
When the wind was not 'big' and the sea was being sensible, I had all
the fish I could want, and a good variety.

When it was not sensible to go fishing - for I had to climb down a
substantial and fatal-to-fall-off cliff - I could plunder the shore at
low tide. Usually, I found good crabs, also some edible seaweeds (dulse
especially, and some carageen), but sometimes I had to fall back on
mussels, winkles, whelks and limpets. These last four I would blanch and
mince, and make rissoles from them. They were rather like bits of tyre
which had been soaked in seawater, then fried.

I imagine that the land snails might be very similar, but without the
benefit of the marine marinade.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from Martin contains these words:

Bear in mind that a good proportion of the population shudders at the
thought of mussels, cockles, squid ...

.... fresh water crayfish.

That's a crustacean, not a mollusc.

And quite a few people won't eat meat unless it is quite unrecognisable
as such.

Especially those, who don't like looking a pig in the eye, but are
willing to eat it in a hamburger :-)

You can keep hamburgers too. If you knew what went into most of them I
think you would eschew them too.

I can look a pig in the eye, and later, enjoy a good cut of pork from
it. I often have - one of my fiends has a pig farm.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

In article , Jaques
d'Alltrades writes
When it was not sensible to go fishing - for I had to climb down a
substantial and fatal-to-fall-off cliff - I could plunder the shore at
low tide. Usually, I found good crabs, also some edible seaweeds (dulse
especially, and some carageen), but sometimes I had to fall back on
mussels, winkles, whelks and limpets. These last four I would blanch and
mince, and make rissoles from them. They were rather like bits of tyre
which had been soaked in seawater, then fried.

I've not eaten limpets, but mussels, winkles and whelks shouldn't be
tough. I think that they're a bit like squid, in that if you merely show
them the frying pan, they are deliciously tender, but with more cooking
they rapidly go tough.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

On Sun, 10 Oct 2004 10:59:12 +0100, Kay
wrote:


"margthompson" wrote in message
...
Just recently had a good Snail-hunt. Garden was host to many families of
them. Took the trouble to pick them all off, took them all (about 35

35!!! - you weren't really trying, were you?


Even a moderately efficient snail hunt should net over a hundred.

Doesn't that rather depend on the size of the garden? :-)

Liz

On Sun, 10 Oct 2004 12:25:10 +0100, "Mike Lyle"
wrote:

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
The message
from Kay contains these words:
"margthompson" wrote in message
...

Just recently had a good Snail-hunt. Garden was host to many
families of them. Took the trouble to pick them all off, took
them all (about 35

35!!! - you weren't really trying, were you?


Even a moderately efficient snail hunt should net over a hundred.
You
don't really have a snail problem ;-)

If I liked escargots I could give up buying other sources of
protein.
In less pecunious moments - er - periods, I have thought of turning
them into rissoles, sausages, sweet-and-sour snailballs, spaghetti
gasteropodi, etc.

I could have gone out and collected a bucketful last week, before I
pulled the ivy off the end of the house. Now I might only gind a
gallon or so...

Serious question: why _don't_ we fancy eating our home-grown snails?
I've asked myself many times over the years; but have never received
the reply "Well, go on, then."

Mike.


Legend has it there used to be an old man who came round this street
collecting them to eat. I think that was in the 1970's though.

Liz

In article , FF
writes
On Sun, 10 Oct 2004 10:59:12 +0100, Kay
wrote:


"margthompson" wrote in message
...
Just recently had a good Snail-hunt. Garden was host to many families of
them. Took the trouble to pick them all off, took them all (about 35

35!!! - you weren't really trying, were you?


Even a moderately efficient snail hunt should net over a hundred.

Doesn't that rather depend on the size of the garden? :-)


It does. Insert 'in any garden at least 10 ft square' ;-)

--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"