Published at 06:00
It may be a quieter summer than usual for the country’s garden enthusiasts – the number of killer snails appears to be fewer than in previous years. But the weather in the coming weeks could be decisive.
The invasive killer snail has created a lot of trouble in Swedish gardens in recent summers. But now there is good news for Sweden’s garden owners. The unusually dry spring seems to mean that the number of killer snails will be fewer than usual.
Ted von Proschwitz, snail expert at Gothenburg’s Natural History Museum, has followed the progress of the killer snail in Sweden and according to him there are several signs that this year’s numbers are still fewer than usual.
– The dry spring weather seems to have taken its toll. It is extremely much less than the troublesome summer of 2024, but also less than last year which was more of a normal year.
The weather decides
The gardener cannot blow his breath completely. If the next few weeks are rainy, the killer snails may partially recover.
– The rain of the last few days has attracted the remaining killer snails and they are in the process of laying new eggs. Whether those eggs survive depends on the rainfall in the coming weeks, says von Proschwitz.
Other snails eat the killer snail
For those who want to make it even more difficult for the killer snail, it is free to take out the spade and go on your own “killer round” in the garden. A cut about one centimeter behind the head means instant death for the snail. Ted von Proschwitz points out that there are snails to watch out for in the garden and that can help in the fight against the killer snail.
– The spotted panther snail competes with the killer snail. They are aggressive towards each other and can even eat each other, so my advice is to spare the panther snail. Then you can get some help in keeping the killer snail in check, he says.
