In the daily battle with voracious snails, plagued hobby gardeners now have the opportunity to upgrade their arsenal with an effective and environmentally friendly pesticide. While chemical preparations are undesirable in nature-loving gardens, ecologically oriented methods, such as the beer trap, reveal some weaknesses. The plastic or sheet metal snail fence has so far achieved at least some partial success. The clever nudibranchs nevertheless found ways and means of overcoming them. Perfected as an electric snail fence, the pests now have much worse cards to attack your lovingly cared for plants. With these instructions you can build an electric snail fence yourself.
Bill of materials and preparatory work
The concept is based on the idea that conductive adhesive tape with cables attached to it is attached to a plastic lawn edge. A power source emits electrical impulses that scare off slugs but do not kill them. Thanks to a standard length of 9 meters, a classic bed can be completely demarcated. The practical construction can be expanded for larger areas without much effort. Ideally, a control unit should be added that shows that the voltage is too low or that the current flow is interrupted. These materials are required:
- A plastic lawn edging that is 10 or 15 centimeters high
- Self-adhesive aluminum tape with a width of 6 millimeters
- Control unit with 9 volt battery, plug-in power supply or solar module
- VA screws in 8 millimeters with washers
- Scissors, spatula, screwdriver
Stick the aluminum tape in two strips on the lawn edge. The distance is 5 millimeters. There should be no wrinkles. Should be the tape
If it tears once in the heat of the moment, simply mask the crack again. The current will flow anyway.Tip: As soon as the lawn edge is covered with the aluminum tape, it must not be subjected to any more stresses, such as kinking or bending. Even the smallest breaks hinder the flow of electricity and result in a time-consuming search for the damaged area.
Laying in the garden
The mechanical and electrical connection points on the snail fence are prepared in advance of the laying work. The control module is attached to the side that is not covered with the aluminum strips. The impulse lines and input lines are connected by screws with the adhesive tapes on the opposite side. It is very important to ensure that the conductive aluminum strips do not touch at the connection point between the two ends of the fence. Then you start laying in the garden. This is how you do it:
- Use the spatula to create a 3 centimeter deep trench around the bed to be protected
- Insert the electric snail fence
- Fill the cavities with soil and press down to stabilize
Last but not least, the two ends are connected together so that the LED display should now light up. If the green light pulsates every 4-5 seconds, everything was going according to the instructions.
Tip: A solar module with a battery only works in a sunny location in the bed.
Insert extension piece
If the 9 meters of a lawn edge is not enough to fence the bed area, an additional segment can easily be added. The aluminum strips are 3-4 centimeters longer at the ends and are glued on the back so that they match the strip on the front
exactly opposite. If necessary, shorten the lawn edge at the desired point with the scissors. The ends to be connected are placed on top of one another and connected through the aluminum strips using the screws and washers. The electrical connection is thus established.Eliminate malfunction
If the LED lamp lights up red on the electric snail fence after the installation is complete, the current flow within the aluminum strip is interrupted. How to locate the damaged area:
- A standard LED bulb is required
- The two small pegs touch the impulse lines
- If the polarization is correct, the LED lamp lights up
- If it does not flash, it is turned over and now lights up
Now move gradually along the aluminum strip to locate the break point. As soon as the light no longer lights up, you are in the immediate vicinity of the damaged area. Experience has shown that this can now be seen with the naked eye. Clean the sector with spirit and cover it with a new aluminum strip about 5 centimeters long. If the electric snail fence has already performed its task to your satisfaction for some time, the red lamp signals a short circuit. This is usually caused by traces of slime left by the snails. The soiling can be recognized by the green discoloration on the silver adhesive strips. When cleaned with a damp cloth, smooth functioning is quickly restored.
Tip: Dismantle the control unit in good time before winter and store in a dry, frost-free room.
Instructions for a raised bed
They are very popular in the hobby garden because they allow a very comfortable and back-friendly way of working. Unfortunately, raised beds do not prevent snails from enjoying the plants there. Since an electric snail fence based on the concept for a classic bed does not work here, a viable alternative is available.
Material list
- Conductive plastic tape with a width of 10 millimeters
- Controller with 9 volt battery, plug-in power supply or solar module
- Wood screws and washers
- Scissors, staples, or hot glue
The special plastic band is interwoven with filigree metal wires so that it can be flexibly adapted to any desired shape. If a plug-in power supply is used, it must be protected from rain and splashing water by a plastic or plastic cover.
Assembly
Ideally, you attach the electric snail fence to a raised bed before assembling it. In retrospect, the assembly is nonetheless
also possible. How to do it right:- Glue the plastic tape in two parallel strips in the upper area of the raised bed
- The distance between the tracks is 1-3 millimeters
- Where the ends meet, they must not touch
- Screw the controller to the raised bed
- Also screw the lines onto the plastic straps with the washers
In the final step, you connect the power source and meticulously check all functions. It is advisable to attach a bar along the upper edge of the raised bed so that the rainwater is kept away from the electric snail fence.
Tip: When stapling the plastic tape, the clips should be placed between the wires or on the edge. A severed wire renders the entire construction unusable.
Modification for a stone raised bed
Proud owners of a walled raised bed do not have to forego the protection of their plants with an electric snail fence. You use a resourceful combination of the snail fence for a ground-level bed and a raised bed. In this case, simply place the lawn edge along the inner edge of the raised bed. The assembly itself is carried out according to the same concept as for the classic bed.
After completion
Once the electric snail fence has been installed and works smoothly, one more precautionary measure is on the program for the first few days. If an already planted bed has been fenced in, one or the other pest may still have hidden in it. So lay out some lettuce leaves as bait in the evening to collect the last snails in the light of the flashlight after dark.
Conclusion
An electric snail fence gives troubled hobby gardeners the upper hand in the fight against voracious pests. Should all previous control methods of an ecological and chemical nature fail, this uncomplicated concept now promises a breakthrough. Gardeners who are close to nature will notice with satisfaction that the snails are not killed, but only deterred by small electric shocks. The assembly itself succeeds without extensive manual experience, as long as these instructions are heeded. The individual components are available for little money in any well-stocked hardware store. Anyone who opts for a solar module is even spared the follow-up costs due to power consumption. Good to know that the electric snail fence can not only be installed in the classic garden bed, but also works in raised beds with small modifications. Instructions: Build your own electric snail fence