Snail Trouble !!!

P.P.Power · 08-09-2005, 17:00

On two separate occasions I have opened the bonnet on my '52 VRs to find B-B-Q'd snails well and truly baked onto the engine cover, alloy head, and on the surrounding wiring. It appears that somehow the snails are making their home on my engine overnight...and getting cooked the next morning when I drive off. It's taking ages to clean the mess that remains.
Has anyone experienced this strange phenomena...and does anyone have a suggestion for irradicating this problem. I'm having to open the bonnet to check before driving off, but have still been caught out when I don't check. It's as though they know. I am now even considering a boundary of slug pellets around my car at nightfall to try to stop these annoying creatures.
Help.....a desparate vrs owner.

***ncarring*** · 08-09-2005, 17:01

(checks calendar ... nope!

)

Slug pellets or a slug trap containing beer are all I can think of, sorry.

ag.morley · 08-09-2005, 17:07

Drive a bit faster..........They won't catch you then.... Better still Get a Furbie vRS

andy_ccr · 09-09-2005, 10:24

Do you park on or near grass when you come in from work in the evenings ?

At least snails are better than finding dead birds in the front grill, or a mouse eating the wiring !!

JRHartley · 09-09-2005, 10:32

run a ring of table salt on the floor around each front tyre

bk1 · 09-09-2005, 13:37

Drive over to the continent and sell your delicacies to the French.
They must be seeking out a smell they like. Slugs and snails love the smell of beer - maybe there's something they like under your bonnet. (If they've gone cannibalistic then you might have entered a vicious circle here...)

Try putting out "tasters" of different things on the drive and run a snail snack bar:
some long-life oil, some power steering fluid, windscreen wash, battery acid, etc, and see how much interest they all get.
Be patient though - these guys never like to look in a rush.

As ncarring says, putting a preferable trap nearby should do it. Be interesting to see how many you get in your beer bottle/can.

Joel_vRS · 09-09-2005, 13:45

broken egg shells under the engine cover??

Joel

EddyH · 09-09-2005, 13:47

Strangely there was a snail on the wing of the Ibiza this morning, it was on the middle of the bonnet by the time I got to work, with a skid mark from where it started.

bk1 · 09-09-2005, 15:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by EddyH

Strangely there was a snail on the wing of the Ibiza this morning, it was on the middle of the bonnet by the time I got to work, with a skid mark from where it started.

He must have wheelspun. The earlier model snails had lighter shells and couldn't lay the power down properly.

Joel_vRS · 09-09-2005, 15:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by bk1

He must have wheelspun. The earlier model snails had lighter shells and couldn't lay the power down properly.

FPMSL

P.P.Power · 09-09-2005, 19:30

Thanks for your replies guys. Well last night it was rather wet outside....so ...torch in hand went for a look see. Blow me wasn't a little fella trying to pull his (or her ! ) shell through my front spoiler grill...from the inside of the spoiler to the outside. Only this one snail visible on the car.....lifted the bonnet to check.....all clear. However my brick gate post was crawling with them.....small baby ones at that. Obviously nursery was out ! Going to try a snail beer trap in the garden to divert them from my Octy. The black under bonnet sound insulation shows up the trails when they have been on the march around the engine bay. Checked again first thing this morning...all clear. Will have to check late on & early doors to keep on top of them. Wish me luck.

Turbostream · 09-09-2005, 19:59

If you use the beer trap make sure you empty it regulary as I tried this once and forgot to empty it...the smell was horrendus!

andy2407 · 10-09-2005, 23:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turbostream

If you use the beer trap make sure you empty it regulary as I tried this once and forgot to empty it...the smell was horrendus!

I used to refill mine every nite - 1" for the slugs, and the rest for me

mattstimpson · 11-09-2005, 09:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by ag.morley

Drive a bit faster..........They won't catch you then.... Better still Get a Furbie vRS

Johnnyc · 11-09-2005, 11:15

Electrocute them!

In addition to liking moist conditions slugs also like acid substrate and hate sulphur. Slugs can be deterred by a barrier of wood ash or pure coal soot6. Other barriers that slugs and snails dislike crossing include wood ash, diatomaceous earth, sawdust and copper backed paper or sheeting stapled to boards around beds. Care should be taken to prevent earth and sawdust from becoming too wet. Copper reacts with the secreted mucous used to aid locomotion giving the slug or snail a slight electric shock. It is necessary to ensure that vegetation does not cross the borders offering an entry route. Once areas within the barriers are cleared it should be a matter of monitoring the state of the borders to prevent further build up of slugs and snails(25).

Read more here:

http://www.pan-uk.org/pestnews/homepest/slugs.htm

bassman · 11-09-2005, 23:15

Your local SHELL garage might be able to help.

Goochie · 12-09-2005, 08:35

I realise how this could be seriously annoying...... but this thread is seriously funny!

Perhaps one day you'll find a different variaty of crawling slimey creature under there - then the can SLUG it out between them.

08-09-2005, 17:00	#1
P.P.Power Briskodian Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Lancashire Posts: 19 Members Car: Octavia vRS Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Snail Trouble !!! On two separate occasions I have opened the bonnet on my '52 VRs to find B-B-Q'd snails well and truly baked onto the engine cover, alloy head, and on the surrounding wiring. It appears that somehow the snails are making their home on my engine overnight...and getting cooked the next morning when I drive off. It's taking ages to clean the mess that remains. Has anyone experienced this strange phenomena...and does anyone have a suggestion for irradicating this problem. I'm having to open the bonnet to check before driving off, but have still been caught out when I don't check. It's as though they know. I am now even considering a boundary of slug pellets around my car at nightfall to try to stop these annoying creatures. Help.....a desparate vrs owner. __________________ Octavia vRS Owner

08-09-2005, 17:01	#2
*ncarring* Don't talk, drive! Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: The B roads of Britain Posts: 12,965 Members Car: 1983 Porsche 928S / 1972 MGB GT Thanks: 17 Thanked 96 Times in 79 Posts	(checks calendar ... nope! ) Slug pellets or a slug trap containing beer are all I can think of, sorry. __________________ Nick North Wiltshire RoADAR

08-09-2005, 17:07	#3
ag.morley Insecure Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: right on track........ Posts: 4,948 Members Car: Volvo 2.4 T SE XC70 Auto running on LPG Thanks: 14 Thanked 79 Times in 33 Posts	Drive a bit faster..........They won't catch you then.... Better still Get a Furbie vRS __________________ I now own a Volvo 2.4T Automatic V70 XC 4 wheel drive, Estate, running on LPG......In a Lovely shade of Gold "BRISKOLVO ".......THE UK'S ONLY MEMBER......." IT'S THE WAY FORWARD "

09-09-2005, 10:24	#4
andy_ccr Briskodian Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Essex Posts: 407 Members Car: Octavia vRS Hatch, Ford Focus Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Do you park on or near grass when you come in from work in the evenings ? At least snails are better than finding dead birds in the front grill, or a mouse eating the wiring !! __________________ Black '53' Octy vRS - 18inch RS4 in Graphite Grey - Colour coded front grill - Samco TIP - Carbonio filter - OBD Remap by Mike @ Impossible Performance Forge FMIC SuperSprint cat back exhaust. Coming soon - Rear ARB, better suspension, better brakes.... Damn that bloody Nurburgring ! Coming before the end of Jan 2007 - Audi A4 Cabriolet - Ebony Black- 18inch RS4 Wheels - Red Knappa leather

09-09-2005, 10:32	#5
JRHartley Briskodian Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: North west Posts: 2,010 Members Car: Octavia 1.9 TDi Thanks: 0 Thanked 16 Times in 13 Posts	run a ring of table salt on the floor around each front tyre __________________ I'm a celebrity...... Get me out of here !!!

09-09-2005, 13:37	#6
bk1 Briskodian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: UK - SouthEast Posts: 251 Members Car: Audi A3 1.8T Sport 1999 Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Drive over to the continent and sell your delicacies to the French. They must be seeking out a smell they like. Slugs and snails love the smell of beer - maybe there's something they like under your bonnet. (If they've gone cannibalistic then you might have entered a vicious circle here...) Try putting out "tasters" of different things on the drive and run a snail snack bar: some long-life oil, some power steering fluid, windscreen wash, battery acid, etc, and see how much interest they all get. Be patient though - these guys never like to look in a rush. As ncarring says, putting a preferable trap nearby should do it. Be interesting to see how many you get in your beer bottle/can.

09-09-2005, 13:45	#7
Joel_vRS Briskodian Join Date: May 2004 Location: Peterborough Posts: 1,658 Members Car: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	broken egg shells under the engine cover?? Joel __________________ Everyday car: Pimp Black Skoda Octavia VRS, 230bhp, 250lb custom remap, blueflame stainless exhaust, lowered, Hyperboost Dump Valve, ABD tip. 1/4mile in 14.99 secs Project Car: Vintage Mk2 Golf, to be turned in to a 1/4 mile beast, 1.8T 20v engine conversion! Watch this space!!!!

09-09-2005, 13:47	#8
EddyH Briskodian Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 4,908 Members Car: Audi S8 Thanks: 41 Thanked 27 Times in 27 Posts	Strangely there was a snail on the wing of the Ibiza this morning, it was on the middle of the bonnet by the time I got to work, with a skid mark from where it started. __________________ EddyH Audi A6 Avant 2.7 TDI Audi A3 2.0 TDI Sport

09-09-2005, 19:30	#11
P.P.Power Briskodian Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Lancashire Posts: 19 Members Car: Octavia vRS Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Snail Trouble Update Thanks for your replies guys. Well last night it was rather wet outside....so ...torch in hand went for a look see. Blow me wasn't a little fella trying to pull his (or her ! ) shell through my front spoiler grill...from the inside of the spoiler to the outside. Only this one snail visible on the car.....lifted the bonnet to check.....all clear. However my brick gate post was crawling with them.....small baby ones at that. Obviously nursery was out ! Going to try a snail beer trap in the garden to divert them from my Octy. The black under bonnet sound insulation shows up the trails when they have been on the march around the engine bay. Checked again first thing this morning...all clear. Will have to check late on & early doors to keep on top of them. Wish me luck. __________________ Octavia vRS Owner

09-09-2005, 19:59	#12
Turbostream Briskodian Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Birmingham Posts: 558 Members Car: Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	If you use the beer trap make sure you empty it regulary as I tried this once and forgot to empty it...the smell was horrendus! __________________ ---------------------------------------------- Ade, Brummie. Corsa SRi 1.7 CDTi... dont laugh, its really very good. previously 2001 Furbie Elegance TDi, Nature Green, no mods To Tinker: May your pain be at an end ....we will miss you my furry friend.

11-09-2005, 11:15	#15
Johnnyc Briskodian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Northern Ireland Posts: 3,193 Members Car: MkV Golf 1.9 TDI Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Electrocute them! In addition to liking moist conditions slugs also like acid substrate and hate sulphur. Slugs can be deterred by a barrier of wood ash or pure coal soot6. Other barriers that slugs and snails dislike crossing include wood ash, diatomaceous earth, sawdust and copper backed paper or sheeting stapled to boards around beds. Care should be taken to prevent earth and sawdust from becoming too wet. Copper reacts with the secreted mucous used to aid locomotion giving the slug or snail a slight electric shock. It is necessary to ensure that vegetation does not cross the borders offering an entry route. Once areas within the barriers are cleared it should be a matter of monitoring the state of the borders to prevent further build up of slugs and snails(25). Read more here: http://www.pan-uk.org/pestnews/homepest/slugs.htm __________________ Johnny "Americans have different ways of saying things. They say "elevator", we say "lift" ... they say "President", we say "stupid psychopathic git."

11-09-2005, 23:15	#16
bassman Briskodian Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: norfolk,england Posts: 71 Members Car: octavia 4x4 hatch dark blue 2002 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Your local SHELL garage might be able to help.

12-09-2005, 08:35	#17
Goochie Briskodian Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Up a tree. Posts: 12,363 Members Car: Thanks: 7 Thanked 27 Times in 25 Posts	I realise how this could be seriously annoying...... but this thread is seriously funny! Perhaps one day you'll find a different variaty of crawling slimey creature under there - then the can SLUG it out between them. Last edited by Goochie; 12-09-2005 at 08:36.

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