What do snails like to eat?
The editor answers questions for netizens about what snails like to eat and the knowledge of snail breeding methods, such as flowers and plants. If there are any mistakes, please correct them!
Snails are the most common terrestrial mollusks and have high edible and medicinal value. So how do you breed snails? What do they like to eat?
What do snails like to eat?
1. Snails love cucumbers the most.
2. Snails enjoy taro, breadfruit, banyan, bloodwood, craspedia, double-flowered craspedia, vegetables, mushroom bulbs, mushrooms, melon fruit leaves, fungi, stone arum, hemp with dense flowers, yellow vines, Taiwan green seedlings, yellow hibiscus, dead branches, decaying leaves, grapes, and grape leaves.
3. They also eat leaves of melon, pak choi, lettuce, melon fruits, sweet potatoes (yams), and eggshells, but they won't eat any plants with a little pesticide or sprayed with herbicides.
Key points for snail breeding
Temperature: 16-40°C, best at 25°C, generally higher rather than lower. Heating must use ground dragon heating, and it should be ready all year round, especially at the end of spring and the beginning of summer, to prevent sudden drops in temperature. If possible, it's best to use central heating and not heating with a stove.
Humidity: The surface humidity of the breeding soil should be maintained at 25%-35%, with relative humidity of the air at 85%-90%, keeping it moist rather than dry. Use plastic sheeting to control humidity and keep it moist.
Prevent dry wind and cold air from blowing directly into the area. Entrances should have double doors, hanging cloths, and windbreaks.
Firmly control any smelly gases from entering the breeding area.
The breeding soil must be controlled to a pH of 6.5-7.5 and avoid using sandy soil contaminated with pesticides or chemicals.
The breeding container must have good water permeability and ventilation.
Avoid strong light when not working, keep it dark, and use a 15W red light bulb for night lighting, which can stimulate egg-laying.
Egg incubation: The success of snail breeding lies in the incubation of eggs. Control the indoor temperature at 20-25°C, air humidity at 90%-95%, and surface humidity of the soil at 25%-30%. Improve the egg collection and hatching methods, using a 60-day rotation method for breeding snails, which can greatly improve the breeding efficiency, with a general hatching rate of over 95%.
Rearing of young snails is crucial for the rapid development of snail quantity and yield. Temperature and humidity control should be particularly noted. The temperature should generally be kept between 25-30°C, the moisture content of the breeding soil should be 30%-35%, and the relative humidity of the air should be around 80%-90%. Feed with fresh, juicy feed and supplement with calcium-rich foods.
For snails aged 1-3 months, increase humidity in the breeding pool, and never pour water directly. Use a spray bottle, preferably with warm water.
Remove sick or dead snails promptly.
Regularly clean feces, and it's best to keep earthworms and snails together for mutual benefit.
Prevent predators from invading, eliminate rodents and ants. Spraying with a 1/1000 solution of dichlorvos can effectively kill the biggest enemies of snails—mites. Regularly use a diluted solution of peroxyacetic acid to disinfect the breeding area and kill pathogenic microorganisms.
The lowest cost and most effective feed formula: rice bran 50%, shell 40%, yeast powder 8%, others 2%.
Breeding and Management
Breeding Methods
Generally divided into two types: outdoor open and indoor closed.
Outdoor open breeding includes trench, shed, courtyard, etc., allowing them to grow and breed in a protected area similar to natural conditions. Indoor closed breeding can use plastic basins, soil basins, wooden boxes, concrete pools, jars, buckets, cans, etc., sealed with gauze, wet cloth, or plastic film to keep warm, moist, and prevent rodent damage. Indoor closed breeding facilitates temperature and humidity control, with abundant feed, which can not only eliminate snail hibernation but also achieve winter breeding and rearing. It's best to use plastic film to enclose the indoors to maintain temperature and humidity.
Preparation of breeding soil
1. Composite vegetable garden soil
Uncontaminated sandy soil 30%, garden soil 30%, yellow sand 20%, coal ash 15%, stone powder 5%, mix and grind, then sun-rotate for 3-5 days to disinfect and kill pests, sieve, then add water to reach about 40% humidity, which is, it clumps together when pinched and crumbles when struck. The soil thickness in the basin should be: 7 cm for growing snails, 10 cm for mature snails, and 3 cm for young snails, changing every 1-2 months.
2. Sponge substitute method
Line the bottom of the pool or box with a 5 cm thick layer of sponge and maintain moisture equivalent to four times its own weight. Clean up leftover food daily and feces every 3 days.
Feeding methods
For young snails under 1 month old, feed with fresh tender leaves, and softened precision feed can be stuck on the leaves with boiling water, fed once a day, with the optimal temperature controlled between 25°C-30°C. The day-night temperature difference should not be too large, and avoid spraying water directly on the young snails when watering. For growing snails, in addition to green feed, more precision feed should be provided, supplemented with trace elements and additives. The daily feeding amount is 7%-10% of the snail's body weight. Feed should be placed in a feeding rack or basin for easy cleaning of leftovers. The stocking density should be adjusted from dense to sparse as the individuals grow, from 400 to 200 per square meter. A breeding box of 60×30×25 cm can hold 100 snails, and after 5-6 months, when the shell height is 4 cm and the weight is over 40g, they can be harvested.
The above is a detailed explanation of what snails like to eat and the methods of snail breeding for reference and suggestions only.