An answer to the snail problem. . .

Those of you who have been reading the tale of my new garden and home will know that I have a new enemy here---snails!  I've never had to worry about snails in my garden before.  In Austin, we had slugs, but they never seemed to bother what I planted.  We didn't have them in Leander--probably had something to do with all the jagged hard rocks.

However, here, we have thousands of snails.  I've tried various methods of eradication---hand plucking, smashing with rocks, hammers, everything short of duck-napping from the local lake and inviting them to lunch, etc. but those slimy little buggers still thrive.

Earlier today I was sitting at my office window, gazing out at the shrub with the trunk encrusted with the snails (literally) and a male cardinal flew by.  Within a few minutes, he had a bead on one of those suckers (literally) stuck his beak into the shell and managed to finally knock it from the tree onto the ground, where he finished it off.  YES!  I watched him come back throughout the day, and saw him do that five times.

Not long afterwards, a female cardinal came by and took a taste.  I wonder, did he go and tell her where she could find dinner? :-)

I love it---natural pest eradication at its finest!

bobbi c.