Any Semi-humane Way To Mass Euthanize Ramshorn Snails?

My infestation is getting out of control again and my assassin snails aren't up to the task, so I had to thin the herd again. In past times I've had good luck posting them on craigslist and finding someone to come get them either for feeding to fish or just because they like them. This time however I'm not getting any responses

I'm leaving town on friday, and they're currently hanging out in a bucket of water. Not sure what to do with them. I feel pretty confident that snails don't really have awareness like we do and probably don't have feelings, but I'm still not entirely sure of the best way to dispatch them. I've probably got 150 - 200 of them so crushing will take forever (also, ewwww). Any other ideas?

 

I say freeze 'em. That or get yourself a pet puffer, something I've been considering myself

 

Yeah I've had the pea puffer idea too! I might do that but at the moment I have way too many even for that. I really hope at some point I reach an equalibrium between assasin snails and ramshorn snails but it's not happening so far.

Freezing them might be my best bet. I was thinking boiling water might work too, I mean it doesn't sound terribly humane but as big as they are they would be thoroughly cooked in seconds...

 

I would probably just flush them

 

I would probably just flush them

Not a good idea. They can clog up the pipes.

 

Not a good idea. They can clog up the pipes.

They'll also reproduce to the point where they'll sneak up on you while your reading a magazine and invade your...uh...never mind.

 

I'm pretty sure chickens like to eat snails, if you have a neighbor who has chicken you could ask if they wanted your snails.

 

I agree with freezing. Boiling sounds easier, but I don't know how humane it is

 

Crush them with your foot on something like a sidewalk.

 

I'm pretty sure chickens like to eat snails, if you have a neighbor who has chicken you could ask if they wanted your snails.

There are some I hear clucking when I walk the dog. I could just dump the bucket over their fence when no one is looking...

 

There are some I hear clucking when I walk the dog. I could just dump the bucket over their fence when no one is looking...

I wouldn’t want to be responsible for making the chickens sick. Or for accidentally introducing an invasive population.

 

Maybe you should ask the person who owns the chickens.

 

Put them into a bag, and rev up your hot rod and run them over. Just kidding!

I have always liked smashing them really fast, it’s painless if done properly.

 

Maybe you could just leave them out over night and wait for the rats and raccoons to take them. I bet raccoons would love aquatic snails because it is part of their natural diet.

 

Probably not humane, but salt will do the job.

 

I guess if you are going for the extreme salt would do, when I was a kid I used to salt snails in my backyard. I'm pretty sure the reason I came up with to justify what I was doing was that the snails were eating my beans.

 

My dad did that epwhen he was young!
He lived in Alabama and he went with my aunts and uncles throwing salt at any snails in my grandmother’s garden.

 

as far as I know the most humane things are to crush, freeze, or put them in high percentage rubbing alcohol after refrigerating them for 24 hours. from what i've noticed they have the same level of personality and awareness as maybe a lizard does. so don't feel too bad.

 

I believe they would survive freezing. I'd go with the salt.

 

I just used to chuck them in the garden when I had handfulls of them to cull, figured it would happen in nature when water sources dry up, but not the most 'humane' way, I know.
You could also try a bucket with some blue planet snail rid (or in the tank if you want to get rid of all of them).