Installing a snail fence: what you need to bear in mind

A snail fence is an effective protection against unwanted guests in your beds. If the fence is installed correctly, it cannot be overcome by slugs, so that your plants are protected from the pesky pests without the use of chemicals. 

How a slug fence is installed and what you need to pay attention to is explained below.

How does a snail fence work?

A snail fence is installed as a border around the bed. The upper part of the snail fence is bent outwards to form an angle of about 45 degrees. Together with a top edge that is also bent outwards, this ensures that snails cannot get over the fence and can thus be reliably kept away from beds.

How is a snail fence installed?

When installing a snail fence, it is first of all important to ensure a secure footing. The fence should therefore sit about 10 centimetres deep in the ground. Use a spade or rake to dig a narrow channel around the bed. 

Since a snail fence usually has a total height of 25 centimetres, about 15 centimetres will protrude from the ground after installation. This is important to ensure sufficient height to effectively repel slugs. 

Connect the side sections of the snail fence to the corner elements and place the snail guard in the previously dug channel. Now fill the channel with soil and press it down firmly so that the newly installed snail fence stands securely.  

If the length of a single side element is not sufficient to surround the entire bed, you can also slide two side elements into each other when installing the snail fence and thus adapt the protective fence to the size of the respective bed.

What needs to be considered when installing a snail fence?

In order for the snail fence to protect your plants from snails, it is important that it is installed without gaps. In addition, you should make sure that the mentioned height of 15 centimetres is guaranteed. However, as slug fences usually have a total height of 25 centimetres, this is usually not a problem in practice anyway.  

Also make sure that the snail fence is completely free after installation and that no plants are overhanging or in direct contact with the fence. Otherwise snails may use it as a climbing aid and be able to enter the bed despite the snail fence.

When is the right time to install a snail fence?

The time for installing your snail fence is basically up to you. For example, you can install the fence in autumn or wait until spring. In order for it to do its job, however, you should install it at the latest when you start planting your beds.  

To best protect your beds from slugs, we recommend digging up the soil in late autumn and early spring. In this way you will expose any slug eggs present in the soil, which will be eliminated by the sun, frost and predators. This will help you to reduce the number of slugs in your garden in advance and save work on pest control.