Is it legal to humanely get rid of garden pests such as snails/slugs/grubs by taking them to the woods?
Question:Don't like to kill insects and have an organic garden, don't use pesticides. Seem to have a lot of snails/slugs this year. Would rather set them free elsewhere. Hedgehogs enjoy eating them - would it be ok to set them free in the woods?
Answers:
Moving them to the woods will in no way harm the woods. If a few snails were going to the destroy the forest it is doomed anyway. However, if you move them only a 100 feet or so they are not apt to return to your garden. Fishermen often use worms, crickets, grasshoopers etc. for bait and release that not used. No harm done. The problem I see is if you attempt to move them across international borders or the California state line. California is the only state I know that cares (perhaps with good reason). Hedgehogs? England? Still doubt there is a law preventing hauling of wild and unrully snails.
You are killing the forest when you do this & putting yourself through needless work. There are plenty of critters around so you won't deplete the population by exterminating the ones in your garden.
Got all kinds of respect for the organic garden, but if you try to catch them and release you are wasting more time and engery, and there will be tons you can see and catch. Just poison the little buggers, God will make more.
If there is an abundance in your garden then there is an absence of predators. To get rid of the slugs humanely, try putting a dishes of stale beer in various spots in your garden. The slugs are attracted to the smell of the beer. They crawl in and drown. What you do after that is up to you.
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