If you have a lot of snails in your yard, you may go for larger wooden boards to catch more snails.
Make sure the board is evenly lifted off the ground with the runners. You may need to use one runner on each end or under all four sides of the board. You can use 1-inch pieces of wood or stable objects that are at least 1-inch in height as runners, such as flat garden pots or pieces of plastic.
You may create several traps and place them throughout your yard so you have a higher chance of catching as many snails as you can.
Alternatively, you can use a 1 liter plastic bottle to make the trap. Use scissors to cut off the top third section of the bottle, which contains the narrow opening. Invert the top section and insert it into the bottom section so the narrow opening is upside down, facing into the bottom section. You can then tape the two pieces together or piece holes in both pieces and secure them with wire. The shape of the plastic bottle trap will ensure the snails cannot crawl out or escape once they fall into the trap.
If you do not have access to beer or do not want to waste good beer, you can create a yeast solution to put into the trap. Combine two cups of warm water with two tablespoons flour, one teaspoon sugar, and ½ teaspoon of yeast. Mix the solution well and add it to the trap until it is half full.
Beer traps are most effective at attracting snails within an area of only a few feet so you should choose a spot in your yard that is full of snails or a spot where you have seen snails hanging around before. You may cover the trap partly with a stone or a small tarp that is raised just enough for the snail to crawl beneath and fall into the trap. This will prevent the trap from filling with water when it rains, as diluted beer or yeast is not as effective at catching snails.
The liquid in the trap may also evaporate after a few days outside so you should try to top up the trap with fresh beer or yeast solution once a day.
Keep in mind if you use a beer trap, the snails will likely all be dead in the trap due to drowning. You may not want to use this trap if you would like to catch snails live.
The snail may retract into its shell when you pick it up but if you place it in an enclosure that contains substrate and moss, it will often come out of its shell on its own.
If you are using a trap made with yeast, you should fish out the snails and crush them. You should then replace the beer or yeast solution in the trap and set them up again so you can catch more snails.
