Organic food or not?

[AlienSnail]

I have always, absolutely always given organically produced fruit and vegetables to my snails, through the fear that the pesticides designed to kill pests may harm them.
The thing is though, in the winter months some of their favourite foods are not available.

I figured yesterday that I'd given them quite a limited diet over the past few weeks becuase of the limited choice available in the supermarket, and it may be better to go with none organic food and risk the pesticide rather than let them go without nutrition.

But as I've just served them a nice tasty none-organic sweet potato I'm now paranoid about whether or not I'm poisoning them.

Really I think I've been over-reacting to the pesticide threat all these years.

I was wondering what type of food other snail-keepers give to their snails> Organic? Not organic? A mixture of the two?

Thanks

[crossless]

I feed them them normal vegetables, I'm too lazy to peel them so I wash them really really long. Like I rub them till all of wax is off and you hand can't slip anymore. You can allways peel them.

I think if you wanna organic food it's easier to find from organic food store. There's some baby foods that could make nice richness to snails diet in winters. If you don't use all baby food at once you can cover icecube mould with plastic wrap and pour baby food there and make some nice cubes and melt them before use.

Some shops here don't have much organic food section just those which humans buy most. Quite sad really. I buy for my snails usually "week worth of food" some vegetables are so "big" that 8 to 9 snails don't eat much or all of them in week so I have to start shove in food plate every day something from freezer to make them more variation. Maybe I have to go and check all 3food stores here and everything that they like and give everything mixed or separately. Sometimes it's really poor variations food here so I think next time I walk in petshop I have to buy some vegetable reptile pellets so I can use them with vgetables that I can get. My snails new food hit is Chinese cabbage.

I think poisons are not so much used when some food has grow/harvest season and it grows faster and not so much harvest is lost 'cos it keeps coming because good conditions. Yes it might dependent of farmer too "does he wan't lovely plants to get any creepy things in them." One snail keeper had worst summer. She had planted some sallad for snails outside she didn't know that neighbours poisons moved underground to her soil and most or all snails died. Now she had to start everything all over and she won't feed sallads and stuff for snails anymore.

I buy only one brands salad and herd otherones I don't trust some don't tell do they use poisons or not this my trusted one don't use.

[koppite]

NOT over-reacting at all, in my opnion, pesticide problems are a major threat and very real.....just remember that organic products only need to have 70% organic ingrediants for them to be labelled 'orgainc' to remaining 30%, well your guess is as good as mine

next time it is a clear sky/sunny, take a look, how any white streaks do you see that remain there......no its not planes, ther trails disapear quite quickly.......the other are 'chemtrails' or to you and me 'pesticide' and other spraying taking place.....sorry i'm off on a bloody tangent again

i would use the best stuff could get and wash in NON flouridised water

[crossless]

Sometimes I don't understand people who buy some specific organic products, 'cos I think it's not so organic any more even without chemicals if it's shipped from nother side of world to here or don't grow just like in one place of world.

I bought last year my own peanut plant, but dad killed he didn't water it when I went to visit home. Hmmh.. Next summer I will buy new one and grow much as I can myself for snails. So they are safer to feed.

[AlienSnail]

Thanks

I am into organically produced products anyway, I don't like eating none-organic myself, but I do end up having a mix. But snails are quite sensitive to chemicals.

Having said that I'm sure there are plenty of people who never buy organic produce for their snails but the snails are thriving. So perhaps the occasional none-organic sweet potato will be fine.

I hope so!!!! Yes I should have bought baby food. I had forgotten about that option! Thanks

Crossless that's very sad about the snail-keeper who had grown her own salad for the snails, but the salad was contaminated by the neighbour's pesticide use. Shame also about your peanut plant. Good luck this year

Koppite I agree with the water comment. I buy bottled water for mixing in the coir for the snails, and for their water bowls. I use Highland Spring because I did remember reading that it's suitable for changing fish tank water with so I figured it would be ok. I know not everything I read is accurate, but I have to go on something!

[crossless]

Hmmh, have to try really focus making snails diet more different. Maybe it would be good have at home some vegetables that are available all the time and change between them then add little extra of different seasonal vegetables. I have planned that but have some day or today write down what they like and what is available all the time, then try to think how often would be possible ad something in there. Now I bought some baby foods put snails don't eat them quickly so I think I have to eat most of them.

[feebix]

A nice big variety of veg but not organic. I can`t say I`ve had lots of sickly snails either, my oldest snail Poo has been with me for about six years, that`s a lot of non organic food ! It`s left him strong enough to get through this cold weather.... ;D

[crossless]

Today I could try to give my snails some yellow plums they are from Africa, they didn't have much wax on then when I brushed them with warm water. I think they will go nuts for these plums lovely and sweet inside little bit sour peel on top. Then I'm giving some sprouts too, they are organic and I put in sprouts only water that have been on table like one day so all bad things will disappear from water. Oh sounds so good and healthy i'm so jealous to my snails of these colorful foods.

[fluffy]

I know I'm a little late, but I haven't been in here for a while.

My snails get organic food almost exclusively.
And my family profits from that,too.

I go to the organic farmer about once a week now, buy food for my family and get most of my snail food free from the "rabbit box".