UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

Terrestrial gastropods are important pests of field, vegetable, and ornamental crops. The present study evaluated sampling methods, land-snail preferences for different bait types and weights, and trapping methods using cardboard, wood, molasses + bran, liquid soap, and beer traps. It also examined the relationships between temperature, snail abundance, and damage to different host plants. Among the sampling methods, the highest infestation level of the clover snail, Monacha obstructa, was detected, and more snails were recorded during soil inspection than during plant inspection. Infestation levels of Eobania vermiculata did not differ markedly between soil and ornamental-plant inspections. The effects of non-poisonous bait type and weight on the attraction of M. obstructa were investigated at varying bait distances under laboratory conditions. The number of attracted snails decreased as distance increased. At 5 cm, black honey attracted 33.33% of snails within a mean of 28 min, vanilla attracted 26.66% within 10.66 min, and yeast attracted the lowest proportion, 3.33%, within 2.00 min. The bait-weight trial showed varying effectiveness among bait types. Black honey was the most effective non-poisonous attractant, followed by vanilla, whereas yeast was the least effective. Molasses + bran, cardboard, and wood traps were the most effective tools for monitoring and capturing snails, respectively. Field snail populations tended to increase as temperatures rose in early spring. M. obstructa caused 12.45% and 24.025% damage to lettuce and cabbage leaves, respectively. Overall, the study assessed bait attractiveness under laboratory conditions, trap performance and snail reduction, and the relationships among temperature, snail population density, and host-plant damage under field conditions.