Dry chamber slug and snail barrier
OwnerRobert P. Chiltoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This disclosure relates to systems and methods for providing a barrier that deters or prevents terrestrial molluscs, such as slugs and snails, from entering a garden or other vegetation area. A barrier may include an inverted channel, a portion of which forms a dry chamber configured to retain salt, rock salt, a salt-based mollusc deterrent, or other mollusc deterrents, poisons, and/or baits. Mesh may be used to retain the deterrent within the dry chamber. In various embodiments, a bead or other feature may help prevent liquids, such as water, from wicking into the dry chamber.
Claims20
An elongated terrestrial mollusc barrier for deterring terrestrial molluscs from entering a protected region, comprising:
- an elongated wall portion configured to extend along an length of a perimeter of a region to be protected;
- an attachment member configured to attach the elongated wall portion to a landscape barrier;
- an inverted channel defined by at least a portion of the wall portion and a downward depending barrier portion, wherein the inverted channel is configured to receive a mollusc deterrent;
- and
- a retainer extending along at least a portion of the inverted channel,
- wherein the retainer is configured to retain the mollusc deterrent within a dry chamber portion of the inverted channel, and
- wherein the retainer is configured to expose at least some of the mollusc deterrent along an opening of the inverted channel, such that the mollusc deterrent would contact a terrestrial mollusc attempting to surmount the elongated barrier.
A terrestrial mollusc barrier deterrent comprising:
- an elongated barrier adapted to extend along a perimeter of an area designated for protection from terrestrial molluscs;
- an attachment member configured to attach said elongated barrier to a pre-installed landscape barrier,
- said elongated barrier comprising an outwardly extending and downwardly depending portion creating an inverted dry chamber located opposite said attachment member with respect to said designated area, and
- said inverted dry chamber configured to receive a mollusc deterrent for deterring terrestrial molluscs from traversing said inverted dry chamber;
- and
- a mesh extending along a portion of said inverted dry chamber configured to retain said mollusc deterrent suspended above a surface of said designated area and within said inverted dry chamber;
- said plastic mesh having apertures sized to retain said mollusc deterrent within the dry chamber while also exposing the mollusc deterrent through the plastic mesh.
An elongated barrier for deterring terrestrial molluscs from entering a protected region, comprising:
- an elongated wall portion configured to extend along an length of a perimeter of a region to be protected, wherein the wall portion is configured to extend upward from a surface of the protected region;
- at least one ground-insertion feature adapted for insertion into the surface and configured to secure the wall portion in an upright state relative to the surface of the protected region;
- an inverted channel defined by at least a portion of the wall portion and a downward depending barrier portion, wherein the inverted channel is configured to receive a mollusc deterrent;
- and
- a retainer extending along at least a portion of the inverted channel,
- wherein the retainer is configured to retain the mollusc deterrent within a dry chamber portion of the inverted channel, and
- wherein the retainer is configured to expose at least some of the mollusc deterrent along an opening of the inverted channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.