"It had been a few weeks since I saw the snails devour the plants that I decided to save my beautiful vegetables without killing them," Bertrand Hance told Bored Panda. "I removed the snails from the plants and placed them far from my kitchen garden, without success."

Bertrand said he then tried other popular deterrence methods, such as spreading eggshells, coffee grounds, and showing middle fingers. But nothing worked.

"The idea for the signs came to me spontaneously, like most stupid ideas that I can have," the gardener said. "I really like absurdity and nonsensical humor."

"It was supposed to be a joke to make my girlfriend and Facebook friends laugh; I never imagined that this eccentric idea would be met with international acclaim. But I'm not complaining about this situation at all."

Not everyone appreciated Bertrand's signs. "Some people felt offended by a few phrases even though they do not necessarily reflect my thoughts, most notably people following a vegan diet."

"I want to remind them that the author of the signs is stupid enough to write to snails ... It is important here to distinguish between the author of the signs (who is a fictional character) and the author of the Facebook post."

"Bashing veganism and vegans is a behavior that I disapprove of," Bertrand added.

He wasn't the only one who took up gardening during the pandemic. People around the world turned to it as a soothing, family-friendly hobby that can also ease concerns over food security as lockdowns slowed the harvesting and distribution of some crops.

U.S. seed company W. Atlee Burpee & Co sold more seed than any time in its 144-year history in March 2020, as the contagious virus took over the world. At the same time, demand for seeds in Russia rose by 20%-30%, and Canada-based Stokes Seeds, which ships to the United States and Canada, received 1,000 online orders during the weekend of March 21, four times more than normal, President Wayne Gayle said. Did you also start a garden during the pandemic? Tell us how it went in the comments!