Snails in the hothouse

[Silje]

Hello

I have some elusive, night active buggers that are eating the buds and leaves in the hothouse at the moment.

I think I've looked through all the pots from top to bottom and cleaned my growing area as much as I can, and still I come out in the morning and discover that something has been munching in the night. I suspect it must be snails or slugs, I can't think of anything else that could do the damage.

Does anybody got some tips and advice for how to control them or kill them, other than actually finding them and killing them by hand?

Up to now haven't had much luck on my nighttime hunting sprees and I'm feeling a bit discouraged....

[Ordphien]

Have you set up any bait?
Like a beer trap or a bunch of lettuce?

A local hot house lines all their table legs and edges, the door frame, bottoms of posts etc... with some sort of copper tape.
I'm not sure if it kills them or discourages them.
I'm sure others will be more helpful.

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[Fairorchids]

Copper stops them from coming up from the ground. However, they are likely to hide in the pots, so beer trap is recommended.

[Silje]

Beer traps? That sounds like something that would work for myself as well.

But seriously, how does that work? Do I pour beer into a bowl? Or do I just open a can/bottle and leave it in there as is? How often do I need to exchange it?

I've never tried it before, but I'm certainly going to. They ate the first-time bud of my brassavola, for crying out loud. And with the angraecums coming, I'm desperate to get this under control. I can deal with a couple of munched NOID phal buds and leaves, even though it's unsightly, but when they deprive me of seeing first-time flowers it needs to stop.

[Poohbie]

You need bury a glass jar with beer in the medium and the slugs should come slithering in but I don't think u can put a whole jam jar in your pot. I think u should change the beer when u see dead slugs inside.

[IncurablePlantHead]

I would recommend just getting some of the non-toxic iron based bait that you can at Home Depot or Lowes. You can spread a little around and the snails will find it irresistible. They will stop feeding immediately and find a nice comfortable place "to go to sleep". An the extra iron might even feed your orchids a bit.

[dounoharm]

I used the snail and slug bait found at lowes and home depot for my greenhouse....sprinkled it around everywhere periodically....floors, benches, and pots....whenever I would forget it for a couple months, they would surely get some beautiful buds! very disheartening to raise a plant to flower and have them ripped away at the last minute! get the bait and USE IT! good luck!

[Silje]

I've been looking around at the hardware shops and agri outlets, and haven't found any snail/slug bait stuff at all, but I'll look again. The selection is not the best on the African countryside.

Does beer traps actually have to be in each individual pot?

[Bulbofett]

They don't have to be in each individual pot. Just get a small tray fill with beer and set in the middle of your orchids. The slugs will be attracted by the scent of the beer and drown themselves.

Google brings up a ton of methods and pictures for ideas.

[Fairorchids]

Take an empty plastic bottle. Drill (or carefully melt with soldering iron) 3 holes 3/8" or 1/2" diam in the wall, about 2" up from the bottom.

Pour in 1" of beer and replace cap. Place a couple of these on the bench and wait. Snails smell the beer, climbin, and drown.