Pest snails on jewel orchids - UK

[Guerrero]

Hello,

I'm having trouble with orchid snails on some of my orchids, particularly the jewel orchids. Any advise on how to deal with them?

I started using a yucca extract in my misting water and theyre mostly not eatign the leaves anymore! but they keep eating the stems and around the roots.

I've also removed and soaked all the orchids in ~20% rubbing alcohol which seeems to have knocked them back but not eraditcated them. The orchids werent entirely happy with it either though. They've now all been reoptted in fresh spag.

Are traps and manual removal my only options? Is there anything available in the UK I can use to help? (lots of things from older threads are banned )

Any help muchly appreciated, thank you!

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[Roberta]

Several people on the Board have had success with coffee for eliminating bush snails. Search for "coffee" and I'm sure you'll find the details.

[Guerrero]

I'll have a look for that thank you very much!

[Orchid Whisperer]

You can skip the coffee, and just make a solution from caffeine, if you can get it in tablet form (it would likely be less expensive).

I recall seeing the caffeine concentration needed for snail control in an article I read online. I think you would need to research that to make either coffee or caffeine solution with the correct caffeine concentration. Sorry, I don't have that article saved, or I would send it to you.

[Guerrero]

I did actually find the paper on it, seems 1-2% is the suggestion! I can't stand coffee smell so have already ordered some powdered caffeine meant for lab use

I think I'll test it on one first to see how the jewels like it but hopefully 🤞

[rbarata]

Two expressos are enough.

[Guerrero]

I tested it on 1 jewel, the worst effected, last nice and a bunch of snails were just immobile on it this morning so that seems like its worked! the jewel looks no worse that is did either

[Fuerte Rav]

Great that it worked!
You may wish to repeat the process at weekly intervals for 3 or 4 weeks just in case any survived in a pocket of air and/or in case there are any eggs in the pots.