tiny snail chewing my Oncidium PBs - Orchid Board

stefpix · #1 02-04-2010, 02:25 AM

My Onc Twinkle had some holes on the pseudobulbs.
tonight I finally caught [and squished] a tiny 2 mm diameter snail that was chewing on it.

what is the remedy?
I had just repotted it after blooming in coco chips and has some new growth.

many old PB have now some small scars.

I have a pyrethrin based spray and a spray bottle with a mix of alcohol, water and a few drops of dish soap.

what are those small 2/ 3 mm snails?
how can I make sure i eliminate them all? do they reproduce a lot?
thanks

trdyl · #2 02-04-2010, 04:17 AM

Where ther is one seen there are usually more hiding. They can reproduce quite fast. Pyrethrins do not work on snails and slugs. I hear beer traps work. I have not tried them tho. I usually go with a commercially prepared bait. Here's a link with some great info thanks to Ray. The snail info is about half way down.

First Rays' Home Remedies

RosieC · #3 02-04-2010, 05:12 AM

I tried the coffee remedy which is on Rays's site that Ted gave the link to above. Didn't see any more after that.

jkhom · #4 02-04-2010, 07:50 AM

I tried the different sprays but still had them appear every once in a while. Then I found a method to get rid of the snails by accident.
When watering my plants I soak the entire pot in a tub of water with the water level to the top of the media. I noticed that if you soak the pots for a while, the snails crawl out trying not to drown, then I just pick them out of the water.

Alexis in Redland · #5 02-04-2010, 09:09 AM

Sounds like you have bush snails, which are a major PITA and are almost impossible to fully eradicate once they establish themselves. The drowning technique doesn't always work, because they become entrenched and trapped in the medium and won't float to the top. Bush snails don't respond to baits, the way other snails do. The only thing I've found that works is a chemical called Mesurol. It's nasty stuff, but it works.

Alexis in Redland · #6 02-04-2010, 09:54 AM

I should probably clarify something. If you have a small collection, you are probably better off manually picking off the snails as you see them. Check each plant very thoroughly at repotting time, especially in the root zone. Mesurol is only for bad infestations, as it is a Restricted-Use chemical. These snails do reproduce rapidly, so it's important to be vigilant in searching for and killing them. I've experienced infestations in both my orchidarium and my shadehouse, and they are difficult to control.

cb977 · #7 02-04-2010, 10:30 AM

I haven't used it myself but I've heard that a product called DEADLINE which is available at Carter & Holmes works for snail and slug problems

Alexis in Redland · #8 02-04-2010, 10:37 AM

Deadline is the best product available for regular snails/slugs. Unfortunately, it's a bait, and bush snails aren't attracted to it. (Tried it, didn't do diddlysquat.)

cb977 · #9 02-04-2010, 10:51 AM

Thanks for the info, Alexis

I'll make the adjustment in my notes

stefpix · #10 02-04-2010, 11:25 AM

thanks for teh info -
I am in a hurry now.
those snails are small and the shell seems quite flat.

I found online some paper that looks scientific that stated that caffeine is poisonous to snails.

I made some coffee and diluted 1:1 or so with water and soaked the pot in the solution.
I hope it works.
the orchids are in my bedroom. that oncidium seeems the only one affected but wonder if I should drench most of the orchids nearby in coffee.

can snails kill the plant? do they eat roots as well?
scars are only on the pseudobulbs not on the leaves