Insect eating root tips of leafless ghost orchid!
So just a week ago I received my 2.5"-3" ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii) from Orchids Limited. Knowing what a problem fauna of all sizes can be for small and delicate plants, I have kept it hanging over the inside edge of a 1 gallon Tupperware container with water in the bottom for humidity. This container is in a 4' x 3' x 3" aluminum cage (with aluminum screen sides) for protection. I bought 4 of these cages years ago just for protecting plants from squirrels and rabbits.
My ghost orchid has two roots which have light green actively growing tips and I noticed a round "divot" in one of the two roots tips last night. This evening I noticed the other tip has been eaten in the same fashion. I am horrified! I just got two other leafless species in the mail today (Microcoelia bulbocalcarata and Taeniophyllum pusillum) and I do not intend to see these three (expensive) orchids slowly eaten away to nothing! Is it a small snail or slug of some kind? What should I do about this?
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