Bush Snails

[orchidsinstl]

Hate those things! Ray, have you also had success with cooled brewed coffee? I thought I read something you wrote about coffee killing off those darn buggers a few years ago.

[Ray]

I collected the coffee pot "dregs", added about 10% rubbing alcohol to keep molds down, and did spray it on affected plants, and it seemed to work, but there is a lot of debate about that - researchers used concentrated caffeine and saw no such pesticidal action, but that assumes that caffeine is the active killing ingredient.

[NYCorchidman]

I hate these little snails. They really do considerable damage to the orchid roots.

By the way, this mixture with alcohol won't hurt roots?
I thought alcohol on the roots were no no.

[Brooke]

Ray TMI on the cure of your toenail fungus

Brooke

[Ray]

Sorry, Brooke.

The prescription medications pills can be toxic to the liver, and the recent topical one I've see advertised requires you to use it for 48 weeks (imagine the cost of that), so I thought I might be doing a public service.

[katrina]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

By the way, this mixture with alcohol won't hurt roots?
I thought alcohol on the roots were no no.

Oh, good point, NYC! I forgot about alcohol drying out the roots. Double whammy...I understand cinnamon can dry out the roots too. Or, maybe that's just the regular cinnamon powder?

Ray? I know it's hard to see the roots w/most potted orchids...but are you able to take a peak at the roots to see if you have any damage there? It would be great to have something like cinnamon to kill off the little b*****ds but I'd hate to do something where the cure is worse than the problem.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by katrina

Oh, good point, NYC! I forgot about alcohol drying out the roots. Double whammy...I understand cinnamon can dry out the roots too. Or, maybe that's just the regular cinnamon powder?

Ray? I know it's hard to see the roots w/most potted orchids...but are you able to take a peak at the roots to see if you have any damage there? It would be great to have something like cinnamon to kill off the little b*****ds but I'd hate to do something where the cure is worse than the problem.

It is the powder that's the desiccant.

The plants I sprayed include a couple that were mounted, and I saw no damage. I have used straight isopropanol as a soft-bodied insect spray for years, and have never seen any root damage.

[katrina]

Thanks for the added info, Ray.

[Paul]

Originally Posted by Brooke

Ray TMI on the cure of your toenail fungus

Originally Posted by Ray

The prescription medications pills can be toxic to the liver, and the recent topical one I've see advertised requires you to use it for 48 weeks (imagine the cost of that), so I thought I might be doing a public service.

If you get that squeamish/uncomfortable that easily, Brooke, you may be in for a rather uncomfortable life. Just about any commercial commonly seen on tv is at least that "explicit" if not far more so.

Personally, Ray, I don't see that you had anything to apologize for. There are plenty of folks who may indeed find such info very helpful indeed. I plan on mentioning this use of cinnamon leaf oil to my mum.

Originally Posted by Ray

The plants I sprayed include a couple that were mounted, and I saw no damage. I have used straight isopropanol as a soft-bodied insect spray for years, and have never seen any root damage.

I, too, have used straight isopropanol for the same reason. Like Ray, I have never seen any root damage. Now that said, it may make a difference with regards to the type of orchid involved -- in my case use has been with catts or phals or "regular" houseplants. Also the frequency of use might be a factor. In my case it has been very occasional.

[Brooke]

[QUOTE=Paul;719821]If you get that squeamish/uncomfortable that easily, Brooke, you may be in for a rather uncomfortable life. Just about any commercial commonly seen on tv is at least that "explicit" if not far more so.

Personally, Ray, I don't see that you had anything to apologize for. There are plenty of folks who may indeed find such info very helpful indeed. I plan on mentioning this use of cinnamon leaf oil to my mum.

OMG lighten up. It was meant as a joke.

Brooke