Maryanne,
It sounds like you have had lots of experience with these little beasts! I will indeed employ as many of the measures detailed above as I can at the same time to minimize the problem. You are certainly spot on with regard to the slug pellets. Slugs are not “attracted” to that stuff. My test slug was put in a bowl with some pellets and I rolled the bowl so the little pile of pellets moved against the slug several times. Not until a larger pellet actually stuck to the slug did it finally die. This does not seem like much of a solution, but I have put piles of pellets in inverted water bottle tops around the growing space just for good measure. I also put some beer in my aluminum cage growing area and have yet to see any slugs in or around it.
The adult slugs (about 1” long) are difficult to find in all the holes and crevices of the orchid mounts, but I found a baby slug that so tiny (and almost transparent) as to be just barely visible! Good luck finding where those are hiding.
What would really work (and I would happily do this regularly) is reliable slug poison in an aqueous solution (that is safe on the really delicate orchids) that I would simply dunk each mount (all of the leafless and minis are mounted, about 35 specimens total) in on a weekly basis. I feel that such a measure alone would provide sufficient control of slugs in my growing space. If caffeine is completely safe on orchids at the recommended concentrations, then I will be ordering some caffeine powder on eBay shortly.
I actually found a roll of copper sheet metal in my storage area, so I have more than enough to give some slugs quite a shock.
I have also been engaging in the night hunting lately and haven’t found many, just a few here or there, but any slugs I can eliminate makes it time well spent. Thanks again for the recommendations Maryanne.
I won’t even have my ghost orchid outside, since I have gone to such lengths to obtain and finally keep a healthy plant. If I had a slug take off its one green growing tip, I would be beyond livid!
Happy New Year,
Michael in miserably hot and muggy Central FL
|
Threaded Mode
