HELP!! Snails....
 

:(( The snails are really ticking me off! They have found my little pots of dend keikis and are having a great time on these tender leaves. :_( I have used 2 different kinds of snail bait and have sprayed the leaves with Orthene. And every morning there are more eaten leaves! I went out with a flashlight last night and found 2 snails, but I am afraid there are more out there. I am soaking 3 pots in water (submerged for 1 hour already) but nothing is crawling out. :scratchhead: I'd love to hear suggestions for controlling these monsters. HELP!

Repot and hang them

There is a product that is called "Sluggo" and a little glob on top of the media will draw them to it and cause them to die. Usually can be found a nurseries.

:( I am using Sluggo and Ortho snail bait together. And Orthene!

Sluggo
 

Sluggo from my understanding causes the snails to starve because they can't eat. Give it a few days they will disappear. Also repot and keep an out for slug and/or snail eggs.:goodluck:

:shock: I know what you mean. That is why I use Sluggo. I always thought it was a great product. However, I put a lot of it out over the last few days and the snails are still eating my leaves. I submerged the pots for about 2 hours and nothing floated up. I have separated the pots that were attacked and will check them every couple hours. Hopefully the disgusting creature will come out of hiding tonight and I will get him! I am going out to the orchid house now with a flashlight (and a box of salt) to look again. :evil:

Put a slice of apple,lettice,or potato on top of the pot and check it by turning it over and looking with a flashlight at night- Some of the snails (Little bush snails) are so small people dont know they have them you will find them this way - also you can squash the little buggers. I hate the things. Sluggo is a good product and I add my recomendation. You might also want to put out a roach trap - they are faster than snails and also find orchids delicious. Our Palmetto bugs oh yea - I see you live in Florida too.

don't put salt on the orchids. it will kill them too.

Any bait you choose will take a while to work. First the target species (in this case snails) needs to consume the bait. Then they need to drag back to the hidy-hole and then die. Sometimes in the meanwhile they consume more veg. Just a part of the scenario, I am afraid.

;) Well, thanks all for the advice. I only found one small snail last night and hopefully I got them all. There is plenty of Sluggo and Ortho slug bait out there. So hopefully they are all dead or almost dead. I submerged the pots of dends that were getting eaten and nothing ever came out (or else they drowned). I am keeping those plants inside for a while so I can watch them closely (they are just babies :_( ). We are getting rain every day now and the snails are able to get around easier.

Dorothy, I am far too lazy to repot these plants. :lol: I must find another way!

Orchids3, I am going to try the tip you gave me tonight to see if I attract any more. ;) Great suggestion! I never thought of that before. I haven't ever seen palmetto bugs in the orchid house but the fruit might attract them too (good way to find out if they are out there).

Cullenperry, I wasn't going to put the salt on the orchids :lol: , I put it in a paper cup and throw the snails in the cup of salt (I can't stand the thought of sqwishing them! :shock: Yeech!)

By the way, everyone thinks I am crazy now because of my midnight recon missions looking for snails on my orchids. This is one of those things that spouses and teenage kids don't understand. :scratchhead: Sigh, but my chids do!

Beer. Put some in a shot glass or shallow dish and then into the pot or on the bench.

Ok, but before I waste beer on snails what is going to happen? Is it poisonous to snails? Or do they get drunk, fall in, and drown? Also do you think they like Amber Bock, that's all I have? Thanks.

It's an old gardener's trick. I've never had to try it. I think they are attracted to it, then fall in and can't get out. There may be something else to it, like instead of drying out like salt, the osmotic gradient is opposite, so they get waterlogged. Not sure. It shouldn't take much, give it a try and let us know.

Diatomaceous Earth! - http://www.orchidboard.com/community...177-slugs.html

I did the same when we lived on the river went on a nightly slug / snail hunt . Sluggo will kill the large ones but not the tiny bush snails . I finally used rock salt around the bench legs out side and the foundation of the green house ,, Gin

Slug-- ate my flowers. creeping on the leaves. I never hope this slugs feed on flowers.