How serious is finding tiny snails in your plants?

[Stone]

They like to come out when it's very humid or after heavy watering. They love to eat root tips. I used to be able to get ''snaileen'' liquid but that was banned. Last time I had a problem with these I crushed half a handful of pellets (metaldehyde) in a mortar and pestle. (don't use in your kitchen again!) into as fine a dust as possible. You can use it as the powder sprinkled where you need it but I went a step further because I was at war with the little *******s, so I added water to the powder and mixed it into a ''mud'', then washed it through a rag into my sprayer and sprayed everything with that. After watering is best. I didn't see one of those snails again for a year at least.

 

[Ray]

Just a side note. I don't believe that just anyone can purchase mesurol.

That is my understanding as well, although back when I stocked a lot of pesticides, I was able to purchase Deadline MPs without a license. Maybe the vendor viewed a “company” purchase to be OK.

FWIW, I saw “Force II Deadline” available on Amazon.

 

[silence882]

Found about a dozen baby snails.

Metaldehyde pellets have been deployed.

Now.

We wait.

 

[abax]

Good luck! If that doesn't do the trick, I do have
a license and can get Measurol for you.

 

[silence882]

Good luck! If that doesn't do the trick, I do have
a license and can get Measurol for you.

Thanks very much! I'll keep this thread updated with the results.

I'm really hoping the metaldehyde works as Mesurol seems significantly more toxic based on what I've read.

 

[abax]

Indeed it is very toxic...smells horrible too.

 

[DrLeslieEe]

I have seen bush snails devastate my mounted miniatures in my cool tank. A friend of mine suggested these Sluggo pellets of iron met. at a rate of 2-3 pellets placed into the mounts near roots. It has given him positive results in destroying these snails. I am trying that now as I received the Sluggo from Amazon last week.

Also these bush snail will eat the new roots of cattleyas. It's best to control them. They are not harmless. I will drop about 5 pellets into each Cattleya pots too.

 

[silence882]

Long overdue update: snails are gone

I repotted everything and dropped several metaldehyde pellets on top of each pot. I waited a few weeks and reapplied the metaldehyde. Then, due to my abundance of paranoia, again a few weeks later.

They is dead.

 

[SouthPark]

I haven't tried it before, and can't even order it - as I'm in Australia. But in USA ----- I do spot something called kaffn8. Would be interesting if a suitable dosage of that in water could help out - without doing anything nasty to the orchid that is.

UPDATE: I just checked the ingredients of kaffn8 online ----- it contains some citric acid. So probably better skip that idea.

 

[SouthPark]

Forgot to mention. I agree ------ snails in the pot and snails in the growing area - potentially serious and deadly for orchids.

 

[abax]

I remember using a product called Metaldehyde. If I recall correctly, I had to show a
pesticide license # to purchase it

 

[chris20]

Death to snails! I had them in my smallish collection and they ate every root tip they could find. I resorted to looking for them at night with a flashlight every night and I eventually got them all.
i repotted everything as well just to make sure.

 

[abax]

I have seen Metadehyde marketed as Measurol at OFE international in FL.

 

[cnycharles]

Citric acid is fine. It’s a common ‘soft’ ph lowerer for horticulture. ‘Hard’ would be nitric acid for example. We’ve had discussion here in the past using caffeine to kill snails very effectively

 

[silence882]

I remember using a product called Metaldehyde. If I recall correctly, I had to show a
pesticide license # to purchase it

I may have had someone send me a small amount on the d/l....

 

[abax]

If that was quite a long time ago as a member of OSF, I believe that was me. ;>) Metaldehyde does the
trick with two or three drenchings. Glad to run across you again.

 

[Ray]

Not this time, Angela.

I used to carry “Deadline MP’s” as part of my regular product line. I had a few tubs left over, so sent him one.

 

[Justin]

I have seen them a few times in my collection over the years, but never turned into any kind of infestation.

 

[silence882]

Got my supply recently. As Ray said, he kindly sent me a tub of pellets .

Chemicals are the best.

 

[abax]

I sent some to someone a long time ago and it wasn't pellets. Oops!