OMG - a slug!

[Vivienne]

Was filling my humidity trays and found a slug!!!!!! How in the world did he get in to my atrium?? The plant is kept on a bench 3 feet off the ground with hardly space to get between the plastic pot and the decorative outer pot.

Where's my salt!!???!!!

How much inspection do I need to do with this plant and the rest of my plants?

[BillC]

Vivienne, I take it you are in the atrium every day and I guess you inspect all your plants and their surrounds at that time. I dont believe you are in for a plague of slugs and since you have petrified the one you found I'm sure your routine inspection will suffice....

[Vivienne]

Thanks Bill. My original post asked "How did he get in"... duh, brought home that huge unidentified plant yesterday. But I did repot it last night and sure didn't see anything like a slug. It's really the only way he could have come in without passing through the garage or the entire rest of the house.

My atrium is my dining room/orchid room. Every plant I have is in there and I'm constantly inspecting. Think I'll try the beer in a tray thing today and see if any other slugs show up. I'm also going to repot the comparettia where the slug was found. Was waiting for it to finish blooming but better safe than sorry.

[Vivienne]

Just had a thought... can anyone comment on the possibility of this?

I try my best to collect rain water using 2 large plastic storage containers which I pour off in to gallon milk jugs. The milk jugs are kept open with funnels for added collection. I hope all that made sense. Is it possible for the slug or slug eggs to have been in the milk jugs and I brought it in that way? When I use the filled milk jugs I run the water through a strainer to gather any leaf litter.

[sandra]

That's why you inspect your plants Vivienne. You may not have known exactly what you were looking for then but you know now! Mother nature has a way of throwing curve balls...and slugs but thanks to your attention, no harm done.

P.S. It's better than finding it's shell with nobody home! You're a great sleuth!

[Vivienne]

sandra - correct you are my dear! Thankfully I found a slug rather than a slug eaten plant! I still haven't a clue how he got in to the atrium and in to that pot in particular. Put out Killer Bait last night and it's all still there. I'm stumped, but thankful.

[tom499]

It could have been hiding on the bottom of a pot, they are vey sneaky buggers, they like damp dark spots during the day, and your pot must have looked nice

But the good news you spotted it

EVERYONE should keep both eyes open, especially those who grow orchids outside. I dont know how warm the nights are people, but i wouldnt recommend leaving orchids outside at nght exposed, slugs are very efficent eaters

[fred]

slipery little suckers I hope they are not in the potting mix.

[Vivienne]

tom - that's the confusing part. All my orchids are indoors and any wandering slug would have to wander through the garage or through the house to get to them. This plant has been happily blooming since Valentine's Day in the same pot in the same location. I'm baffled. I'm really thinking that it must have come in with the rain water collection. Today I tackle reworking that setup.