Slugs

[Fairorchids]

In a greenhouse with soil floor, it is impossible to keep slugs out, so it is an ongoing battle to get rid of them.

We have a lot of Cattleyas hanging (on metal conduits, which are suspended from the greenhouse hoops by metal wire). Yet, we see occasional slug damage on new buds and flowers, even up there.

A couple of days ago, I was potting up some seedlings, with the door open for ventilation. Suddenly I noticed a slug hanging in the middle of doorway. Upon closer inspection, I found that it was suspended by a thin, almost invisible, thread of 'silk'.

Photos show the slug, and the faint mark where the 'silk' was attached to the door frame.

This explains how the slugs are getting into the hanging plants!