Snails and slugs

Hi,
Ok this is my first year with a greenhouse. First I had mites and then white flys and then scale got all that under control and now I have snails and slugs. Anyone have these problems besides me? Oh I forgot to mention gnats. This is all since Sept. 05. Do you have any suggestion for killing the slugs and snail or just keeping them out. They most likely came in on plants. They are eating my brugs. Guess I could get a duck lol.
Thanks Linda

I have had lots of problems with gnats. The dampness seems to bring them. I use a spray called "flying insects" by black flag, I think. Its in a blue spray can, all the stores carry it. I spray it just above the plants, I try and do the whole greenhouse and close up the door for awhile, the vapor kills the adults. If the spray does get on the plants it does them no damage. I did try another kind and it damaged the plants, this one does not, even directly sprayed on them. I have been spritzing the top of the soil on the potted plants with Hydrogen Perozide, 2 Tablespoons per 16 oz water every day, supposed to kill the eggs. So far it seems to be doing the trick. For the slugs and snails, they have been just awful this year, I just put the bait under the tables and a little on the plants. They sure will eat holes in the poor brugs.

I am careful bringing pots in from outside as all the little tiny slugs hide in them. But somehow I always seem to get a couple in.

For the other bugs I use orthene systematic spray, it works well. I buy it concentrate and have a bottle mixed up on hand, whenever I seen any other bug, I spray with that.

I tried for the first year to be "organic", but soon just got tired of the bugs. A greenhouse is not a natural environment so I do not feel badly using chemicals.

I do not heat my greenhouse and in winter the damp cold is a problem. I have found watering with the hydrogen peroxide/ water it keeps the roots from rotting. When I think of it I do use a kelp foliar spray I got from Gardens Alive. I do not use fertilizer in there in the winter except when I pot up cuttings, then I use a liquid, half strengh just on the new cuttings.

Hope this was helpful, I am pretty bug free at this time from the above measures, hope to stay that way. I have not gotten scale yet, hopefully will not get it.
Rebecca

I have had most of the pests you mentioned. I'll rarely use pyrethrin, but generally neem oil or soap sprays. I had some significant phytotoxicity with regular dish soap, but since I changed to baby shampoo, I have had no trouble. Neem oil is my main line of defense.

I may become a believer in companion planting. Despite the soap, neem, pyrethrin sprays, I had trouble getting control of whiteflies on the tomatoes and peppers. Then I planted garlic chives among the toms, and since then I've had little trouble at all. Here is a link with a chart. Slugs and snails are not supposed to like aromatic plants. You might try interplanting some herbs.

http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/complant.html

I don't have slugs or snails in the GH, but regularly have problems in the garden, on the hostas. Get rid of any vegetation they can hide under. Remedies include spreading diatomaceous earth, beer traps, and so forth. If you got control of whiteflies, you should be able to control slugs and snails. SB

Thanks so much for the help. I was a little worried about spraying regular bug sprays in the greenhouse. I have been using a commerical soap type spray bayer I think and neem oil. But the slugs and snails are making me crazy. I look at every plants(and thats alot) and then the next day I find a big slug. I am going to try beer. Do I just put beer in a bowl and set it under the plants?
Thanks again
Linda

Linda, this is a BIG problem I'm having every year in my garden during summer ! Slugs and snails make me crazy too ! I've tried egg covers, but it didn't work ! Never tried with traps, but as I've heard,they might be of help. Last summer I did like you are doing now, looking for every slug and snail and destroy it ! They seemed to 'like' very much my petunias and nicotinia as well, but this year I've found lots of them on the rudbeckia and on the mexican bluebells. Please, let me know if it works with the traps.
As for the flies,I have somewhite flies too on my balcony during winter, it's because of the humidity. My balcony has windows and it's like a greenhouse . I have some powder, Mospilan and I combine it with water, according to the instructions and spray over the plants. It's very good for all the bugs.
Adina

Linda, I use the hanging,sticky fly papers and it seems to work fine for any flying insects.......

Rebecca , when you water with peroxide water, what strength do you use? Do you use it each time you water the plants?
Jackie

For a beer trap, partially bury a saucer or pan in the ground, fill with beer.

You can make a more specialized trap if you cut off the top of a 2 liter soda bottle, turn the top around and tape it back down to the base upside down. Then put some beer in and partially bury it.

Many variations exist, just google "beer trap slug."

Sticky (yellow, orange) fly traps are adequate for monitoring whitefly populations but are generally not adequate to treat infestations.

SB

I use the hydrogen peroxide whenever I water lately, the theory is that since in has the added oxygen the roots will not rot. I use 2 tablepoons per 16 ounces of water. Most things are not needing water much because it has rained so much and the humidity in the greenhouse is so high. The soil is staying too damp. I just use a small sprayer and spritz the top of the soil. They do say it will kill the fungus gnat eggs, I am not sure but it I did have a lot and now have none. The spray I use is Raid flying insect in the blue can. It will not harm the plants but I try and spray quickly holding my breath and then close up the greenhouse for about an hour, then go in and turn on all the fans to let the fumes out. It smells good but I am sure its not good to breathe. It will kill all the adults. I spray whenever I see adults, knowing they are just full of eggs....