Should this plant go into quarantine?

[Wayne Jenski]

Help! Should this plant go into quarantine?

I need help identifying a potential pest. I was examining my D. regia pot when I noticed a very small plant missing. Thinking I was going crazy, I examined the pot closer, removed the top dressing of sphagnum, and found these strange egg-like things. Can anyone ID these? I am unfamiliar with most pests as I grow in a terrarium.

I removed them from the pot and put them in a zip-lock to see if they hatch.






Do I need to worry about my other plants? Should this plant go into quarantine? Should I begin some kind of pest killing regimen? I need some help guys . . .

[Wayne Jenski]

SLUGS! I did some images searches of these eggs and I believe they are of slugs. Any advice on killing these little menaces before they make a salad bar of my collection?

Should I remove ALL the top dressing of sphagnum moss to minimize their hiding places? This would be a bummer, but if its necessary . . .

[Aidan]

Eggs are usually laid in clusters and so there will probably be more -

www.insektenfang.com/ipforum/index.php?showtopic=1659

[Wayne Jenski]

Thanks for the link . . .

I've thoroughly searched the rest of the plant- including turning it upside down and carefully sliding the pot off to check out the medium. Close examination revealed no further infestation. I have however found a total of 7 eggs laid separately just as shown in the photo above.

I searched the rest of my plants and found nothing. As a precaution, I am afraid I should remove the top dressing of sphagnum . . . I would rather not though.

[ICPS-bob]

I live in a moist coastal area where many species of slugs are everywhere and can quickly decimate a plant collection. Some banana slugs reach 25 cm. A few snail & slug pellets placed in a dry saucer (safe from access to animals) will do the trick.

[chloroplast]

As anyone that uses osmocote could tell you, very old osmocote pellets can look like slug eggs.

I doubt, however, that whomever gave you the Drosera was feeding them with Osmocote.

One way to tell the difference is to squeeze the sphere. If it is gelatinous and "squishy" it's a slug egg, if it has a relatively hard shell, crunches when you squeeze it, and clear fluid comes out, it may be an osmocote pellet.

Worth trying....

[brokken]

If you suspect slugs, you should be able to see their tell-tale signs in the form of shinny slime trails on the pots and on the topsoil. In as much as they like moist conditions, most will not traverse water. If you suspect these pests or their snail cousins, you can create a moat by slack potting your CPs on a tray filled with water if you believe that your medium is pest-free. This will also serve the dual purpose of a watering means for your plant. Just make sure that you don't create a 'land bridge' between the tray and the pot.