I got four plants from an event that I went to a few weeks ago. I’ve now discovered snails? On the soil and the plants. Empty shells and live ones, many little live ones. I also found a caterpillar in one. I am very very close to just tossing all the plants. Is this bad or can they spread to my other plants?
To correct myself, it’s five plants. Three Japanese sedge and two stone crop plants
0 LikesIf it's outside plants, it's probably no big deal, but if you post pictures of the caterpillar i can help you determine if it's a more damaging or desirable species. (It also helps to have a general area like state or province just to help narrow down species possibilities)
0 Likes So the caterpillar was thankfully dead. I guess I was worried that even the presence of one may be bad. I threw that one out already. However the snails are much alive. I am in Minnesota and they are on indoor plants
1 LikeIf it's indoor plants, physically picking them out works for both. It can also help to remove any leaf litter. Egg shells, sand, or diatomaceous earth can be sprinkled into soil to deter snails and slugs
0 LikesIf it was just one dead caterpillar, you probably won't get more, but you can check under leaves for eggs or hiding caterpillars
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I would remove the obvious ones. Check under leaves. Then, dump the soil, rinse the entire plant and disinfect with hydrogen peroxide. Clean the pots if you plan to reuse them. Add fresh soil and repot. 🪴🍀
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