Balcony green space ♣ Army of snails and caterpillars that cannot be raised

★★★There are bug photos in it, if you can't stand it, please skip it by yourself XD

Army of Snails

To be honest, when the snails first appeared on the balcony, I also thought: "It turns out that the ecology of the balcony green space is so good! It's good to divide them to eat!"

But ah! That's it but ah! If it is full sun, strong sunlight, tall and strong, and not fruit trees, then the influence of snails will really not be too great. If it is only a balcony plant, the small and medium potted plants are not tall, and there is enough shady time, the appearance of snails is not pleasant at all...

When I was a novice, I wanted convenience, good care and a sense of accomplishment. I kept a large pot of left-hand incense, and the lushness made me happy. Within a few days, they were all eaten by the snail army, and then they inserted a branch and ate another. The snails grew strong and strong, and even began to climb to eat perilla.

The scale of the balcony really can't support this group of foodies. One day, they picked up all the big ones in one go and released them to the nearby weeds. At this time, I have to say something special. At that time, I took the picture and showed it to my friend, but the doctor's friend only replied indifferently: "Do you know how amazing the parasites of snails are? How dare you grab it with your bare hands..."
(I've helped you search, please click " Snail Parasite " to enjoy the research slowly.)

Although I have already washed my hands when I got home, I immediately washed it twice with soap after reading various materials!

The following snail photos~

Snail Legion Solutions

After becoming a large army, the treatment method is really not in line with Buddhist planting at all, and it takes a lot of patience to solve it. It is best to take care of the soil as usual, and to prevent and avoid the expansion of the army can be a relatively simple and easy solution!

1. The big snails are picked up with tools. If there is no deserted grassland nearby, they can be released. Otherwise, they will be given some food, wrapped up and thrown into the trash can to fend for themselves.
2. The snail haunting time is usually from the afternoon to the evening when the sun is cool and ready to go down. Back then, after get off work every day, I would squat next to the potted plants and catch the small ones. It would take a few days to catch twenty or thirty snails a day. What a terrible result!
3. Sprinkle a layer of dry coffee grounds on the soil beside the potted plants. The snails don't like the touch, but if they have become large, they still have to be picked up manually and then spread the coffee grounds, otherwise they will find that they will continue to eat happily...
4. When planting a new pot, it is best to mix the soil and expose it to the sun for about a week before planting, which can greatly reduce the chance of snails hatching in the soil.
5. This is my own random thought: I really want to borrow a duck to deal with it. It is said that ducks love to eat snails, but they can’t raise snails or ducks on the balcony~

Snail Legion follow-up

If it is cleaned enough once, it will not appear for several years. I don't know if it was brought by the bird or where it came from. In short, it may appear from time to time in a year or two. It's good to catch it when you are young! After harvesting and pruning, I will take the opportunity to observe the soil, preventing it from collapsing later!

Caterpillar

The citrus plants I have grown are very popular with caterpillars, followed by perilla. I once planted Taiwan citron, but I was eaten up by caterpillars one after another, and then I said goodbye... The balcony really doesn't have the money to support these sweethearts, so I will pay at least one for one.
Once they are satisfied with the hatchery, they will reappear almost every season or so.

Caterpillar Solutions

1. Please pay attention when the season arrives. It is about October when larvae start to appear on the leaves, so please go away.
2. Seriously, please go for a year or two, or after all their favorite foods are eaten, they seem to be less seen later.

greatest expectation

I have always felt that there can be a way of balance. Nature is big enough and there are enough species to form a cycle. It is not difficult to have a nemesis. If the balcony can have a certain balance, we are only responsible for maintaining soil fertility, watering and irregular pruning and harvesting, then it is really a perfect Buddhist planting!

I once considered whether to raise some insectivorous herbs to improve the ecosystem, but I am afraid that I need a special environment to live, but I am asking for trouble. After looking at the information, it is better to add or subtract it manually... Anyway, there are not many pots on the balcony... So comforting myself haha!

There are native carnivorous plants in Taiwan, but they are all endangered plants, and they also need a special growth environment, otherwise you should try it out.