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I'm tired of having my VFT's ravaged!

jimscott

Tropical Fish Enthusiast
I subscribe to axiom that VFT's (and AmericanCP's with pitchers) should go outside in the sun and fun and garner as much photosynthetic energy as they possibly can. Trouble is, the critters enjoy the plants. Whether it be the squirrels or birds or aphids, something gets into them and chews them up or gnaws them to surface.

While I'm not thrilled at the idea of using a poison, I am willing to do so, if necessary. I have tried the concept of a cage, but it looks ugly. This past summer my VFT's & cobra lily spent the summer at the screened kitchen window sill, where they recovered from being ravaged. But I couldn't help think that the screen blocks some of the light that shines in. So now I have another idea, a small modification.

What say they still reside at a screened window sill, but have a fluorescent light a half foot above them? Anybody out there do this?
 
I was thinking of doing this but above my neps that in by my window so I guess whoever answers this answers two questions.
 
More light is always better.

Try using something smelly that squirrels don't like. Something natural. Maybe they don't like mace or garlic (vampire squirrels...) or something like that?
 
The good thing about growing plants outside is that they enter dormmancy naturally.(You don't have to put them in the fridge) anyway if you really serious about keeping them outside, I've heard that you can build a home for them to keep the animals out. This can be done with chicken wire I believe. Also You could try looking for a mini green house for them. I once saw one at the gardening section of my department store. Those are probably more pleasing to the eye. The one I saw was like five feet tall and under 100 dollars. But yes, putting a light above them works just fine. If the light is strong enough, your VFT's might even redden a little. I would personally turn the light off when it gets dark though, because that simulates day and night.
 
I have an arch of chicken wire with bird net over the exposed side covering my plants. The whole structure is right up against my living room window, so I can see all my plants inside, and the house acts as the fourth wall. The chicken wire isn't beautiful, but when everything is in full swing you'd hardly notice it. It also helps to have a bigger, more durable, and more interesting plant on the other side of your property (I've found that at my new house, with lots of fruit trees in the neighborhood, I get far less visitors.) If you can, try to put your plants on things that the critters can't easily climb. You can also cover them with translucent vinyl tarp if you allow for ventilation. In my experience, aluminum electrical conduits make great supports for nets and tarps.
~Joe
 
The simplest solution is just to use a chicken wire cage. The wire itself is not too thick and the holes are big, so sunlight getting through won't be a problem. It is inexpensive, and it does not look too attractive, but it will keep birds and squirrels out, but won't help you with the aphids.

When I moved my plants outside this September, one of my VFT's was uprooted after 3 days of being outside. I tried using CD's to scare away the birds and squirrels, but no luck after a couple days went by, it happened again. (Luckily there was no serious damage done to the plant). So, I bought chicken wire. I used a large wooden base to hold the pots. I bent the wire and placed it on top of the wooden base, almost like a top. After that no more problems.

The screened window sill may present problems with light as you mentioned. So use caution. IMO, there is no substitue for real happy sunlight, so try to do whatever possible to keep your plants outside.

Good luck!  
oh.gif
 
I opted for chicken wire to protect my VFTs and smaller Sarracenia this year. it worked well. I think I posted a picture in another thread. as people have said, it's not all that attractive, but it's cheap and gets the job done.

Another factor I think contributed to the success is the fact that I kept the plants on the roof of the garage. Whenever I wanted to check on them or water them I'd climb a ladder to get up. I did this mostly to take advantage of space that wasn't being used. but looking back, it was probably quite difficult/unattractive for squirrels to get up, and there weren't any nearby plants for aphids and other creepy crawlies to immigrate from. (plenty of tasty flies found their way into the traps, however!) If not for birds, I probably could have kept them there without the cage and not had any problem at all.

I've also done the fluorescent-light-combined-with-window. When I got my first nep, a little rafflesiana, it wouldn't pitcher, even after a few months. Some TF members suggested adding more light, so I bought an 18" fluorescent bulb to supplement the light it was already getting through a south window. It pitchered within the month. In my bedroom now I have a small east-facing window and the same lamp, and several plants all doing well (N. alata, N. ventricosa, N. x 'coccinea', P. x 'titan', U. sandersonii, and some Aldrovanda).

VFTs and Sarrs (I don't know very much about Darlingtonia) would probably need more light than these guys are getting, and there is the issue of changing seasons/dormancy...but I think it could work for them.
 
Fox urine will probably work, although I think it is much more effective if the squirrel population is naturally exposed to predators foxes or coyotes - otherwise they may not associate the scent with danger.

For the birds you could do what many restaurants do for their wall enclosed open patios - use a mesh of monofilament - this is very effective in keep birds out and is nearly invisible to the human eye. It would take a bit of labor to string up some frames but not that bad actually.
 
  • #10
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Not a Number @ Nov. 18 2006,10:15)]Fox urine will probably work...
It might work, but the little begger is faster than me. I have only got a brief look as he dashed across the road in froint of me. If I ever catch him how hard hard do I have to squeeze him to squeeze the pi.. uhhh.. urine out and how much is needed?
 
  • #11
http://www.merrifieldgardencenter.com/products.php?pid=453&openparent=205
 
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