attack of the VFT eater

[herenorthere]

I checked on my new VFTs yesterday and found that something had torn up the green ones, but didn't touch the red. I thought the bulbs had been eaten, but I finally found most of one on the ground below the fence they sit on and another in a Sarr pot that also spends the summer on the fence. I reassempled the VFT pot and moved it next to the house to recuperate in the shade for a few days. Is that something a squirrel would do?

 

[glider14]

squirrel maby. its sounds just like a mammal to eat a green thing and keep a brightly colored plant (poison color) alone. i had birds dig up a few of my flava seedlings. it could be either one. but it sounds more like somthing a squirrel would do.
Alex

 

[abcat1993]

Why would it need to recouperate in the shade? If the squirrels were attracted to the green then keep it in the sun where it will get red. Plus, it will get more energy.

 

[herenorthere]

The two "bulbs" lost most of their roots, so I put them in in the shade settle in before going back to full sun. Which'll have to be somewhere other than that squirrel highway on top of the fence.

 

[joossa]

One of my VFTs was uprooted by a ground squirrel or bird a while back (see my “birds, squirrels, and other enemies of VFTs” topic). I made a "cage" out of chicken wire, thick fence wire, and wood and never went back. The only pests that dare to mess with my VFTs now are ants that stray off their trail, but the meet their maker once they enter Dionaea territory.

Keep a close on them for the next few weeks. Spring is in full swing and the critters are as active as they were in the Snow White movie. Good luck nursing them back to health!

 

[Dave S.]

Yes, it sounds like squirrel damage to me.

 

[herenorthere]

It's time to follow Joosa's lead and build a fortress. I lose almost every red Sarracenia flower bud to birds (I think) while something (birds again?) seems to steal sphagnum and squirrels running across the fence and through the pots occasionally knock pots over or even off the fence. The VFT attack is the final straw.

 

[adnedarn]

Even if all the roots are gone, worst case senario is baby vfts should grow from the base... But if they rhyzome is still intact I'd guess some new roots would grow back. Good luck.

 

[Not a Number]

You could try pulling the rhizome apart and see if you can start some pullings. You might even come out ahead that way.

 

[herenorthere]

The squirrel already pulled everything apart pretty thoroughly and I collected everything I could find and potted it all up. So maybe my pot of 3 VFTs will become 20, but I preferred what I had. It's funny how it left the red plant alone. That's the color that birds go for this time of year.