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Outdoor plants suffering animal attacks

petmantis

ermahgerd
Today when i woke up, i went outside to check on my outdoor cp's. To my absolute horror, i saw that every single pot that had sphagnum moss (live or not live) in it, that had been sitting in a water tray, had been stripped of more than 50% of the sphagnum.

It seems to me that a raccoon thought my plants were food for its family, and decided to go digging through Sarracenia pots. One of the sarracenias, the catesbaei, had been even pulled out of the pot so you could see the roots on it! (i'm not sure if this guy will survive :()

The sphagnum was everywhere, either floating in the water trays or drying on the pavement, so i did my best job and cleaned it all up, and put it back as best as i could.

However, it really surprises me (and this was the best news i've had yet) that the raccoon or whatever animal had been foraging had not even touched my big S. purpurea ssp purpurea specimen, growing in a tall pot (maybe they couldn't reach it?) and my D. californica, which had the best of all my sphagnum moss growing in it.

How do i solve this problem?! I'm really scared that the raccoon will come back, for more...I was thinking of putting every single plant in the shed for protection during nighttime, but what will i do if the raccoon(s) come back during the day? Are there any types of netting or caging i could put around the plants (and of course make a roof for them, so the raccoon can't climb through the top), or maybe just some poison traps to keep it away? I am sure the animal(s) that is/are doing this isn't my cat, however it could be a squirrel not a raccoon.....

Any tips?

Thanks a lot!
 
Oh, man. Sorry to hear that. :/ I'm sure the S. x catesbaei will live, though.

As for keeping whatever it was away, I don't think poison traps are the answer...I've heard using Cayenne can keep away squirrels. I made a cage with plastic chicken wire for my outside plants and kept it till the squirrels never attacked again. It's easy to make.
 
I'd lean towards birds making a nest, and gathering material, the pots weren't tipped over and such.


Because really racoons and squirrels have no use for sphagnum...
 
The only reason why I think squirrels would try to get Sarracenias is to eat the rhizomes, which is what happened when I had squirrels attack my Sarracenias.
 
I see, so raccoons can be ruled out, Never seen one around the neighborhood anyways :)

Hmmm, so that leaves squirrels and birds, but i don't see any of the sphagnum missing, it just looks like my water trays have been used as a playground for an animal or more, must've been pretty small so no raccoon :)
 
I HATE SQUIRRELS :), just thought id let you know some of my past problems, ive posted a little thread before but more has happen since then...

im not sure why but i havn't had any problems with squirrels attacking my sarracenia, maybe because its in a pool bog? im not sure, but my tropical carnivores get the big deal....over the past few weeks here is what they have done...

~eaten about 1/4-1/2 of my nepenthes truncata leaves...today they snapped off a pitcher
~eaten my n. alata 'elongata' to the base, hope it comes back with basals, sideshoots, from roots
~today they ate my n. 'effulugent koto's growth point, which came as a rooted cutting
~today i noticed they ate some of my n. spectabilis north sumatra
~they've eaten some of my n. alata 'boschiana mimic'

some others...killed, ate, or stole one of my unknown pings, i havn't noticed them digging in them as usual anymore...they've killed a d. binata....chewed on n. ventriocosa, sanguinea and judith finn.(which were newly recieved that day)...and probably done a little more that i just haven't noticed yet...

ive put out 2 repellents both have failed at keeping the squirrels away so now im resorting to poison (sorry for you squirrel lovers), but they have to stay out of my plants...of course they attack my cps and not my houseplants, the good thing is they havn't been attacking my more expensive plants like, villosa, glabrata, but i did notice some damage on my tentaculata.

i put up a fence around the plants they still get it, so today the poison is out and hopefully that keeps them from coming back....

yeah squirrels might try to look cute, or hopeless wanting food, but they get no sympathy from me now, not after all that, so now im out to kill them....

i did win a n. caesar which should come in the mail this week that might help :p pretty big plant too, but along with that im getting a ton of new neps, so hopefully the squirrels will be done with by the time i get the new plants
 
Oh my Dustin, well compared to that, my sphagnum stealing squirrels seem like no pest at all! Wow, i suddenly feel ashamed for posting this LOL
 
lol no need to be ashamed, as long as you get rid of them ill be happy lol
 
Ok, i guess i better start researching squirrel traps...
 
  • #10
I was once toying with the idea of a birdcage for the outdoor plants. But then we moved and now I have a second floor porch. They seem to be safe from everything that flies or forages.
 
  • #12
motion detecting scarecrow

Kinda expencive but this little gadget should take care of any animals that mess with your plants.:grin:

Oh god, that would make such a fun practical joke. Get enough of them to cover every exit of a friend's house, then set them up during the night. Be outside in the morning.

Jason
 
  • #13
I can see it now, he walks outside, & as he tries to escape they just keep spraying him as he runs across the yard.
 
  • #14
That seems to happen to me more when I let the trays run dry.
 
  • #15
That seems to happen to me more when I let the trays run dry.

The weird thing is Herenorthere, is that the trays were full of water....however the plants that weren't in water were left completely unharmed.
 
  • #16
motion detecting scarecrow

Kinda expencive but this little gadget should take care of any animals that mess with your plants.:grin:

I actually have one of those. Works great at keeping cats and other animals out of my garden. Just don't forget its on unless you like getting sprayed when you bend over to pull some weeds. :evil:

PS. I believe I found mine somewhere else for around $40-$50. Its been several years though so I can't remember where.
 
  • #17
Its a bit late in the season for birds..although some might still be building nests I suppose..
im not sure what species build when..I have only had problems with robins..

I get the same damage from robins..but only in April and May, when they are building nests..
they love to steal the spagnum for nesting material.

We have squirrels all over..I have had zero damage from squirrels..they totally ignore all my pots..
my wife saw a racoon come up onto our deck at dusk a few weeks ago..it took a drink from one of the larger water trays, but otherwise did no damage..
so im giving it 97% odds its birds..

I use CD's and green chicken wire..
the CD's are 90% effective, the chicken wire keeps out the one robin who has learned to not be afraid of the CD's..

Im considering trying a new tactic next spring..
the birds only seem to raid the pots in the spring, when they are building nests..
after mid-June it stops completely..
so next spring im going to encase all my CP's in a large wire crate all spring..
no Cd's, and no green chicken wire..leave the plants in the cage all spring..
then around min-June I will remove the cage and see how things work out..
im hoping it might work out fine..

More on CD's and chicken wire:
http://gold.mylargescale.com/scottychaos/CP/
http://gold.mylargescale.com/scottychaos/CP/page5a.html

Birds are the real nemesis in my experience..
Squirrels and racoons have never bothered my plants at all..
and I have had both around my CPs..
(squirrels practically live on my deck..no problems at all..)

Scot
 
  • #18
Hmm, the birds must be the cause then, the CD's seem like a good idea.
 
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