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!
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!