Date: Tue, 11 Jul 2000 10:37:44 EDT From: "Latisha Webster" <webster_latisha@hotmail.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg2064$foo@default> Subject: TO "mark god" Gadomski
Mark, you write "Hi I was wondering what i could use to protect my bog from
animals and bird. I all ways see one venus flytrap all ruffed up because of
some life form Do you think this Birds , bugs or .... Once i get my purps
and flaves in i dont want them to be touced."
>Well Mark, the most effective measure against big bugs (like locusts) and
>other critters is a all-enclosing net. Bluejays occassionaly steal a meal
>from the pitchers but they are not a real problem, and squirrels may dig
>the bog looking for a meal (although the squirrels leave my bogs alone, I
>have heard of other growers having problems with them). There are insects
>which occassionaly eat holes in young, unopened pitchers trying to get to
>the nectar inside, or eat the whole top of the pitcher, and there are slugs
>which may eat some holes in your plants. I have lots of wildlife on my
>property (possums, raccoons, snakes, rats when there is a drought,
>armadillos) but although they walk around my bogs at night, they leave them
>alone.
I have tried scarecrows of all designs, even a plastic frog with a
motion-sensor which makes noise!, with short-lived success. A fence will
protect your bog against some small animals. The only serious problem for
me has been locusts in the last part of the summer, against which I treat
with a biological insecticide which infects and kills them all (Email me if
you have such a problem).
Considering that the damage to plants from the above critters is not
significant, and that an all-enclosing net or a fence are, IMHO, unsightly,
I have accepted it as the price to pay for having an outdoor bog. My .02
worth.
Take care,
Michael Pagoulatos
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Jan 02 2001 - 17:35:10 PST