On Sun, 30 Mar 2003 17:18:17 -0500, "Ted Byers"
wrote:


be left by an animal the size of a cat or small dog. Maybe I'll see if I
can manage it by building something like a cold frame around the bed, or
perhaps a wire cage that can be assembled and put in place in the late
automn and then removed and stored just after the spring thaw.

way to keep herbivores out of my garden. I wonder how effective
fritillaries are at keeping mammalian pests away. A colleague of mine, at
work, told me that nothing he has tried in his garden has been effective.

Cheers,

Ted


Sounds like you have squirrels who need a little snack to keep
going in the spring. Although Rabbits, mice and chipmunks are
also good candidates. The only way I have heard of protecting
new growth is to cage it in chicken wire.. but you have to did it
down in and extend it 8-10" above the soil line. So sometimes it
is easier to use traps and perimeter fencing that is 10" tall to
discourage them.
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php

If you use "chicken wire", be sure to get "aviary wire", as the mesh is only
1/2 inch. We have gophers and they get through the 1 chicken wire stuff.

Paul
"Susan Erickson" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 30 Mar 2003 17:18:17 -0500, "Ted Byers"
wrote:


be left by an animal the size of a cat or small dog. Maybe I'll see if I
can manage it by building something like a cold frame around the bed, or
perhaps a wire cage that can be assembled and put in place in the late
automn and then removed and stored just after the spring thaw.

way to keep herbivores out of my garden. I wonder how effective
fritillaries are at keeping mammalian pests away. A colleague of mine,
at
work, told me that nothing he has tried in his garden has been effective.

Cheers,

Ted


Sounds like you have squirrels who need a little snack to keep
going in the spring. Although Rabbits, mice and chipmunks are
also good candidates. The only way I have heard of protecting
new growth is to cage it in chicken wire.. but you have to did it
down in and extend it 8-10" above the soil line. So sometimes it
is easier to use traps and perimeter fencing that is 10" tall to
discourage them.
SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/albums.php

Tracey wrote:
I need to find a way to keep them in one place...

I never tried it, but I was told that you need to water
well before releasing the ladybugs because if they can't
find water, they will leave almost immediately.

Tracey


I found this to be true as well...the bugs arrive feeling
very thirsty...and they'll drink water from droplets that
they find and stay put for awhile. I realized this only
AFTER I had released a bunch of bugs...as soon as I watered,
they all settled down for a nice, long drink and then went
leisurely about, scouring for bugs.

---Prem
www.premdesign.com

I would approach the aphid suggestion very carefully unless it's well away
from tyour orchids. We have them on some hibicus inside the house and you
almost can't get rid of them. I think mealies are easier to kill.

Bob

"Ted Byers" spaketh thusly:

Its ironic that you mentioned this at this time since, after I responded,
it occured to me that there were a wide range of carnivorous plants that,
if you can keep them happy (I haven't had much luck with venus fly trap
yet), would be a very useful tool in your pest control arsenal. But you
beat me to it WRT pointing this out. ;-) It is too bad there aren't
carnivorous plants that will make a meal of mammalian pests!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That would be either Nepenthes rajah. However, its cultural
conditions are difficult to achieve for 99% of us. But if you *can* grow
it well, pitchers may exceed 2 liters in capacity (the record is about 3.5
liters), and can trap mice or rats.

Noisy neighbors, unfortunately, are still too big.

For now.

-AJHicks
Chandler, AZ

Sorry. E-mail in the header doesn't work.

How about that kid up the street that doesn't clean up after his
dog.....hmmmm ... or maybe the dog?


"Aaron Hicks" wrote in message
...
"Ted Byers" spaketh thusly:

Its ironic that you mentioned this at this time since, after I responded,
it occured to me that there were a wide range of carnivorous plants that,
if you can keep them happy (I haven't had much luck with venus fly trap
yet), would be a very useful tool in your pest control arsenal. But you
beat me to it WRT pointing this out. ;-) It is too bad there aren't
carnivorous plants that will make a meal of mammalian pests!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That would be either Nepenthes rajah. However, its cultural
conditions are difficult to achieve for 99% of us. But if you *can* grow
it well, pitchers may exceed 2 liters in capacity (the record is about 3.5
liters), and can trap mice or rats.

Noisy neighbors, unfortunately, are still too big.

For now.

-AJHicks
Chandler, AZ

Sorry. E-mail in the header doesn't work.

"Aaron Hicks" wrote in message
...
"Ted Byers" spaketh thusly:

Its ironic that you mentioned this at this time since, after I responded,
it occured to me that there were a wide range of carnivorous plants that,
if you can keep them happy (I haven't had much luck with venus fly trap
yet), would be a very useful tool in your pest control arsenal. But you
beat me to it WRT pointing this out. ;-) It is too bad there aren't
carnivorous plants that will make a meal of mammalian pests!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
That would be either Nepenthes rajah. However, its cultural
conditions are difficult to achieve for 99% of us. But if you *can* grow
it well, pitchers may exceed 2 liters in capacity (the record is about 3.5
liters), and can trap mice or rats.

I had no idea there were carnivorous plants that large. Is N. rajah winter
hardy in Canada? What exactly are its cultural requirements, and where
might it be acquired? (As a scientist, I LOVE a challenge - if something is
easy, it is hardly worth doing!!!!!!) All the carnivorous species
specimens I have personally seen have been small, able to take nothing
larger than a house fly; though it is certain I haven't seen the largest
individuals of any species.

Noisy neighbors, unfortunately, are still too big.

Maybe a little selective breeding with N. rajah is called for? ;-)

Any idea what the largest stinging nettle would be?

Cheers,

Ted

"Gene Schurg" wrote in message
hlink.net...
How about that kid up the street that doesn't clean up after his
dog.....hmmmm ... or maybe the dog?

Hmmmmmmm. Especially if it is one of those nasty little rat dogs (pick the
variety - any breed about the size of a rat)! Give me a REAL dog, like an
Irish wolfhound or a German shepherd or a siberian husky (a dog, judging
from my sister's dog, that would usually view rat dogs as just another kind
of lunch - he has eaten just about every small vertebrate that has been
foolish enough to enter his territory - almost nothing escapes him).

Seeing Aaron's post, it occured to me I might get lucky and my sister's cat
might fall in (it is a nasty thing that MUST be locked up whenever guests
arrive). ;-)

Cheers,

Ted

Thanks for the link, that looks like a fun site - I'll check it out. I
sprinkle venus fly traps in amongst my orchids. They like the same
conditions (humid). I don't think the fly traps consume an awful lot,
but they sure seem happy.


Aaron Hicks wrote:
Don't know if ladybugs will eat fungus gnats (sorry), but I
purchased a Drosera dichotoma 'Giant' from California Carnivores
(http://www.californiacarnivores.com/) for $15. VERY easy to grow- sit it
in a bowl of clean water (distilled or reverse osmosis- no salts, no
fertilizer, please), give it as much light as you reasonably can, keep the
humidity up, and watch it grow.

This plant should be sold as a control for fungus gnats. I
originally purchased it for whitefly control in a research greenhouse, but
the whitefly were on their way out thanks to Marathon, so I just sat it on
a bench in a pan of water. WOW. A fungus gnat magnet, that species. One
grower reports that he used it to get rid of whitefly by shaking the
afflicted plant, and then waving the drosera around so it would pick up
the whitefly in mid-air. I can believe it.


-AJHicks
Chandler, AZ

Sorry. E-mail address in the header won't work.

"Ted Byers" spaketh thusly:

I had no idea there were carnivorous plants that large. Is N. rajah
winter hardy in Canada? What exactly are its cultural requirements, and
where might it be acquired? (As a scientist, I LOVE a challenge - if
something is easy, it is hardly worth doing!!!!!!)

Nepenthes are tropical. So, they'd be hardy in Canada in the same
sense that, say, cattleyas are hardy in Canada. The big problem with rajah
and other high-altitude nepenthes is they need a huge differential in
day/night temperatures. They enjoy condensation on the leaves in the
morning- probably not compatible with orchids. Night temperatures should
get into the low 60s, days into the 70's and 80's. In effect, they need
refrigeration in most areas. N. rajah goes into decline without the
temperature swings.

Noisy neighbors, unfortunately, are still too big.

Maybe a little selective breeding with N. rajah is called for? ;-)

They're working on it, believe me.

Any idea what the largest stinging nettle would be?

No. Geraldo? Morley Safer?

-AJHicks
Chandler, AZ

E-mail address in the header isn't valid. Sorry.