Birds, squirrels, and other enemies of VFT's...

[joossa]

I recently potted my 2 typical VFT's and moved them outside. There are about 4 trees in my backyard that host birds in the late afternnon. I have also seldom noticed a ground squirrel in my yard.

I am afraid that these animals and others might attack my VFT's.

I have read someone's post that mentioned that a bird destroyed their plant because it was attracted to the dead insects.

So my questions are:
-What are some common items or methods that I can use to scare off or drive out these "pests" from my VFT's?
-Have you had any problems with pests messing around with your VFT's?? If so, how did you fix the problem?

I am currently using 2 CD's tied on string and hung from a branch above my 2 VFT's. I have read that this (the reflection of the CD's) might scare away birds.

P.S.- I know that winter is on its way and that this issue will die down for some time, but I want to prepare for the long run.

Thanks a buch!

-Joossa

 

[CopcarFC]

I never had any problems with animals geting at my plants but others have used chicken wire to keep them away.

 

[Presto]

birds were a HUGE pain for me earlier in the summer. hanging CDs worked for me for a few days, but the birds wised up and started attacking my plants again.

my dad helped me make a chicken wire "box" to put over the plants, and I haven't had a problem since. not very attractive, but effective, simple and cheap.

edit: here's a pic.

 

[carnivorkid]

i always have problems with squirrels in the spring digging sarracenia rhizomes out and occasionally a vft.

 

[FarmerDave]

My main problems were wasps filling up and killing my pitcher plant pitchers, and caterpillars eating my pings.

 

[joossa]

Thanks presto! That chicken wire idea is great!

 

[RL7836]

An alternative to chicken wire is the thin black plastic mesh that growers place over fruit trees to keep the birds out - it's almost invisible.

The spring is usually the worst time as the birds are looking for nesting material (here the robins are the worst offenders) and the squirrels are digging around trying to find the nuts they buried in the fall ...

While the birds sometimes rip open Sarracenia tubes for the bugs, that's not as common. While it's ugly, it also doesn't usually kill the plant. In the spring, I'd often come home to find my VFTs scattered around, all drying (or dried) out. Lost some nice plants like that.....

 

[scottychaos]

I have never had problems with birds, because the hanging CDs works great on them..

but I am having squirrel problems this year. (I moved a few months ago..my plants are in a new, squirrel infested environment)

next spring, im planning to re-pot all my sarrs and VFTs anyway into new pots..im going to get some kind of wire mesh, something plastic-soated so it wont rust or otherwise effect the growing media, and bury the mesh just below the surface..the plants simply grow through it,
then, the squirrels can try to dig, but they wont get far.

Scot

 

[nepenthes_ak]

IT depends on the year, its mostly car's for me! 1 time my moms boyfriend, 1 time me... I sudgest moving them to an area with less trafic for that problem.

I dont know how to help with the squirles and birds other than getting a dog, with lab and terrier in it.

 

[scottychaos]

This might be an option for squirrels!

http://www.greentouchirrigation.com/scarecrow.html

http://groups.google.com/group....a069f2c

http://www.kissingfrogs.tv/scarecrow.html

Scot