Carnivorous Plants/Birds

Advertisement

Expert: - 5/9/2007


Question
I am having trouble with birds (Robins) eating my venus flytraps.  Is there anything that I can do to keep them away?

Answer
Hello Patrick,

I know the feeling. I had some sundews disappear after some meddlesome goats decided to try them as a snack.

If I needed to get rid of pesky birds, I would go for one or two methods. Having been raised on a farm, we protected particular plants by creating a chicken wire mesh cage to place over them. The benefit of wire covering is it does not create a greenhouse effect and it allows air and insects in while keeping large pests out. Make the cage just wide enough to keep probing beaks away. Another method would be a scarecrow type of repellent that moves. Birds and other pests, like squirrels, can get used to static trickery, like a stationary owl or scarecrow figure. I have seen mobile scarecrow type tricks that feature a plastic owl shape hanging on a string that moves as the wind hits it, making it seem to be a predator in flight. Another is a holographic type of trick that features an owl face that seems to move with the observer's perspective. I am not sure how well the holograph works, but I have heard that they use it commonly in Japan.

Do a search online for bird repellant or some similar terms and you should find plenty of ideas and devices that could help out.

I hope this answer gives you some ideas about how to protect your plants.

Carnivorous Plants

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

Christopher Littrell

Expertise

I am capable of answering questions about the most common carnivorous plants found in cultivation. I have no personal experience with Byblis, Drosophyllum, Aldrovanda, and Heliamphora. I have not cultivated gemmae forming pygmy sundews nor tuberous sundews. For information regarding those aforementioned species, I would suggest contacting other experts. I can answer questions regarding most species of Nepenthes, tropical and temperate Drosera, Mexican Pinguicula, Sarracenias, and Dionaea. I have some limited experience with growing Utricularia, Cephalotus, and Darlingtonia.

Experience

I have grown carnivorous plants off and on for about 27 years. I have made the same mistakes and suffered the same mishaps that many growers make as they attempt to separate the myths from the realities of growing these plants. Currently, I am successfully growing a variety of tropical sundews, a Nepenthes, several Venus Flytraps of varying ages, and Sarracenias. I have been successful in stratifying Sarracenia seeds and providing artificial dormancy requirements for my temperate plants when needed.

Education/Credentials
I hold a Master's degree in Educational Psychology. Over my lifetime, I have constantly read books involving the growing conditions of carnivorous plants. I hope to incorporate the educational aspects involved in psychology with teaching other people how to cultivate carnivorous plants.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.