indoor / outdoor cacti

[soulsvr]

Swim has a small indoor cacti garden. Its 2x4 x18 tall. he has 2 150 mh bulbs inside it. this is doing great. but Swim decided to take 1 cacti and put it in the brightest window in the house. The first night a mouse ate 1/2 of the plant. I am sure its really had a strange night. Anyway the cacti was left out believing that the mouse could not handle this and would stay away. Well he came back and ate what was left above the ground.

Thats situation #1

Swim decided to take 2 of these cacti outside. By the next day grasshoppers ate a good portion of the cacti. enough was left to keep it alive but swim has decided that most of his cacti should be kept under artificial lights indoors.

Anyone have any ideas on how to keep rodents and insect off outdoor plant

thanks

[Stillman]

what sort of cactus does your mate have lol.

Pests are a pain, try pyrethium if its really bad. or chilli spray even, if your worried about poisons lol.

Edited August 12, 2012 by Stillman

[Jox]

I have my cacti in a green house, this does not keep pests out but I put pray mantis oothica's in there & when they hatch they take care of most other insects.

[DarkSpark]

Yeah have heard of people using mantis' in their indoor grows as well to keep the bugs down.

[Jox]

@ DarkSpark, I have used mantis for pest control for years now & have kept them as pets for my kids. I have never come across a more ravenous predator! If you keep them as pets you can over feed them, they will keep eating until they explode!

[theuserformallyknownasd00d]

can you buy these critters Jox??

D00d

[Stillman]

check out the www.greenscorpion.com.au I used to sell scorpions and tarantulas and the big grown mantis you get up here.

[Jox]

I have seen oothica's (mantis eggs) for sale on overseas sites but you wouldn't be able to bring them over. Maybe check the site Stiilman suggested..

I was breeding mantis for a while & getting oothica's from them (Its awesome to watch there antics when it comes to breeding, poor little fella, gets his head eating while procreating!!) Now when I'm out doing gardening I often find oothica's (autumn & winter) & collect them & place them in my green house, they hatch out in spring (50/100 baby's).

[theuserformallyknownasd00d]

I'll check that site now. If you ever wanna trade me some I'd be keen!

[soulsvr]

my biggest problem is mice.. believe it or not something is drawing the mice to my cacti.

Maybe they like the buzz?/

[zelly]

Why dont you give your rodents something tasty to eat & they wont be forced to munch on your plants???

I feed my local rodents with healthy doses of d-con, placing small trays of it all around my cactus plants.

[soulsvr]

I am on my way for some dcon. but really who would have thought mice would give cacti a problem??

[qualia]

swim lol

[Jox]

Just realized your in Texas, get a Rattle snake man!!

Problem solved.

[soulsvr]

Lotsa snakes here. The problem is I am getting old. The other day the wife and I can home from town and I walked up to the poarch like always and Wife stopped me and said dont you hear that. Being like I am I said Nope. She made me stop and right behind a chair was a small western diamondback rattler. Wow maybe I ought to swallow my pride and get that hearing aid.

I really dont like snakes but I had a new garden tool with a forked end. picked the snake up with it ( he did not even resist) moved him about 400 yards out into the field. It had a nice piece of plyboard to hide under. Havent seen it since. I can leave the rattlers alone its those copperheads I hate