# Carnivorous plant help needed



## gonewild (Mar 25, 2007)

I don't know much about carnivorous plants. Last week I bought 3 Sundews at the Santa Barbara show. I thought they might like to eat a few pesky gnats. 

It turns out one of the insect eating plants is infested with aphids.  
I never thought to check them for insect pests before I bought them as I assumed they were insect proof? Well they aren't.  

How is the best way to eliminate the aphids on a CP?
I'm thinking the microwave oven at the moment. :evil:


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## Per (Mar 25, 2007)

Lance,
No idea about what to do with the aphids, but I wanted to mention that I have used sundews (coupled with other means) to combat gnats in my potted citrus. They work like a charm there because they need lots of light and humidity, just like citrus. I assume that it should work just as well with paphs, though the lower light could be a bit of an issue. Great idea! Good luck with the aphids!

All the best,
Per


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## gonewild (Mar 25, 2007)

Thanks Per,
I don't have many gnats, not enough to bother spraying and maybe not even enough to keep the sundews alive. Maybe that is why they packed their own lunch?

I've got high humidity and about 1000fcs light, I hope it is enough for the sundews. Seems logical to put a little CP on each plant shelf if they will live.


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## Heather (Mar 25, 2007)

Should be plenty to keep them going Lance. The aphids have me stumped tho. Brian may know?


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## MoreWater (Mar 25, 2007)

I can't keep sundews alive, so no first hand experience. From the Savage Garden: "wettable powder insecticides are safest. Flea collars in small enclosures work well.... Never use soap-based insecticides...."


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## likespaphs (Mar 25, 2007)

um, i've only seen phytotoxicity with one pesticide and sundews. it was a es (emulsified solution {has a petroleum product as part of it}), though and the only es i use. it didn't really hurt the leaves, but instead had little plant parts grow on the inflorescences.
if you have endeavor, it'll kick the aphids' a$$es!!!
otherwise, you could always just often spray them off with a stream of water. i don't know if that'll hurt the plants, though.
as for feeding them, don't worry about it. better fed they are, the less they'll exhibit their signs of carnivory. don't fertilize, but you probably knew that...
as for fungus gnats, one way to tame a wild population is to take a raw potato slice and set that cut side down on top of the media. every three days to a week, replace the potato slice. there should be small, translucent worm-lookin' things on it. those are fungus gnat larvae....


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## TADD (Mar 25, 2007)

Are they being eaten or disolved by the sundew maybe?


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## likespaphs (Mar 25, 2007)

aphids are one of the few pests that'll eat sundews...

found this "...Since you have the plant in a terrarium, the easiest way to get rid of your aphids is to hang a pet flea collar in the tank. In the closed space it kills them fairly fast. It won't harm the plants." here. anyone ever heard of this? it's about plants in a terrarium...


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## TADD (Mar 25, 2007)

I stand chaistened and rebuked.... :evil:


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## likespaphs (Mar 25, 2007)

that ain't chastise-ment-ification. when i chastise you, you'll know it...


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## TADD (Mar 25, 2007)




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## MoreWater (Mar 25, 2007)

likespaphs said:


> found this "...Since you have the plant in a terrarium, the easiest way to get rid of your aphids is to hang a pet flea collar in the tank. In the closed space it kills them fairly fast. It won't harm the plants." here. anyone ever heard of this? it's about plants in a terrarium...


Yes, flea collars contain the same thing as imidacloprid, the active ingredient in Bayer Advanced's systemics (tree and shrub and the flower one).


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## likespaphs (Mar 25, 2007)

hmmm... that's a fairly common pesticide. didn't realize it was in those, though. if you hang it, how does it get from the collar to the pest as i figured it would be absorbed systemically by the dog/cat/other by absorption being in direct contact with the animal's skin. is that wrong? is it transmitted to dog/cat/other a different way?


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## MoreWater (Mar 25, 2007)

Now that I don't know. I admit I'm just repeating what I've heard. Supposedly, leaving flea collars on a greenhouse bench near pest-prone plants will keep them at bay too. Maybe heat/humidity/air is enough to disperse them chemical?


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## Heather (Mar 25, 2007)

I thought it just repelled them on cats and dogs?


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## likespaphs (Mar 25, 2007)

my guess would be mammals in general, but flea collars are most often used on dogs and cats...


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## NYEric (Mar 25, 2007)

Eorchids may know?!?


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## eOrchids (Apr 6, 2007)

NYEric said:


> Eorchids may know?!?



Thanks for bring me into the spotlight!

Umm...actually I don't know since I have never had this problem before. Sorry. Let me post a topic on the CP Forum I go to and see what they have to say about it.


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## eOrchids (Apr 6, 2007)

Gonewild,
They are recommend me to use pyrethrins. They are a neurotoxin (to bugs) from some particular chrysanthemum. Hope this helps.


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## gonewild (Apr 11, 2007)

I decided to experiment. What's new? :evil: 
I drenched the plant with Bayer Rose and Flower Insect Killer.

Killed the aphids quickly and caused the plant to bloom.


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## NYEric (Apr 12, 2007)

Cool, another thing to get addicted to.


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## likespaphs (Apr 12, 2007)

hey, um, you might want to take off the flowers as it looks like the species i have that dies after it blooms...
(they bloom this time of year so it may just have been coincidence with the pesticide application....)


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## gonewild (Apr 12, 2007)

likespaphs said:


> hey, um, you might want to take off the flowers as it looks like the species i have that dies after it blooms...
> (they bloom this time of year so it may just have been coincidence with the pesticide application....)



But if I take off the blooms we will never know if they die after bloom!
I think I'll leave them and see what happens.
Unless of course the blooms are ugly anyway? What did they look like on your plant?


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## eOrchids (Apr 12, 2007)

likespaphs said:


> hey, um, you might want to take off the flowers as it looks like the species i have that dies after it blooms...
> (they bloom this time of year so it may just have been coincidence with the pesticide application....)



Not all sundews die back after they flower. Your sundew looks like a D. Spatulata. These are tropical sundew and they do not die back after they flower.


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## likespaphs (Apr 12, 2007)

eOrchids said:


> Not all sundews die back after they flower. Your sundew looks like a D. Spatulata. ...



right, that's what i thought too. i think that all my spatulata seem to die after flowering... been picking off the flowers for a year or so now and they're still goin'...


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## eOrchids (Apr 12, 2007)

interesting!

I had a couple of D. Spatulata a few years back that were just blooming their heads off and the plant was still putting out leaves.


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## likespaphs (Apr 12, 2007)

hmm. maybe i did something terribly wrong. either that, or i've got something else...


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## TheLorax (Aug 17, 2007)

Looks like D. spatulata to me too. 

I don't grow any tropical sundews any longer and never have grown pygmies however I've read some conflicting advice on the use of flea collars from the ListServe and elsewhere. 

When desperate, people resort to desperate means and frequently stumble upon something that works well for them. 

Based on limited experience with Drosera, I'd opt for a wettable powder insecticide as recommended by MoreWater. Might not be good to consider using an oil based insecticide on any Drosera as those tend to strip them of their mucilage. Some recover, some don't. 

One thing often overlooked by many who have had to deal with aphids is where did they come from and where else did they go after finding your plants? Bad news, ants farm aphids. If you did have aphids, and I don't know that you did or didn't, you might want to consider buying ant trap packs. Strategically place the ant traps around your growing area. What you want to avoid is the ants reintroducing aphids from their stash. And yes, ants will ferret off a portion of an aphid population to protect their honeydo.


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## rdlsreno (Aug 18, 2007)

Cool info!!

Ramon


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## elvinwei (Aug 20, 2007)

you all have inspired me to get flea collars for my children

just kidding 


yeah it looks like a D. spatulata, and mine continuously puts out flowers and does not die back


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## NYEric (Aug 20, 2007)

elvinwei said:


> you all have inspired me to get flea collars for my children
> 
> just kidding



Don't sleep on that. When I worked in the woods I wore flea collars on my ankles to keep away the deer ticks. Unless you "mean flea collars for [i.e. to get rid of] my children". oke: 
"I love children, a little barbque sauce and cook them at 350 for a few hours."


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## practicallyostensible (Aug 22, 2007)

Eric, you wore flea collars to keep deer ticks away?!?!? Well, did it work?


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## goldenrose (Aug 22, 2007)

I would imagine it would! 
Have you ever seen the wrist bands or coils for humans? 
oke:What do you think they are? Which came first?:evil:


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