numpty Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 (edited) A couple of years ago I had problems with my Sarracenia eating some of the geckos that live in the nooks and crannies on my patio. As for as I know there were no fatalities last year, but then just recently I noticed a couple more casualties.I don't have a problem with invertebrates falling victim to my CPs, but I have a hard time knowing that they're (and I'm ) killing off lizards. I keep pet amphibians, which I'm attached to, and on a purely intuitive level I'd put lizards a notch or two above frogs on the EQ scale. Smells terrible too.Time to start stuffing the Sarracenias' mouths with cotton wool or something.Gecko (and feeding flies) inside Sarracenia alataSarracenia leucophylla with recently deceased gecko Edited September 10, 2015 by numpty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blocky71 Posted September 10, 2015 Report Share Posted September 10, 2015 That's such a shame. Many cp fans also seem to have a fondness for reptiles/amphibians and the stranger beasts of this world. I used to keep geckos amongst other lizards and I'm surprised they can't escape the plants, they can walk up glass and on ceilings so you'd think they could get themselves out. There's even a few species that actually live in the centre of bromeliads or however it's spelt, they also fill with water too. I guess you could block up the pitchers or make a net cover for your plants but it's not ideal I know. I hope someone comes up with a solution . R.I.P little geckos....... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numpty Posted September 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 11, 2015 I used to keep geckos amongst other lizards and I'm surprised they can't escape the plants, they can walk up glass and on ceilings so you'd think they could get themselves out. There's even a few species that actually live in the centre of bromeliads or however it's spelt, they also fill with water too. I was also a bit surprised by that. Apparently their feet have so many tiny "bristles" that they're able to take advantage of the (usually miniscule) attraction between molecules, which allows them to cling to most surfaces. But for some reason they can't grip onto the inside of a pitcher. Maybe the covering of hair on the inside of a pitcher means the gecko's feet aren't able to contact enough surface area to take advantage of the molecular forces. Maybe something more subtle. Or more obvious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numpty Posted September 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 After another gecko death, in distressing circumstances, I decided to try to to put a stop to the carnage.Luckily I don't have too many Sarracenia! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nepenthes Lowii Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 Hehehe... your plants look happy! Great idea.. might have to use it if it ever happens to be! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennisB Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 Hi could you use a net with small enough holes to prevent the gecko's entering but will allow the flies in? Dennis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numpty Posted September 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 Hi could you use a net with small enough holes to prevent the gecko's entering but will allow the flies in? Dennis Yes, I could, but that would involve some DIY which I just don't have the time for at the moment. It would also make the patio a bit uglier, and I already struggle to justify the mess of plants to my other half. I wonder if netting might also cause a small amount of heat build-up as well ... that's something I want to prevent when temperatures in the sun are already in the high-50s. Finally, some of the baby geckos are tiny and might still get through netting. That said, it's something I'll have to try to experiment with next year. Maybe also a large moat of water surrounding the plants! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blocky71 Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 Well you get my commendation for finding a solution, albeit temporary.... I too find it distressing to find anything other than common flies in my plants, I doubt I'll ever have to deal with a lizard luckily. I do rescue bees, moths and other beasts when I can but hover flies seem helpless to resist the sarras and some nights there can be an audible humm coming from the plants!. Obviously your sarras won't catch any food now which isn't ideal, are the geckos nocturnal?, maybe the sponge could be removed during the day if the lizards aren't active. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nepenthes Lowii Posted September 21, 2015 Report Share Posted September 21, 2015 Personally.. I only rescue bees and that's it. Geckos.. well... um... mabye... but it must happen in nature though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numpty Posted September 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 29, 2015 So, looks like Typhoon Dujuan took care of most of my mature pitchers. That should help out the geckos, not to mention the flies, wasps and beetles! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buster Posted September 30, 2015 Report Share Posted September 30, 2015 Oh dear, I'm sorry for your loss. You seem to be taking it much better than I would So sad to see such nice plants in that state, did everything else survive ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numpty Posted September 30, 2015 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2015 Oh dear, I'm sorry for your loss. You seem to be taking it much better than I would So sad to see such nice plants in that state, did everything else survive ? Some Neps lost their growing points, but the main casualty was a tray of pots containing dormant Drosera tubers; upended all over the patio. Managed to find a couple of D. menziesii tubers, but with wind and rain lashing everything around I gave up searching pretty quickly, as you can imagine. Tubers look like grit at the best of times. The Sarracenia will survive, and with any luck so will a few more of the geckos! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blocky71 Posted September 30, 2015 Report Share Posted September 30, 2015 Gutted for you mate. As you're witnessing, nature can be cruel...... I've had a couple of seasons of my plants being outdoors and tried all manner of plant supports but nothing short of supporting each pitcher individually keeps them from snapping from wind and rain. I'm currently constructing shelters ready for winter/next season but nothing that would have stood up to your typhoon!. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numpty Posted March 3, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 After recently trimming last season's pitchers I found the remains of yet more corpses. That made at least five geckos killed last year. So I've decided to cut my collection of Sarrs back and put the remaining plants in a bog planter surrounded by a moat of water. I'll see if it works, though the local geckos are pretty good at leaping ... if they really want to get to the plants they might still be able to reach them. At that point I might have to put the planter in the middle of a child's paddling pool or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
partisangardener Posted March 3, 2016 Report Share Posted March 3, 2016 A short stick/straw in each developed pitcher will help the geckos getting out and stabilize the pitchers somewhat.. In case they don’t get enough food then, you could feed them with dead animals or just fertilize them. But I think they don’t need it. The oily substance on the inner surface will be the problem for the geckos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numpty Posted March 4, 2016 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 A short stick/straw in each developed pitcher will help the geckos getting out and stabilize the pitchers somewhat.. In case they don’t get enough food then, you could feed them with dead animals or just fertilize them. But I think they don’t need it. The oily substance on the inner surface will be the problem for the geckos. A straw inside the pitchers ... good idea. I ended up plugging the mouths last year, but never thought about providing a ladder on the inside. I'll give it a go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
partisangardener Posted March 4, 2016 Report Share Posted March 4, 2016 The little geckos might be lured into this trap by the insects fighting for life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nepenthes Lowii Posted March 23, 2016 Report Share Posted March 23, 2016 The little geckos might be lured into this trap by the insects fighting for life. good point.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DBee Posted April 21, 2016 Report Share Posted April 21, 2016 The other thing you could try is putting old fashioned hairnets over the pitchers. You know, the Ena Sharples type. They're cheap to buy and should just drape over easily, no DIY required. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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