An Oncidium Mouse Rant Story...
 

I thought it was time for a little bit of lightheartedness for newer folks to the forum. Thus, posting on the Beginner Thread instead of Pests and Diseases. I don't need a diagnosis. I have years of experience dealing with the particular pest. This is just a Mouse Rant. Yes, we older OBoard members can be serious, but most of us do have a good sense of humor. Sympathy will also be well received.

I have an Onc Tsiku Marguerite. A year ago I divided it while it was in tight spike to share with my son in law (obviously I like him). His part did great, and of course my part blasted.

Fast forward a year, and I have five spikes on my little portion. Now...ya'll don't know me, but I do keep a clean house. I'm three-fourths German. :lol: But we have lots of outside animals, and woods. So, each year we have the Great Mouse Fight in the house. I moved all house plants outside (one tried to take up residence in the soil of a large pot). But the few orchids inside, in LECA, well of course that wouldn't be a problem.

So I have this Onc sitting on my desk, watching it, enjoying it. I'm just so darned proud of it.

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...cture13008.jpg

Then one morning I look, and half a pbulb plus leaves is gone. Of course the spike it was getting stalled out.

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...cture13009.jpg

I'm mad. I KNOW it was a mouse. I can feel it in my gut. But at least the rest is okay, and continues to grow out spikes. I put it on a higher buffet in my living room to keep it safe, putting it inside a very tall big glass vase just to make sure.

It's getting ready to start blooming. I take it to the kitchen to water and give a little TLC. I rotate it around...

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...cture13010.jpg

And realize the whole back side of the other pbulb is hollowed out... by a you-know-what I'm sure.

I will update if it actually blooms. It is surviving though... already pushing out a new pbulb. :blushing:

Looking forward to the triumph of the orchid over the rodent. And any news of the (hopefully horrid) demise of that nasty little critter?

Yes, we had mouse problems in the greenhouse in PA also. Fortunately for me, some corn snakes and garter snakes were happy to keep them at bay.

So far, the only critters I've dealt with outdoors in NC are like this, and they're good!

http://firstrays.com/Pictures/IMG_1349.jpg

http://firstrays.com/Pictures/IMG_1350.jpg

But they look cute in the foliage. Is it a type of gecko? Do they do damage to the orchids?

The Great Mouse Hunt of 2019 season has already commenced. Several have died by the guillotine method. Several more in a black plague sort of way. (we use several methods) Not sure if we've captured the right one yet... have seen no pbulbs in anyone's clutches upon demise. But we sure can hope.

---------- Post added at 03:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:09 PM ----------

Oh MY Ray!! If you only knew how much I love and am obsessed with anoles. A good friend in Texas sends me weekly pictures of her crew. When she fails to send, I nag nag nag until I receive new pictures. One of my (reachable) goals in life is to have an orchid room in my house, with free roaming anoles and a chameleon or two.

If I could just get the husband to move his computer elsewhere, and seal up a set of french doors a bit, I'd already be there.

Paphluver... they're anoles. They eat bugs, not orchids, and they're absolutely wonderful creatures.

Corn snakes don't occur in PA. Milksnakes are the most common of the larger species of snake in the SE part of the state, and are fairly similar in appearance to corn snakes.

Around these parts, blacksnake is king of mousers. I have one shading around in my basement again. Old house, stone foundation, lots of places to come inside and get warmed up.

Oh, my! I was sympathizing with your story of having mice in your house. We have them occasionally. We get rid of them. They've never bothered the orchids that I can tell. I did find a little tree frog in one of the orchid saucers one time. :biggrin: I captured it carefully and returned it to the outdoors.

But snakes in the house! Now that's another thing all together. I am absolutely not someone who is afraid of snakes (except for a healthy respect for poisonous ones), but I'm pretty sure I would not want to come across one anywhere inside my house. :yikes:

Ah yes, but which black snake, a racer or a ratsnake? If you can't tell on sight, just grab it. A racer will bite you 3 or 4 times before you can blink, the ratsnake will probably only get you once or twice in the same period of time!

True enough. We see all sorts of snakes down here. Found a 4' timber rattler on my patio a couple of autumns ago. Made a noose, grabbed him and dropped him into the intracoastal waterway. Two days later he showed up at my neighbor's doorstep, where he was summarily dispatched.