As I've mentioned a few times in the past, I've had problems with aphids lately. I don't know where they came from, but come they did, first attacking my
Drosera anglica CA × HI, then my
Drosera aliciae, and then to the rest of my collection. I ended up attacking them with Take Down Garden Spray, which is Pyrethrin and canola oil. Damon over at
California Carnivores recommended Take Down, and after a month of repeated applications I think I've got the aphids on the retreat.
That's not without them taking their toll. Apparently one thing that aphids can do is make a plant just divide its growth point like crazy. This
D. aliciae is the most dramatic example of the phenomenon. When the aphids struck it was only
one plant. Now...
![The funny thing is that each individual growth point looks fantastic. I almost want to submit this guy to the show. Drosera aliciae with multiple growth points.](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5455/16999308829_b630556d28_c.jpg) |
Now that's one, two, three... |
![Should I separate these? I don't know. If so, when? Are they separate plants yet? It's almost a philosophical issue. Drosera aliciae with multiple growth points.](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8694/16563051054_81c06d6a04_c.jpg) |
Four, five...six? growth points. Seven? |
I think there are seven plants there now? Or at least growth points. I don't really know. I suppose someday I might separate them out, but for now I kind of like how it looks.
The
D. anglica CA × HI, which was hit much harder, also split.
![I had initially not thought that D. ultramafica × spatulata was fertile. That was not correct! Now it's all over my collection. Drosera anglica with aphid damage.](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7669/17184886861_16d45483b0_c.jpg) |
This pot is a mess. |
It's a bit harder to see, since there are some
Drosera ultramafica ×
spatulata in there, and maybe a couple
Drosera burmannii. It's a big mess in the growth point though.
My
D. burmannii also had some aphids, but since
D. burmannii don't divide they just got to suffer.
![It may also be that these D. burmannii are starting to get old. It's not a strictly annual species, but it's definitely not a long-lived species. Drosera burmannii with aphid damage.](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7721/16997716098_f0c84d82f7_c.jpg) |
My poor D. burmannii are such troopers. |
I'm not sure, but I think I may have noticed some caterpillar droppings in there too. Poor
D. burmannii, just getting the one-two punch.
I was very very annoyed to see aphids on my
Utricularia longifolia flower stalk. Either because of the aphids, or because of the repeated applications of Take Down, a few of the buds didn't develop, and the older ones faded earlier than I had expected.
![I don't know what's with that weird glow around the flowers. I couldn't find a good way to get rid of it in Photoshop. Utricularia longifolia flowers with aphid damage.](https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8827/17159621726_f2e676da05_c.jpg) |
I'm still very happy to have these flowers. |
At least they're gone now. I think. The new flowers still look great.
Whenever I talk about pests in my collection I like to also talk about bugs getting eaten. This is a fly that got trapped by my
Dionaea 'B-52' just as my roommate and my dad were out looking at my
Sarracenia with me.
![There's a funny little video of everybody looking at this fly getting eaten. Maybe I'll post it someday. Dionaea 'B-52' with fly.](https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5461/16997715228_5d1b7e381d_c.jpg) |
It was a whole mini-drama. |
This photo is very ghoulish – the fly is reaching its front legs out in a (futile) attempt to escape.
Before I started growing carnivores I was never the sort of kid to, say, burn an ant hill with a magnifying glass, or pull the wings off of moths. I catch spiders in my house and put them outside instead of smashing them. Carnivorous plants, though, have a certain elegant brutality that allows me to appreciate their particular style of minor violence. Just look that that
Dionaea photo. It's grim.
. . .
Btw one of my
Byblis liniflora is forming a stem.
![I really wanna grow B. gigantea and B. guehoi but apparently they're very fiddly. Hrm. Byblis liniflora forming stalk.](https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7584/17185466745_3d61585f7c_c.jpg) |
Now I'm becoming enamored of Byblis. This could be a problem. |
Nice!
Same thing happened to my D. aliciae re: multiple crown divisions. I've been inspecting it and cannot find any evidence of pests but so far it has about 3-4 growth points. I'll be posting an update shortly.
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