How do I prevent lizards from eating orchid blooms?
 

I have noticed some of my orchid blooms and even sometimes the roots of my orchids eaten partially or even completely. These orchids are outside and up until now I had no idea what it was.
Now I managed to catch a lizard in the act of eating a bit of an unopened bloom on my new Vanda spike who's buds have started to separate from the spike and get larger and take on colour.
It actually bit a hole through the unopened bloom, thankfully i caught it in time. Had i realized initially i would have caught it and done away with it.

I need to know how i can either rid the area outside of lizards where the orchids are, or how do I prevent them from eating my orchid blooms; which in turn deforms the otherwise beautiful blooms.

Someone please help ASAP! :(

Sorry to hear that. What kind of lizard? Iguana?

Nah, some common green lizard with the orangey red tail.

There are very few lizards that are omnivores Iguana are one. I suspect the lizard was eating something that was eating the flower, or when it grabbed the insect it also took a bite out of the flower. You might try inspecting your orchid for bugs. If it is in fact eating your orchids the only thing that is fool proof is to put it in a inclosure. You can try using a pepper spray, but will have to reapply after watering and rain. I have had problems with squirrels, and mice eating mine.

the buds emit sweet nectar that is consumed by insects and hummingbirds...that lizard was eating the insect...lizards do not bite(unless it was a gecko=one bit my finger and wont let go until my friend singed it with live coal from his cigarette)...lizards have a sticky tongue to catch their food...so I dont know how you can tell that the lizard ate your buds...
reptiles dont eat flowers or veggies...they eat insects or small mammals or fish

I'm afraid to say it but it was not eating an insect, I maintain a strict spraying regimen, no insects on the orchids themselves. I literally watched it eating the bloom. Sometimes they eat the roots, and even worse the sever the bloom completely from the spike. :(

I have read that if you wrap the base of the orchid or spike with cotton they won't go for the blooms. I'm not sure how true that is though. :blushing:

Iguana, bearded dragons, and other lizards do eat vegetation. Even chameleons, primarily carnivores, will eat vegetation. I've watched my veiled chameleons eat the scheffelera in their enclosures.

They do have mucous membranes. I think the pepper might work a bit, they like green pepper, but that's not hot. You can either make a spray on, with traditional tabasco or other hot sauce, or make a thicker paste in a blender with whole peppers and paint it on, or sprinkle dry powder on when still wet with dew.

If that doesn't work, physical protection is your only option.

Best of luck with it.

That sounds like it could very well work.....thanks a bunch! :biggrin:

Be very careful when using hot pepper on your plants. If you have ever handled a hot pepper you may remember the burning sensation on your hands and mouth. That is the volatile oils in the pepper burning your skin. It will do the same to your plant if the pepper is applied too thick. You only need enough to cause a painful response. You can try wrapping cheesecloth around the plant.

Ok thanks. I wasn't going to do it thick at all the first time around so i can observe.
But I will also try the cheesecloth :)