What is eating my epi flower buds?

Trouble shoot problems you are having with your cactus.
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douglas_scott
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Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2022 6:58 pm
Location: Silicon Valley, CA, USA

What is eating my epi flower buds?

Post by douglas_scott »

I have been growing epiphyllums for 50 years, and for 25 years here in the Bay Area of California, and never until this past month have I had a problem with something eating the flower buds off my plants. No new green growth has been touched. There is no sign of snails or slugs. I have enclosed a picture of one of the half-eaten buds (I broke it off the plant). Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
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Aeonium2003
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Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2021 2:53 am
Location: Central California

Re: What is eating my epi flower buds?

Post by Aeonium2003 »

My best guess is birds...
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BryanT
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Joined: Tue May 25, 2021 9:53 am
Location: Vic, AUS

Re: What is eating my epi flower buds?

Post by BryanT »

Lots of animals (birds, insects, reptiles, mammals and etc.) eat flowers and flower buds. If snails/slugs, you can see them at night. Looks like also possible a small mammal. You might want to check it during night time. Sometime they can even hiding inside that particular pot/plant.
Once I had mice inside one of the larger cactus pot.
If only one plant, I would isolates that particular plant, if it still happen, then the culprit is in the pot itself.
Bryan
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douglas_scott
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Apr 25, 2022 6:58 pm
Location: Silicon Valley, CA, USA

Re: What is eating my epi flower buds?

Post by douglas_scott »

This has happened to almost every plant I have along the back of my house. Definitely some creature that can gather the buds and then sit and eat them (I found a small pile). I've lost an entire season's worth of flowers, unless the epis all grow new ones. :(
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