Pets Plants and thoughts

17 years ago

I have the week off and feeling good today. I walked around and looked at my Brugs. It has not been a good blooming year. I have only had one bloom on one and now I have two that are blooming or are getting ready to bloom.

I got my cat last year his name is Ferdinand aka Ferdi. I have been searching for a dog and finally found my baby.. Irish Matiff. Here is the pic Ferdi and BB bonding. LOL

I did not know how the meeting was going to go. Ferdi is a loving cat. He is my velcro baby wants to be in my lap kissing and hugging me. I did not think he was going to like sharing.

It is about time to move 100s of tropical and houseplants inside for the winter. My thoughts were... Why do everybody talk about bugs. I keep the varigated brugs growing all winter and the Plummies growing all winter and I never have one incident of bugs.

I have every room of my house full of houseplants that go outside every summer and in the winter. Never, never any bugs. I have been thinking of what is my secret. Could it be...I do not like a hot house thermostate is always at 68. I vac the entire house every evening. I have two birds. Everything always have a light powder on them. Birds are dusty critters. LOL

So I have come to the conclusion I do not get bugs because there is too much dust from the birds to survive in my house.

Your thoughts....

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Comments (4)

daniellalell
17 years ago
AAaaaawww!!! they are sooo cute!!!! Congrats on the new puppy!!
You are lucky regarding the bugs! If you can figure it out let me know!! LOL!
I recently got a bird..how many birds do you have?
Do you keep your brugs and plumeria under lights or just by windows?
karyn1
17 years ago
Your puppy is too cute. I love mastiffs, actually I just like big dogs and those 2 look like they are gettting along just fine. I wonder what he'll look like in another 120 lbs? lol

If you never have to deal with bugs consider yourself lucky. I have to winter over 400+ container plants and another couple hundred plants that I allow to go dormant and I've never not had some type of infestation, especially mealy bugs, scale and aphids. I also don't use any insecticides except for Forbid and Fluromite and that was to take care of mites which couldn't be controlled by other means. The plants in the greenhouses are easier to care for over the winter because I can control the humidity and still use the misters when necessary but the grow room in my house is more difficult to keep humidified. The sucking insects thrive in dry conditions. If I kept the humidity up as high in the house as I did the greenhouses my walls would be full of mold and crumbling. lol The HID MH lights also heat and dry out the air. The fluroscent lights don't produce any heat but also don't produce the same quality of light as the MH bulbs and don't cover as wide an area. I have two 1000 watt set ups in the grow room.

I don't think it has anything to do with the dust. I also have a bird (only one) but I have 7 chinchillas which bathe in dust and talk about dust getting everywhere!!!! It's a PITA. I also have lots of other pets and we don't have carpeting except for a few rooms with area rugs. The floors are wood, tile or slate so there's nothing to trap the dust. We pretty much keep the house at 70 year round. You are damn lucky and must be doing something right not to get any pests. I wouldn't question it just keep doing whatever you are doing. lol
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givelittle_getlots
17 years ago
It has not been a good brug year for most of us. So you are not alone ;-) I am with Karyn, just be happy and continue what you are doing.

We keep the same temps in the house as you do but I still got white flies (are those nasty little flies called white flies?) like crazy.

Now I have a kitten that likes to eat plants and I have no idea WHERE I will put all the plants that MUST come in the house.

Karyn what do you mean, you actually only have ONE bird? roflmao

come on...you can handle another!!! ha ha ha

Lucy
marquest
Original Author
17 years ago
daniellalell, thank you. I keep the Plummies and Brugs by sunny windows. Since I moved I now have a sunroom/breakfast room so last winter they stayed in that room.

karyn1, LOL yes she will be a monster and I am sure so will my food bill. I envy you your greenhouse. That is my next goal if BB does not eat the money for the structure. I have not had a dog in 18 years. My last dog was a German Sheperd. I had her for 17 years I greieved when she had to be put to sleep and I said I would never get a dog again. But my daughter pushed me into doing this dog owner thing again. I get so attached. I am a little isolated on 4 acres and she thought we should have a dog and we have the space.

I have about 30 tropicals and about 100 houseplants that I keep in various rooms. The Cannas and EEs I keep in the basement. I decorated my laundry room. I call it my Tacky Tikki room. It has wicker furniture and bamboo on the walls and if any of you are old and remember the 70s when those big fans were popular I have those on the walls also. LOL

My old house I had w-w carpet. The new house I have hardwood and area rugs. Both houses had/have steam heat could be another plus against bugs. I have two medium size birds African Grey and Cockatoo. Both very good talkers maybe they tell bugs to stay out.

Lucy, I think I placed my brugs in too much sun. I was use to gardening in part shade. I have not had a full sun area in 20 yrs I was so excited I put everything in full blazzing sun sun up to sun down placement. I learned that may not have been the best choice.

This will be the second winter in this house so I will knock on wood that my good luck with no bugs continue. I brought this up because I was wondering if anyone else shared my expereience.