This new (to my collection) pest is quite destructive. Damage may include nibbled leaves, physical displacement, or as in this case, whole or partial disbudding. To my knowledge, there is no effective treatment.
dangerous new hoya pest
Beware!
Oh dear!! I had to lol at that picture! Such determination and cunning.. what a hoot! Well, I guess it's not such a hoot when you find that your unopened blooms have been separated from the plant and turned into the new batting target of said dangerous pest. Forgiveness is next on your list.. right?
Aside from that, can you please tell me the name of that gorgeous Hoya? I do believe I need one.
Thanks,
Barb (new to the Hoya world and lovin' it)
:0..... I don't know weather to scream,laugh,or cry..... I'll tell ya, you are way to forgiving.... You could get a dog.... Oh then what a mess that would be, you wouldn't have a hoya left.. I knew there was some reason I didn't like cats.
Barb, it's a Hoya imperialis. Here is one of the surviving flowers:
Mark....I used to have a cat that ate thru my telephone cords when I was out of the house (passive agression at its finest). Tired of buying new cords, the vet told me to wipe the cord with citronella - bought at a pharmacy. I wonder ifyou rub it on the pot the new pest will leave it alone....?
IN-credible!!! That is something else.
Thanks so much for the info. That one is definitely at the TOP of my wish list.
And good luck with the taming of the "pest".
Barb
OMG I would probably laugh and cry at the same time. Gotta love them! I have been watching the first bloom develop on my stapelia for two weeks. Scared something is going to get it before it opens. With 4 cats in this household I know how you feel.
lol!! Just look at that predatory stance......!!
Mark,
Thank you for sharing, I had to laugh, as I had a black mischievous cat although he didn't go after my plants with the exception of a spider plant. I found out that the plant was poisonous to cats, so got rid of that plant. You can use a spray bottle with water and when you see the kitty misbehaving you just squirt the kitty. The kitty will catch on pretty quick. I know it won't do you any good when you are away at work, but hopefully you won't keep losing your beautiful flowers. Does you cat have real cat toys, besides the flowers? Back to the plant....do you grow this plant in the house? The blooms are beautiful. Can you take a picture of the whole plant? It didn't look big enough to have those huge blooms. I am curious as I grow all my Hoyas in the house. Thanks Mark, love those pictures, they are true winners. Deb
Catnip plants. This is the only treatment I have found effective in treating this pest. We have two ourselves, this helps sustain the problem!
Heather
OH, I love the pic. It is to funny and cute !! The frustration of having a beautiful bloom batted around after waiting all year would be bad. Cats are so independent and full of mischief. I am sure your cat knows which plant you have been watching for blooms and attacked that one! LOL They do know how to try their "parents" tolerance, but you have to love them My cat likes to jump up on the plant stand by my window and lay there. He very carefully knocks a plant off and watches it fall. Then he gets a look on his face like what happened and wonders why I get upset!.
Deb, that is the whole plant in the picture. It's small, only three leaf nodes. I think the blooming at this early age is a fluke.
This message was edited Sep 28, 2005 4:04 PM
Dogs have Masters.
Cats have Staff.
Looks like you have a Hoya stalking cat! He looks ready to attack that flower. What a hoot!!!
*LOL* Wonderful pics, and you have a beautiful cat and imperialis (at least the flowers) nice that you´ve got flowers at such a small plant. Hope one of my little ones soon will flower too :)
Get a load of the LOOK on that cats eye in the first pic. Ha. I just noticed that. Looks like he just spotted the most delicious bird around.
Speaking of this plant, it IS truely amazing to me that it is blooming at that size. I have a plant that is actually 2 of those bean-stalks in a pot that has sat there just growing taller for 2 and a half years and done nothing but get yellow leaves every so often. Ha
It amazes me too the way this plant grows. Not at all like most other hoyas (vining all over the place). It just goes straight UP. Certainly requires a stake, but just a straight one because you don't bend this one around. I wonder how TALL it gets before it stops? Ha. Guess it is "The"TREE" of the hoya world. Ha.
Marcy
What an awesome color! Luv the picture to!
:) Donna
Mark, you are so lucky to get a bloom. I have had my plant a long time and it has never even attempted to bloom for me. I had give a cutting to my neighbors who have a sun room and the plant really grew (vines 5-6 feet long), and tried blooming several times for them, but the buds always blasted. When they repainted they had to cut the plant down as they had it attached to the wall, and it continued to die back. I got it back when it was just one 2 foot stem with just a couple of leaves. The few remaining leaves slowly all fell off but the stem continued to be green, so I continued to water it. After a couple of months it is starting to put on some new leaves. This plant is a fighter! So a rooted plant can still survive with no leaves. Deb
Yeah, imperialis is difficult indoors, being an eriostemma. I don't know if I'm going to continue to grow it, as it gets huge and needs lots of light and air movement to flower. I don't think I have the space. The flowers are remakable, but you really sort of have to bend down and look up to see them properly, you know? and no scent, as of yet, although I keep trying! Maybe one of those plants that looks better in pictures...
Isn't there a hoya that flowers with the flowers sticking straight UP? Seems like I saw that somewhere. Does anyone know what that one is?
Marcy
Marcy, I think mitrata does that.
Christina
If it was between the cat or the hoya blooming...the cat would have to go:-).
Blessings,
Awanda