For 25 years I have ignored my back yard and paid a gardener. Get a couple of CDTs and now I am planting and fighting bugs and worrying about pesticides.
I put in some hybiscus and a Chinese Lantern among others so now I have snails, whitefly and aphids.
I talked to a Master Gardener and he suggested emulsified canola oil. Who'd thunk of that? Not me. I checked online and this is what the EPA says:
http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/biopesticides/ingredients/factsheets/factsheet_011332.htm#description
Of course, they do not mention tortoises but that is is not harmful to humans. Nice to know since I have cooked with it for years.
As anyone tried canola oil on plants to fight bugs? Seen any adverse affects on their torts?
I am $90.00 poorer but much wiser.
One of my CDTs went under the fence to a neighbor's yard. It was there at 4:00pm and gone at 7:00pm went I went to pull them inside. Searched the yard for about an hour and could not find it. I figured it was asleep somewhere and I would find it in the morning.
Not out at 6:00am and I had to leave. Home at 10:00am and still no sign of him. By 1:00 I was going to start searching the neighborhood but I thought to check with the neighbor first.
Turns out it had gone under the fence, she spotted him at 10:00am that morning and immediately called Animal Control. They came right away and by the time I was at her door at 1:00 they were long gone. I checked their website and he was already posted as a found animal.
They did release it to me but the ONLY reason was because I had registered the CDT with my local California Turtle and Tortoise Club and had the paperwork and registration number. Pictures, vet records, details from the neighbor and hysteria was not enough to get it back. So it cost me $2.50 in board and $90.00 for the pickup but I got it back.
So if you have a CDT and have NOT registered it I STRONGLY suggest that you do. There is no charge and it may make the difference between getting the tortoise released back to you or losing it.
http://tortoise.org/general/permit.html
Lisa
I put in some hybiscus and a Chinese Lantern among others so now I have snails, whitefly and aphids.
I talked to a Master Gardener and he suggested emulsified canola oil. Who'd thunk of that? Not me. I checked online and this is what the EPA says:
http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/biopesticides/ingredients/factsheets/factsheet_011332.htm#description
Of course, they do not mention tortoises but that is is not harmful to humans. Nice to know since I have cooked with it for years.
As anyone tried canola oil on plants to fight bugs? Seen any adverse affects on their torts?
I am $90.00 poorer but much wiser.
One of my CDTs went under the fence to a neighbor's yard. It was there at 4:00pm and gone at 7:00pm went I went to pull them inside. Searched the yard for about an hour and could not find it. I figured it was asleep somewhere and I would find it in the morning.
Not out at 6:00am and I had to leave. Home at 10:00am and still no sign of him. By 1:00 I was going to start searching the neighborhood but I thought to check with the neighbor first.
Turns out it had gone under the fence, she spotted him at 10:00am that morning and immediately called Animal Control. They came right away and by the time I was at her door at 1:00 they were long gone. I checked their website and he was already posted as a found animal.
They did release it to me but the ONLY reason was because I had registered the CDT with my local California Turtle and Tortoise Club and had the paperwork and registration number. Pictures, vet records, details from the neighbor and hysteria was not enough to get it back. So it cost me $2.50 in board and $90.00 for the pickup but I got it back.
So if you have a CDT and have NOT registered it I STRONGLY suggest that you do. There is no charge and it may make the difference between getting the tortoise released back to you or losing it.
http://tortoise.org/general/permit.html
Lisa
