I've recently noticed something's been munching on my Crested Eve's Needle cactus. I live in Arizona and have been keeping cacti and succulents outside for about 15 years without issues. I also have water bowls outside for local wildlife like birds and lizards. I hadn't refilled the water bowl for a couple of days, and when I went to do it, I found bite marks on my cactus, with one chunk almost completely bitten through, so I cut that off. I thought it might be after the moisture, so I've been keeping the water bowl filled. However, I found part of the cactus lying over this evening, and there's also some digging happening in the pot. Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this damage? And how can I stop it? My other plants are fine, so I'm really puzzled about this!
2 Answers
It sounds like you might be dealing with some kind of rodent. They tend to be the sneaky little culprits that chew on plants for moisture. If you’re seeing smooth bite marks, that could be a sign. Even if you’ve never spotted any rodents, they can be stealthy! You might want to set up some traps or a deterrent to see if it helps protect your cactus.
Another possibility could be insects or even some digging critters like rabbits or squirrels. Sometimes they don't leave obvious signs, but they can be attracted to the moisture in the soil. You could try using some organic repellents or even a physical barrier around your plant to help keep them away.
That's a great idea! I didn’t consider insects or smaller critters. I’ll look into some barriers or repellents to see if that helps.
I thought about rodents too, but the bite marks seem a bit too smooth. I haven't seen any around, but maybe they're just really good at hiding!