Sago Palm Scare

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by kjc

That sounds like a ticking time bomb to me... even when the seeds are gone from the trees, there's no telling how long they'll just be laying around.

Just thinking, maybe talk to an arborist, maybe they can treat the trees to make them non-fertile (non seed producing)?

It really is scaring the heck out of me. The problem is that the plants are everywhere!!! Not just the one neighbor.....many neighbors have them and that is what I can SEE. Who knows how many are in their backyards. I really DO need to come up with a better solution...walking around the yard is just not enough. It will only take one bite that I don't see.

My son is coming over today and I am going to work with him to come up with something I can do for now to keep my pups away from the fence line as that is where they all are. That alone tells me it is something that walks along the fence.

[yorkietalkjilly]

I remember when we lived in Houston, there were palm trees everywhere! I didn't know one from the other at the time but some sure did look like those pictures of the Sago Palm now that I know what it is. We used to break off fronds and bring them into the apartment to use for decoration in flower arrangements or by themselves. They were huge. Fresh, they were pretty and we had zillions everywhere! Now I know some of them were deadly to our little Buffy, though somehow he never ate any of the Sago Palm seeds obviously. He never was sick a day.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly

I remember when we lived in Houston, there were palm trees everywhere! I didn't know one from the other at the time but some sure did look like those pictures of the Sago Palm now that I know what it is. We used to break off fronds and bring them into the apartment to use for decoration in flower arrangements or by themselves. They were huge. Fresh, they were pretty and we had zillions everywhere! Now I know some of them were deadly to our little Buffy, though somehow he never ate any of the Sago Palm seeds obviously. He never was sick a day.

Not sure you used them...they have really pointy ends that poke your skin. They really hurt! There are so many different types of palms...

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

Not sure you used them...they have really pointy ends that poke your skin. They really hurt! There are so many different types of palms...

I DO remember that nasty little aspect about our fronds from our apartment acreage. You could get hurt on the ones we had. Still, maybe most fronds have the points like that for all I know. I just used what we had nearby.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by yorkietalkjilly

I DO remember that nasty little aspect about our fronds from our apartment acreage. You could get hurt on the ones we had. Still, maybe most fronds have the points like that for all I know. I just used what we had nearby.

Yep, they are quite nasty. I cannot believe you took them inside...but I imagine they looked pretty.

[yorkietalkjilly]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

Yep, they are quite nasty. I cannot believe you took them inside...but I imagine they looked pretty.

They really were super sharp. We didn't play with them or anything obviously but it wasn't hard to keep them from hurting you. A fresh one of those in the fireplace in the summer was very pretty for a special evening or something. When they lost their luster, we tossed them into the dumpster. Just about every one in the complex had one or more during the summer, even the manager. During a luau type party, they were everywhere.

[Wylie's Mom]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

I am seriously annoyed with him. I called him that day and he was busy...he seemed very disinterested. I have yet to hear from him. I will wait until he is back in town (works out of town) and speak with him in person. I am going to have a flyer with information in hand. I am making one up to give to all of the neighbors. The only one I have spoken with so far is the one on the other side and she was very grateful to me for advising her. She has two pups and had no idea about the sago palm.

Were you able to talk to him yet...if yes, how did it go? I hope he was more receptive bc this is really scary .

Originally Posted by ladyjane

I don't know what to think. I found SEVEN of those seeds in my yard this morning. They were all in the flower beds/in the corners of the yard where there are big plants. All of them had the skin off. I have not seen any squirrels .. no clue what is doing this. Maybe opossums?? UGH This is totally freaking me out...I cannot possibly cover every single inch of my yard. I have a fence up by the one corner .. guess I need to put one up in the other. *sigh*

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

Were you able to talk to him yet...if yes, how did it go? I hope he was more receptive bc this is really scary .

No, he was not receptive at all. He joked about it. My son was here at the time and he knows how he is...he told me to just forget it and reminded me that those plants are everywhere. It is difficult to deal with people like that....and I don't want to fight with the neighbors. I am going to Lowe's and get some more of the fencing that looks like wrought iron...I have it across one corner of the yard and at one side. I am going to put it across the other corner and at the other side. That will pretty much cover where most of the seeds were found.

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

I don't know what to think. I found SEVEN of those seeds in my yard this morning. They were all in the flower beds/in the corners of the yard where there are big plants. All of them had the skin off. I have not seen any squirrels .. no clue what is doing this. Maybe opossums?? UGH This is totally freaking me out...I cannot possibly cover every single inch of my yard. I have a fence up by the one corner .. guess I need to put one up in the other. *sigh*

I'm just seeing this now . . . So frustrating and scary! Why is this happening now? I hope you and your son can come up with a solution.

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

No, he was not receptive at all. He joked about it. My son was here at the time and he knows how he is...he told me to just forget it and reminded me that those plants are everywhere. It is difficult to deal with people like that....and I don't want to fight with the neighbors. I am going to Lowe's and get some more of the fencing that looks like wrought iron...I have it across one corner of the yard and at one side. I am going to put it across the other corner and at the other side. That will pretty much cover where most of the seeds were found.

Sorry to hear your neighbor doesn't care. I hope the additional interior fencing solves the problem.

[chachi]

Linda Im sorry your still finding the seeds I hope the additional fencing helps. I was going to put one of these in my yard and decided against it

[ladyjane]

I think I found out the culprits! My son was over yesterday and we were looking around...he found a burrow underneath the cable box that is in the corner of my yard. Interestingly, I have had some intermittent issues with my tvs .. they all seem to get scrambled at times and the sound cuts out. That box is for the neighborhood so if it continued we would all be without reception! I will bet something is chewing the cables under there.

I called the exterminator yesterday and he was here this morning. He lifted the one side of the cable box and underneath it were some sago seeds...some of them chewed in half! He is quite sure it is a rat burrow *shudder* . He said that it could be a baby possum, but he is leaning towards rats. He did not lift the entire box since we had no idea for sure what might be lurking. There is a fence in that corner so he put some traps back there...and we will see what happens. It all makes sense because I find them in the mornings so it is something that is out at night. They need to go find another place to live. Not welcome here!

[Maximo]

I hope you have found the culprit and that your problems will be over once the critter is given a ride out of town, or exterminated.

[mimimomo]

Yay you found the culprit but yikes meece loll, hope it'll get taken care of soon. So these sago palm seeds are not harmful to the rats? The whole plant is poisonous to us humans & pets right? (if ingested)

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by mimimomo

Yay you found the culprit but yikes meece loll, hope it'll get taken care of soon. So these sago palm seeds are not harmful to the rats? The whole plant is poisonous to us humans & pets right? (if ingested)

I asked him that and he did not know...knowing Andrew, he will find out! Funny...he uses pecans as bait....said now maybe sago palms will be second to pecans.