Collared Peccary (aka Javelina)

[Gee.S]

This is a fight you cannot win. These Central American migrants generally leave Agaves and Yuccas alone, but can demonstrate great interest in cacti, especially cacti they may be unfamiliar with. They can dig them up, knock them over, feast on roots, or in the case of Mammilaria, eat them whole as if they are M&Ms. They might also mow down Hesperaloe and devour any number of small succulents. Give them a shot at your Crassulaceae collection, and you'll never know you had one. If peccaries go after cacti they don't immediately kill, move them out of harm's way, and try some different plants. In the end, if peccaries are around you can only grow what they will permit.

Collared Peccary

100_0887a.jpg (157.33 KiB) Viewed 5028 times

Collared Peccary

100_0897a.jpg (141.05 KiB) Viewed 5028 times

Collared Peccary

100_0888a.jpg (141.68 KiB) Viewed 5028 times

[Stan]

Electric fencing? I mean,you (might) only need a single hot strand compared to the expense of full blown fencing for hundreds of feet.

[mcvansoest]

A colleague who lives on the south side of South Mountain right close to one of the big washes coming down it had issue with them - they are incredibly persistent and voracious once they discover that your yard is the place with the good stuff. Turns out Javelinas cannot jump very high so they ended up putting in a 3 feet tall wall to fence off their front yard, which was the only part not walled in already anyway, but they had to also put a gate on their drive way...

Their experience is that they indeed leave Agaves and Yuccas alone, but any kind of smaller cactus, or new growth on taller established cacti was immediately completely devoured.

[Gee.S]

A colleague who lives on the south side of South Mountain right close to one of the big washes coming down it had issue with them - they are incredibly persistent and voracious once they discover that your yard is the place with the good stuff. Turns out Javelinas cannot jump very high so they ended up putting in a 3 feet tall wall to fence off their front yard, which was the only part not walled in already anyway, but they had to also put a gate on their drive way...

Their experience is that they indeed leave Agaves and Yuccas alone, but any kind of smaller cactus, or new growth on taller established cacti was immediately completely devoured.

Just a point of emphasis, note use of the word "wall". If you try a fence, it had better be a good one.

[Spination]

Well...since they already have collars, how about attaching a leash?

Sorry...

[Melt in the Sun]

In thinking through my sale list and chatting w/ McVansoest about Echinopsis hybrids, I've been forced to consider how much I've lost to these smelly bastards in the last couple years. I had virtually no issues for ~10 years, then after the failed monsoon of 2020 a local pack discovered my yard and visited on and off until I dug everything up and sold the house. I agree w/ everything written above, but will add a bit of my experience:

Most aloe leaves seem unpalatable, but that doesn't mean they won't disfigure them by taking a bite and stomping all over the whole place. The roots however are tasty, so they will be happy to grab a hold of a plant and yank, then chew them to upside down stumps. A. peglarae and tongaensis were repeatedly visited, after I was foolish enough to re-plant them after rooting; the trunk on my poor tongaensis is covered in teeth marks. They dug up small things (e.g. elgonica and variegata) and just scattered them for fun. Rare stuff like big ikiorum and framesii, eaten whole. They like to bite off flower stalks too

Cacti are a crapshoot. They love Echinopsis hybrids, the more smaller and more expensive the better. Many just vanished from my yard and I noticed weeks later. I often found shreds scattered; they can't see very well so clumpers usually had lots of offsets for me to save (but now I have no idea what they are). The bigger ones (e.g. 'Flying Saucer') they just chew at the base like beavers then munch up the stem. Most of those I was able to save. Most feros and other large stuff was fine. Tephrocactus - spiny ones thrown around for fun, naked ones eaten.

Agaves were mostly left alone no matter how small, except like with aloes they'll bite off small flower stalks then leave them on the ground, preventing an excited gardener from propagating A. 'Dianita'.

I don't think they ever touched the Stapelia species (had a bunch), but it's possible I just never noticed.

If I sound bitter, I am. Their babies aren't even cute - they're little round turds with feet, that scream at night to let you know plant destruction is coming.

[Aeonium2003]

Do they eat Euphorbias? Perhaps the poisonous Euphorbia sap could be used to drive them away...

[Melt in the Sun]

Do they eat Euphorbias? Perhaps the poisonous Euphorbia sap could be used to drive them away...

Not that I ever noticed!

[Epiphyte]

How do they taste?

[Melt in the Sun]

Like tough lean pork mixed with dirt, from the few I was able to catch (kidding; no animals were harmed during the writing of this post, but a bow-hunting friend did give me some backstrap)