Venus flytraps are carnivorous plants that hunt their prey for survival. It makes the plant a unique addition to your houseplant collection. As you can guess, the proper type of prey plays an integral role in the survival of the plant. So, if you have a Venus flytrap, you must have often wondered what to feed this exotic houseplant. You may ask how to feed Venus fly trap.
Outdoor Venus flytrap
Generally, the Venus flytrap is capable enough to hunt its prey and survive with it. It uses sweet-smelling nectar to help it draw insects into the trap. As soon as they enter the trap, it snaps shut, and the plant starts to digest the prey. So, if you let your Venus flytrap grow outdoors, you don’t need to be too concerned as the plant would arrange for its food.
Indoor Venus flytrap
However, the problem arises when you grow the plant indoors as there is a lack of insects in an indoor climate. It renders the Venus flytrap unable to hunt its prey. Thus, you need to provide it with food to ensure that it survives and stays healthy.
How to feed indoor Venus Fly Trap?
In the case of indoor fly traps, you can provide them with food once every two to three weeks. While feeding them live bugs can be fun, it is not suggested. The live bugs may escape and cause nuisance indoors. Thus, the ideal way is to feed it dead bugs. While smaller traps and seedlings prefer tiny bugs and beetles, larger traps can digest adult crickets, grasshoppers as well as spiders.
There are different types of dead bugs such as blood worms, dried crickets, or grasshoppers that can provide the ideal nutrition to your flytrap. However, since the insects are dead and the traps need to detect at least two taps to snap shut, you need to trigger the traps yourself.
Simply place the bug inside the trap and use a stick to touch the inside of the trap. It will help imitate the movement of the insect and activate the sensory trichomes. The trichomes will then cause the trap to snap shut, and the digestion process shall start.
You can feed your Venus flytrap live bugs if the plant is grown in a terrarium with an escape-proof net. Release the bugs in the terrarium. The sweet-smelling nectar will draw the bugs to the trap, and the plant shall hunt the bugs and successfully survive.
What to avoid while feeding a Venus fly trap?
However, remember to avoid feeding it a bug that is larger than 1/3rd of the size of the plant. Be careful while artificially activating the trap as it may be damaged without proper care.
Do not go for large live flies as they may damage the trap. Avoid meat or human foods such as cheese, as the plant cannot digest them. It will eventually lead to rotting. Ensure that your plant is not overfed if you are providing them food artificially.
Thus, this is how you can feed your Venus flytrap to ensure that it stays healthy and strong.