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Feeding a venus flytrap


FAQ: What should I feed my Venus flytrap?

Tom

By Tom

Short Answer

Probably nothing… yet.

If you want your Venus flytrap to be happy and grow big colourful traps, there are lots of things you should do before thinking about what to feed it for dinner.

It might sound boring, but your little plant will be much healthier with proper watering, lots of bright sunlight, and - in the longer run - a cold winter dormancy than with bits of food being dropped into its traps.

Once you’ve taken care of their basic growing requirements - or if you simply can’t wait any longer - read on…

Fun Answer

Venus flytraps are cool, and feeding them is fun. What’s more, even the healthiest plant will eventually slow down its growth if it doesn’t catch any prey. If your plant lives outdoors, or if you can put it outside on sunny days, then it will catch all the food it needs without your help. But if you really want to feed your plant yourself, then there are 5 important things to bear in mind:

  1. Don’t give your plant anything it wouldn’t catch naturally. That means no chocolate, chicken, or other human food. Bugs only!

  2. Don’t give your plant fertiliser or any other normal ‘plant food’ - like most carnivorous plants, they prefer to grow in nutrient-poor soil.

  3. Closing a trap requires a lot of energy, so don’t trigger them if you aren’t feeding them. For the same reason, don’t overfeed your plant - one trap per week is more than enough.

  4. Don’t feed your plant anything that’s larger than about 1/3 the size of the trap - it needs to fully seal to digest its meal, and so prey which is too large may rot the trap, causing it to turn black.

  5. Digestion only starts if the trap’s trigger hairs are stimulated after it has closed. If you’re using a dead bug, use a toothpick or cocktail stick to gently ’tickle’ the hairs through the gaps after the trap’s closed over the prey. It’ll soon seal shut.

Next up, the menu!

The best foods for your Venus flytrap:

The Venus flytrap menu: mealworms, bloodworms, and crickets. View on Amazon.

All three of these foods are suitable for other carnivorous plants as well as Venus flytraps (Dionaea muscipula). Bloodworms are ideal for almost all species, particularly sundews (Drosera) and butterworts (Pinguicula), while mealworms and crickets are often good for larger pitcher plants (Sarracenia and Nepenthes).

An all-red cultivar of the Venus flytrap awaiting its next meal.

How often should you feed a Venus flytrap?

If you’ve taken care of all its other needs, you can safely feed a Venus flytrap every month of the growing season. Simply pop bugs into 3 or 4 large open traps, stimulate the hairs as described above, and your plant will thank you for it!

Do venus flytraps need live food?

While Venus flytraps and other carnivorous plants will gratefully accept live insects, I’ve found it’s rarely worth the hassle. Mealworms have been known to burrow out of traps, and crickets move so quickly they can easily escape. Some growers purchase tubs of live crickets from specialist reptile or amphibian shops and place the container in the freezer for several minutes to ‘stun’ the bugs, making them easier to feed to their plants. But unless you’re insistent on a diet of live food, dried mealworms are often the best option (link).

Whatever you do, don’t forget to take care of their other needs first! For that, be sure to read my complete Venus flytrap growing guide or grab a copy of Peter D’Amato’s carnivorous plant “bible”, The Savage Garden. You might also want to subscribe to my email newsletter below to be notified when I publish my next article.

Happy growing!

Tom

By Tom

Site Owner

I've been growing carnivorous plants for over 2 decades, having been fascinated by these plants since I got my first Venus flytrap at age 10. I now have a large greenhouse to house my collection, and sell a variety of carnivorous plants on my shop.

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Venus Flytrap Care: Food, Water, Soil

As the most well-known carnivorous plant, the Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is a unique, delicate, and interesting houseplant with a specific care routine. Unlike other plants, carnivorous plants require supplemental feeding in the form of small live critters such as flies, spiders, and wasps.

Daniela Ribbecke, carnivorous plant expert at California Carnivores, shares tips and facts about the hungry Venus flytrap so you can feel confident caring for yours. 

At a glance

Identifying a Venus flytrap

The Venus flytrap is distinguished by its clusters of half-moon-shaped leaves lined with eyelash-like teeth called cilia. These leaves open up to show a reddish inner surface laced with sweet nectar that lures insects. They're covered with small "trigger hairs." These cause the leaves to snap shut, interlocking the cilia, and trapping its prey. 

Fun fact: As the meat-eaters of the plant world, carnivorous plants like the pitcher plant and the Sundew can be found throughout the globe. The Venus flytrap, however, is one of a kind. "There is only one species of flytrap, whereas other carnivorous plant genera have many species," says Ribbecke.

Feeding Venus flytraps need live prey because movement triggers digestion. Beatrice Murch/Getty Images

You might be used to feeding your houseplants by fertilizing them, but Venus flytraps require a more pet-like care with regular insect and arachnid feedings. Outdoors, your Venus flytrap will eat live critters such as flies, wasps, spiders, grasshoppers, and even slugs.

"If you feed a Venus flytrap something inert, it is unlikely to digest properly and will often pop open again after a day without absorbing any nutrients," says Ribbecke. "It requires the movement of the live bug to stimulate digestion. If grown inside, you can supplement them by feeding one live mealworm to just one trap, once a week."

If you're unsure if your Venus flytrap is eating and digesting its prey, Ribbecke suggests keeping a close eye on your plant and observing its feeding habits.

"When an insect triggers two hairs or one hair twice, like the double click of a mouse, within 20 seconds, the trap is triggered to rapidly close around the prey," says Ribbecke. "As the insect wiggles in the closed trap, the plant will release digestive acids and enzymes to liquefy the insect. In 4-10 days the trap will reopen and only the exoskeleton will remain, which may lure in another predatory bug, thinking it has an easy meal!"

How do Venus flytraps eat?

Water

Venus flytraps are bog plants, meaning they are semiaquatic and naturally grow in or around a wetland. Because of this, Ribbecke says, flytraps always want to be sitting in a saucer of two to three inches of water to mimic their swamp origins. Ensure that the pot your flytrap is in has a drainage hole before placing it in the saucer.

"One big trick to successfully growing carnivorous plants is water quality," says Ribbecke. "They require distilled or reverse osmosis or rainwater. These types of water have little to no dissolved salts and minerals which, when built up in the soil, will kill a carnivorous plant."

It's important to keep your Venus flytrap consistently moist — never soggy and never dried out. Avoid flooding the traps and change the water in the saucer regularly. To prevent root rot, take the potted plant out of the saucer for a few hours daily. 

Potting and fertilizer Venus flytraps thrive in nutrient-poor soil. Chanyanuch Duangkaew / EyeEm/Getty Images

Fertilizing your houseplants is usually a must in their growing seasons, but Venus flytraps and other carnivorous plants grow and thrive from their specific feedings and types of soil.

"Carnivorous plants evolved to trap bugs to get the nutrients they needed, like nitrogen, meaning they require nutrient-poor soils like peat moss," says Ribbecke.

A soil mixture of one part peat moss and one part perlite will provide good aeration and drainage for your Venus flytrap. Repot your plant once a year to promote strong roots, and never use traditional houseplant potting mix or fertilizer. 

Temperature and light

Despite their wispy appearance, Venus flytraps are hardy plants that can survive in temperatures as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit and as high as 110 for brief periods. Ribbecke also reminds the importance of a winter dormancy period.

"These are temperate plants that need to be exposed to temperatures of 50s and 60s in the winter," says Ribbecke. "If you live in an area that is regularly over 90, it would be best to protect your flytraps from the full intensity of the afternoon sun and I would recommend growing them in full morning sun only."

Because of their place of origin, Venus flytraps enjoy growing outdoors, where feeding comes naturally and full sunlight is plenty. To grow your flytrap indoors, Ribbecke recommends a grow light set to a 12 hour day length, placed about 6 to 10 inches above the plant. 

"Venus flytraps are found only in the coastal plain of southeastern North Carolina and extreme northeastern South Carolina," says Ribbecke. "Many are surprised to learn that these are not tropical plants and they actually do best outdoors if possible with full sun, good airflow, and access to lots of live prey."

Common problems

The Venus flytrap's carnivorous nature might lead to assumptions that it will eat just about any bug. However, some insects and pests can actually be harmful to your plant. 

"Carnivorous plants, unfortunately, cannot eat bugs like mites, thrips, aphids, or mealy bugs," says Ribbecke. "Venus flytraps are most likely to be attacked by mites or aphids, which love fresh spring growth." Ribbecke recommends Take Down Garden Spray for aphids, and a miticide for mites. 

To prevent common pests and diseases, keep your flytrap's soil at a consistent moisture level, never soggy, and make sure it gets plenty of sunlight. 

Should I let my Venus flytrap flower? Venus flytraps flower, but it can exhaust the plant. Malisa Nicolau/Getty Images

It's a lesser-known fact that Venus flytraps bloom small white flowers year after year. Letting a Venus flytrap flower can exhaust the plant, becoming sluggish and droopy once the flowers have bloomed. 

"If you have a larger flytrap, you can let it flower. If it is smaller than three inches or so, I recommend pinching off the flowers before they get tall," says Ribbecke. "Flowering usually diverts energy from making the traps, so unless you want to propagate your plant from seeds, focus on more plentiful traps by trimming the flowers."

Insider's takeaway

Venus flytraps may have an unusual look and reputation, but they are fun and easy to care for carnivorous plants. With consistent moisture, nutrient-poor soil, full sun, and access to the right insects and arachnids, your Venus flytrap can become a special and distinct addition to your plant family. 

L. Daniela Alvarez

Daniela is a freelance writer and editor covering plant care, product reviews, home organization, cleaning, and culture. Her work has been published at Insider, The Kitchn, Real Simple, and Apartment Therapy. She is a Chicana from Los Angeles living in San Diego.

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What to feed the Venus flytrap? What does she eat? Selo.Guru - Internet portal about agriculture

Venus flytrap - predator plant . Translated from Latin, Dionaea muscipula translates as a mousetrap.

What to feed - what does it eat, what does it eat?

As mentioned above, the Venus flytrap is a carnivorous plant, and it feeds accordingly.

In its natural habitat, not at home, this strange flower prefers to be captured in its red trap flies, molluscs, spiders and various insects . As soon as such living creatures have the imprudence to land on the surface of its trap, it will slam shut, unless the food has time to get out before the closing moment.

Digestion of food by the Venus flytrap sometimes lasts up to 10-14 days . It happens through the secretion of juice - similar to the human gastric. As soon as the trap opens back, it will mean that it is ready to eat again.

Interestingly, Venus is quite capable of going without food for quite a long period - about 1-2 months , but do not forget that it is a flower first of all, and it needs bright daylight every day. Without it, the plant will begin to wither and die.

When growing a flycatcher at home, you should pay special attention to this and allocate the most illuminated place on the windowsill under a pot with a plant .

The process of photosynthesis occurs when being in daylight, the plant releases the oxygen necessary for people. nine0005

Therefore, do not forget: the sun, natural light are needed to maintain the vital activity of a flower no less, if not more, than mosquitoes or flies.

It is also worth remembering that, like any other plant, venus receives useful macro and microelements from the soil, so you need to take care of this. It is customary to plant it in a mixture of peat and perlite - this way it will receive the greatest amount of useful substances for itself.

Feeding the plant with fertilizers is highly undesirable - it is quite is able to kill this unusual flower literally in a matter of days. It is assumed that even at home, she herself must "hunt" to get her food.

Special note: It is desirable that the food you feed the venus flytrap be alive - only in this way the necessary digestive juices are secreted.

You can feed her spiders, mosquitoes, flies, bees .

Small note : the insect must be at least half the size of the trap itself. It is not recommended to give insects with a too hard shell, otherwise the trap will be damaged. nine0005

Attention! It is strictly forbidden to feed the plant with "human" food - for example, cottage cheese, eggs or meat. The protein they contain can kill Venus.

If you did not know that your pet cannot be fed the above food, then wait until the trap opens and carefully remove the food from there. In no case do not try to open it yourself - you risk severe damage to the plant.

In the photos you can see what to feed the Venus flytrap:

How often should I feed?

Many people ask themselves the question - how often should you feed the Venus predator? There are several features of feeding.

  • If your plant is very young or you have just purchased it, do not start feeding immediately after you bring it home. You have to wait until the flower has 3-4 new leaves under current conditions.
  • A plant that has adapted to the conditions is worth feeding 2 times a month and always live insects: antennae react only to movement. Of course, you can try to feed the plant with inanimate food, but after a couple of days you will see that the venus has opened its trap without digesting the food.
  • In winter, the plant "falls asleep" and it is strictly forbidden to feed it . The winter period begins around November and lasts until the beginning of spring, then venus comes to life again. During this period, it can only be watered, but only if the wintering takes place at an air temperature with a plus sign. nine0072

This unusual plant will not leave anyone indifferent, but it, like all living creatures on this Earth, needs care.

With a little effort, the Venus Flytrap will become your kind of pet, which is interesting to watch and very curious to interact with.

Venus flytrap at home, photo, video and breeding

The amazing Dionea flower or Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is one of the most famous insectivorous plants with a unique trap, and represents only one species in nature. nine0005

Dionaea muscipula grows in one small region of the world - along the East Coast of the United States in a small part of North Carolina and Southern California.

The flower was discovered in the late 1760s and named after the Greek goddess Dionaea, hence the scientific name of the genus Dionaea. The name of the species "muscipula" is translated from Latin as a mousetrap.

Venus flytrap care

Venus flytrap care at home is not difficult at all. It grows well in poor, acidic soils with good water permeability. nine0005

The plant is sensitive to salinity, therefore it does not need fertilizers, and alkaline soils contribute to its death.

Light

Dionea prefers bright indirect lighting for at least 4 hours a day and does not like shade. Just don't put the pot in direct sunlight during the summer, especially if your flower lives in a paludarium. The soil in such conditions can become so hot that it will quickly lead to the death of your pet.

Grows well indoors on east and west windows or under artificial fluorescent light. If the color of the Dionea traps has become dull, and the leaves are thin and stretched out, then the flower does not receive enough sunlight. nine0005

Watering the Venus Flytrap

Never water your Venus flytrap with tap or bottled water, as it contains too many additional compounds that can be harmful to the plant. The ideal option is rain, distilled or filtered water.

Mystery of the Blue Phalaenopsis

Keep the soil and air moist, but do not let the water stagnate in the pot. For all its moisture-loving nature, Dionea does not tolerate stagnant water, which causes the development of root rot. nine0005

You can pour water into the tray to a height of 2 cm - the flower will regulate the moisture supply itself. Good air circulation is also important. In summer, the plant can be taken out into the open air, in a place protected from direct sunlight.

Feeding the Venus flytrap - video

What to feed the Venus flytrap? Although predatory flowers can catch and digest insects and sometimes small animals, they get their food and energy from the sun. These are plants, which means they can carry out photosynthesis. Sunlight for several hours a day is much more important to them than feeding on flies and mosquitoes. nine0005

At home, the Venus flytrap can be fed no more than once every 7-10 days and only one or two traps. A good food cycle for optimal growth is once every two weeks.

Prey must be alive to be able to move and irritate hairs, triggers that are extremely sensitive to movement.

Red Dragon Venus Flytrap

As soon as the hairs touch each other twice, the trap will work and will be closed for several days until the prey is completely digested, leaving one chitinous shell. nine0005

Watch the size of the insects. They must fit freely in the traps so that the flaps can close tightly and infection does not get there.

When growing Dionea in a paludarium, the easiest feeding method is to release small midges or mosquitoes inside the space. The plant itself will decide when to "dine".

If the flaps are triggered frequently, the trap will die, because the flower needs a lot of energy for this action. In this case, it should be carefully cut so that new shoots can develop. nine0005 Alien

Do not feed Dione if:

  • weak or sick;
  • donkey in too humid conditions and lack of sun;
  • has recently been transplanted and the roots have not yet adapted to the new soil;
  • has experienced stress from any cause, including sunburn or over-fertilization of the soil;
  • In addition, flycatchers tend to eat almost no insects during their annual winter dormancy.

Although the plant is carnivorous, it can go without living food for a long period of time - a month or two. nine0005

Venus flytrap in winter

In order for indoor Venus flytrap to survive in the long term, it must have a dormant period of three to five months. Without rest, flowers weaken and die.

Insectivorous sundew in the house

Sleeping dionea is not very attractive to look at. In fact, most people who don't know what a plant looks like during this period might think that it is dying.

Some simply throw away the flower, mistakenly believing that it is dead, since almost all the leaves turn brown and die, and growth almost stops. nine0005

The typical dormant period is from November to February. During this time, your pet still needs light, but for a shorter time. Watering is also reduced, but do not allow the soil to dry out.

The air temperature must be reduced to 8 - 5 degrees. Dead leaves and traps are cut off during the entire hibernation period.

Venus flytrap

Around the end of February, when the days get longer, the growing season begins. However, the active growth of the flower will begin only from the end of May. nine0005

Transplantation

Dionea can be transplanted at any time of the year, but it is better to do it in the spring during the period of active growth. The pot should be deep and narrow, as the roots of the flower grow deep down and can reach a length of 20 cm. In shallow pots, the soil should be more sandy so that the soil does not become waterlogged and the roots do not rot.

Choose a pot with drainage holes, and a small layer of fine expanded clay is poured at the bottom.

Before transplanting, make sure that the culture medium used is slightly damp. The root system of the flycatcher is quite fragile, so be careful. When transplanting, you can immediately divide the mother plant into several children and plant them in separate pots. nine0005

The best shade plants

Soaking the roots in water for a few minutes before planting helps remove old soil and promotes hydration. After the procedure, lift the leaves above the soil and rinse them with a spray bottle.

Dionaea muscipula is not very picky about soil composition. It grows well in pure sphagnum moss (live or dried), mixtures of moss and peat in a ratio of 1: 1, peat and coarse sand (1: 1) with the addition of pieces of moss. nine0005

The plant needs 5 weeks to adapt to the new soil. Temporarily increase watering and keep the pot out of bright light.

Household Venus Flytrap from seeds

In spring, the plant produces beautiful white flowers which, after hand pollination, produce seeds. After about a month, tiny boxes form. Seeds fully mature 2-3 months after pollination.

The same medium can be used for sowing as for growing adult dioneas. They are sown on top of a mixture of warm prepared substrate (sphagnum moss 70% and sand 30%), and they are covered with 1-3 mm of washed quartz sand on top. Live sphagnum can stifle seedling growth, so use finely chopped long fibrous dry moss. nine0005

The substrate is sprinkled with warm water and to create greenhouse conditions, the pots are covered with a transparent bag in which small holes are made. Pots are placed in a place with diffused light.

Note non-carnivorous cotyledons with attached seed, first true leaves have traps

Monitor soil moisture to prevent drying out by periodically spraying water onto substrate surface. Usually shoots appear on the 15-20th day. A week after germination, the cover can be removed. nine0005

After the seedlings form 2-3 leaves and one trap, they are carefully transplanted 3-4 pieces into a separate pot. Seedlings require a lot of light, at least 3-4 hours a day. It will take about 3 years for seedlings to grow to the size of an adult predatory flycatcher.

The same seedling a few weeks later

Propagation by dividing the mother bush is simpler. With age, when the dionea forms several points of growth, you can begin to divide it. The fused roots are carefully cut, and the young plants are seated in new flowerpots.

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