FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hey everyone. I have been feeding my VFT's crickets to help speed up their growth. I know the optimal size of prey for VFT's is about 1/3rd the size of the trap. The cricket I fed this B52 trap was indeed the correct size for the trap, yet something from the cricket caused a part of the trap to die. While it was digesting the cricket I observed the trap and it DID have a water-tight seal. The spot also formed during this time. Can anyone assist me with how to stop this or what had caused it in the first place?

The baby sundews are typical capensis just in case everyone was wondering. The largest seedling I have is in the background of the 2nd photo

Only real way to prevent it would be to not feed them.

Could have been something the cricket ate. Or the trap was just ready to go. Or there were some spores or something on the cricket.

Just rest assured knowing that even though the trap was damaged and may die, it still did it's job and got the nutrients out of the cricket.

Thanks parker, I knew someone was going to say "just don't feed it" haha. The trap was new but not too new to where it was not fully grown yet. Just wish I could feed them and not get this result. It probably will die though.

The traps of VFTs are only good for 1-3 feedings. Once the trap hits its max, it dies and makes room for new traps. It's simply the natural cycle of the plant. You can cut off the traps that are dying if you don't like the way it looks. Many leave them alone. I cut them off myself just in case because I am afraid mold might develop.

Yes, this was the first time the trap had caught (or fed) anything which was I was a little confused how it would die that fast. But I do actually have some traps I have fed who have experienced catching prey more than once and they occasionally decay too because of the prey and not natural decay from old age.

You can see that the decay is where the crickets abdomen was so I'm thinking it was something in the cricket.

Crickets eat about anything so I'm sure from time to time you'll get one whose inner pH just doesn't do well for the trap.

It's also possible that while the trap looked completely sealed is may have not sealed as well in that spot due to the cricket. When they don't seal is really when you see this happen because it let's mold and what not into the area.

If not something in the cricket, that cricket may have still been a little too big for the trap to handle. I've had some traps do ok with a catch that size and other traps die.