FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I've been checking my traps every few days since I'm not too worried about winter since I live in Texas.

Noticed tonight that there's "dandruff" all over my DCXL, what is going on? Could it have been due to the rain a few days ago? Do I need to start replacing the sphagnum?

Thanks in advance

Looks normal for something that has been recently repotted. When sphagnum dries out pieces break off and fly around like fuzzballs. I would check that it has enough moisture in the soil...there's a chance its drying out, but since you said it rained recently it's more likely that it was just the rain knocking the sphagnum around.

Did you shred your sphagnum? I only ever see that many small bits in the bottom of the bag. Either way it's nothing to worry about. Peat does that too though the particles are smaller.

I'd hope nothing is in there chewing up the sphagnum

nimbulan wrote:I only ever see that many small bits in the bottom of the bag.

SFLguy wrote:I'd hope nothing is in there chewing up the sphagnum

Yes, and yes. I can't figure out how this happened. The flytrap is covering most of the top of the cup so it seems like rain would've just washed these bits away, not splattered or pooled leaving them on top. Any chance those bits splattered out of a nearby pot onto this one? It looks like there's a lot around it on the ground too, or is that something else?

That kind of looks like sawdust. Do you have any construction going on around you? I just can't see how LFSM would be pushed or splattered up in a rain.

http://www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/board ... 30434.html
http://www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/board ... 31990.html

Another option I just seen, is the pot in the below mentioned thread above or around the pot in this thread?
http://www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=32047

http://www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/board ... 30434.html
http://www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/board ... 31990.html

Thanks for all the replies.

Actually it is under a table that has some hardwood, but not sawdust.

Didn't do anything to the sphagnum, exactly how I got it from Matt when I got the DCXL earlier this spring.

And... as I went outside to check on it. I picked it up and shook it a little to see if the particles could be wood related. I feel something crawling on my hand. ANTS! I look at where the pot was sitting. Turns out the ants made a nest underneath...

What steps should I take now? Should I pour water to get rid of the particles?

Ah ha! I didn't realize they would tear up the sphagnum like that. I've had them completely bury an S. purpurea in peat before, though. You can put down some ant poison granuals, or submerging the cup for a few hours might work. Sometimes just briefly flooding an ant hill a few times will coax them into relocating.