FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hey folks, first time VFT owner with a quick question.

I live in California, so I've decided to keep my plant outside. I put it near our compost bucket so it would have easy access to tasty bugs. A couple days after putting it out, I noticed some ants in the soil and some on the plant itself. Today I noticed there were even more. It looked like they were after the flies caught in the traps. Is this bad for the plant and should I move it somewhere else? It looked like the ant-swarmed traps were starting to re-open, even though the caught prey didn't look full digested.

Hello and welcome to flytrapcare!

Well, I've not really had many run ins with ants, but unless you notice them doing damage to your plants, I'd say that they're probably fine. Oh, and when the trap reopens after digesting, it's normal for the prey to not look fully digested. The enzymes simply dissolve the soft parts of the insect, leaving the exoskeleton and other hard parts behind.

Oh, and I love your username!

Glad to be here and thanks! (on the help and username )

Welcome to Flytrapcare!

I don't think the ants do much unless they start tearing away your plant.

And I think it is possible to overfeed the plant. But I guess if the traps are open, they can take in another bug. Since it will go dormant soon, it won't need bugs to eat. Actually they don't even need them, but I meant it probably won't eat the bugs anymore.

double post XD yeah ants are fine just 2 days ago i made a game bout putting 5 big ants in my terr and the last ant standing gets freedom welcome to the flytrapcare family

Welcome to flytrapcare!!!

i wouldnt worry about them
post some pic of your plant if you can!

The ants aren't bad unless they are like.... eating your plant or something. O____O Anyways, it should be good because they are just attracted to the dead carcass of the previous bug.. So just leave it alone but move it if you feel uncomfortable. Anyways, it'll be good for your plant too, your plant will be able to catch them.. maybe. XD

Carolyn

I think your ants will stay around the edge because of the sticky stuff product by the VFT. I maybe wrong but I had notice some of the ants in my area always stay ard the edge and looks like eating the sticky stuff.

Most of my plants are small so quite a number of them ended up eaten up by the traps

jiege wrote:I think your ants will stay around the edge because of the sticky stuff product by the VFT. I maybe wrong but I had notice some of the ants in my area always stay ard the edge and looks like eating the sticky stuff.

Most of my plants are small so quite a number of them ended up eaten up by the traps

???? dont you mean sundews because i have never herd of vft producing "sticky stuff"

dionaea muscipula wrote:

jiege wrote:I think your ants will stay around the edge because of the sticky stuff product by the VFT. I maybe wrong but I had notice some of the ants in my area always stay ard the edge and looks like eating the sticky stuff.

Most of my plants are small so quite a number of them ended up eaten up by the traps

???? dont you mean sundews because i have never herd of vft producing "sticky stuff"

That's so weird.. only Sundews and Butterworts have "sticky stuff"


Allen,

The "sticky stuff" that you're referring to is Mucilage:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mucilage
Almost all plants make it, but sundews and butterworts make a lot more of it than most other plants.

Dionaea make it too along the rim of trap where the cilia attach to the trap lobes.

probably talkin about nectar!

Thanks for the replies and welcome everyone! Here's a photo:


It's too bad they're so close to dormancy now. I'm getting obsessed with all these different cultivars. Come spring I'll be going VFT crazy!

wow your plant looks great you should cut off the flower stalk because it is weakening your plant

dionaea muscipula wrote:wow your plant looks great you should cut off the flower stalk because it is weakening your plant

Already took care of it. Sometimes I can be a fast learner, haha.