FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hi guys, just a strange observation if anyone else has had bees attracted to their LFSM? I'm just a little intrigued because every day there's at least 4-5 bees hanging around on the moist Sphagnum moss. Maybe they like the moisture? Idk I just found it funny because all my other plants are potted in pearlite/peat and they want nothing to do with them. They don't know how close they are to being trapped and killed lol! Here's some pictures of the invaders.

That's pretty cute. Maybe they're just thirsty.

^
They are probably there for water

Yep I always have bees around my plants, drinking out of the water trays and straight from the peat. It's strange that you're only seeing bees on the LFS.

nimbulan wrote:Yep I always have bees around my plants, drinking out of the water trays and straight from the peat.

Yep, us too.

Great! The coolest thing is they are so interested in whatever they are doing they don't bother me or even get scared. Maybe they will
Help my my flowering sundew gimme some seeds!

Thats cool .Havent seen any bees around my traps yet.They would make good food if they were there for nectar!

I used to see this a lot, but in recent years I've noticed that the local bee population has started to decline (there's no way it could be pesticides, right? ) Occasionally, being the cute yet clumsy things that they are, bumblebees would slip and fall into the water trays. I fished them out if they were still alive, but if they weren't...well, my S. purpurea certainly didn't complain.

Yeah, most insects will go to any source of standing water or wet soil to drink, especially if your weather's been dry. I don't use the tray method anymore since our weather has turned so cool and rainy over the summers the last couple years. I also read somewhere one time that you shouldn't keep VFTs standing in water if you're using LFS because it soaks up water like a sponge and they'll stay too wet and rot. That's what happened to my plants last summer when I still had them in peat and sand, so I'm really glad I switched. I also don't have to bother with using mosquito dunks anymore either. That's the worst kind of insect that's attracted to water!

woah my pictures are sideways?! haha I was on my iphone when I posted and they are upright on there. WTH. And Leo I completely agree, im from south jersey and yes the mosquitoes are TERRIBLE if there's any standing water left laying around. Fortunately, San Diego docent have that problem!