FlyTrapCare Forums

Hey guys,

i was just wondering if i can feed dead bugs to my VFT, ive been catching spiders with chopsticks and feeding my VFT and i want it to eat something bigger..

I found a dead cockroach lookin thing and it looks like my VFT would enjoy it, but iono how long it has been dead for.

When insects die do they loose their nutrients, and thus it would be a waste of energy for my VFT to eat it?

Also, when i feed it larger prey, should i make sure the whole body is inside? If some of the body is left outside could that hurt my VFT?

THanks,

Matt

Dead insects are okay. As long as it's not growing weird things like mold. It should be smaller than 3 quarters of your plant's trap, or if it goes in, the trap may die, but if the plant is healthy, it won't affect the rest of the plant. The bug should be in the trap, because it won't start digesting until the whole trap is closed tightly. But sometimes, the bug may be sticking out a bit.

okay, cool, so i guess dead bugs still hold their nutrition, ill cut it up into small peices...but if the bug is dead, how can i stimulate the trap so i closes tightly?

when i put in spiders, they are alive so i see that the trap is tightly closed, but if i put in a dead bug...there wont be any movement.

Well, yeah. Its always better to give it live insects because it will close properly. I suggest you put the bug in, and then using your chopstick (or whatever you want, I suggest not your fingers), touch the trigger hairs. The 6 or more things on the middle of the trap. It should close, and should be able to digest the bug.

You have to massage the sides of the trap once it has closed so that it will keep stimulating the trigger hairs and make the trap think that whatever it caught is worth digesting. You only have to do it periodically for a little while (not sure the exact amount of time), but once it has made a good seal you can leave it alone.

okay, cool thanks,

by the way, how long does it take for a trap to open if it accidentally got triggered?

when i got my VFT, some of the traps were closed either due to stress or pebbles inside.

It usually takes a day to reopen. If the trap has been tripped many times like this, it may never open even though it's empty inside. It will, however, still act like a leaf, photosynthesizing energy for the plant so don't trim anything off the plant if it's not black.

i see, so i actually tried to pry open the leaf...which is probably the worst thing to do to my VFT, but i didnt exert much force, and it seemed like the mouth was locked in that position, it is about half open, and i can see a couple clumps of soil, which probably are the problem...

but, yeah thanks, ill keep it and wait to see if it opens up!

Don't worry about those traps. Remember that these are plants - and slow growing ones at that. Give them good conditions and time and they will start looking really great, no matter what happened during shipping.

Alright, i just dont want them to die on the first day, haha my parents would flip,

im sure they will get better, thanks man!

A day is but a millisecond in the life of a plant. Don't sweat it too much. You have to wait for weeks to see changes in a plant. Re-read the main articles on this site if in doubt about something you are doing and keep asking questions here. I'll see if you're in the chat area.