FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

It's been a few years but circling back. Every flytrap I've had exploded in growth by feeding them freeze dried bloodworms. You can buy them off the shelf at pet stores in fish food isle. I usually notice subsequent traps sizing 1.5x growth of the last fed trap.

These dried bloodworms can be smashed with your fingers to make a thin flake that can drop into even the smallest trap with some tweezers. The small photo here is a trap about 3mm big (1/10th of an inch). I've seen the smallest plants triple in size over only a few months of time. Not sure if this little one is a seedling or some other growth from an existing plant next to it but it will be interesting to track since I've never raised one from a baby like such. Curious to see if it will be a fully mature plant in only one season.

These are Big Mouths.

Thank you for sharing!

Any insects will improve growth of flytraps of course. When grown properly outside they will get all they need. I have found that using fertilizers do NOT help at all. Including Maxsea. I notice ZERO difference with Maxsea.

Good morning all,

I’m a noob, so I don’t have much experience to base opinions off of. First, I agree with both posters that feeding of insects will improve growth. That is how the plants get their nutrients for growth.

For me, the jury is out on fertilizer. One of my death cylinder rescues is producing deformed, non functional traps due to the stress. These traps are getting drinks of Maxsea until it makes functional traps again or croaks.

Regarding the bloodworms, I have a theory. I crush up a bunch of them and rehydrate with Maxsea. I have found that the traps stay closed much longer with this concoction vice a regular fly. My theory is that since I crush up many bloodworms, there is greater nutritional content in the trap resulting in a longer time to ingest it all. I.e. many bugs worth of nutrition vice one bug.

I’ll let you know how it works out in the end, but I haven’t lost any traps doing this and the plants seem happy.