FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I bought some freeze-dried blood worms to feed my plants. But, I've been hesitant on feeding them due to the hot weather we've been experiencing. Has anyone had them to become rancid quickly in hot weather? Better to wait until cooler weather?

I heard that blood worms can give them nutrient burn. Haven’t it tried it myself though

does it matter if the bloodworms become rancid? Plants can't get food poisoning :b

Thanks for the feedback.

My concern is whether there is a danger of the bloodworms possibly starting to rot before the trap has time to digest it. I've seen warnings about removing unconsumed food from sundews so that it doesn't start mold, or whatever, from growing which could promote the leaf rotting. Rancid was a bad choice of wording.

Freeze drying would kill virtually all of the bacteria in, on, or around the blood worms, so they wouldn't bring anything to the table. Live bugs, on the other hand, are loaded with bacteria, and most of them don't cause any undue harm to the plant. Plus, the enzymes secreted by the plants for digestion would also digest the bacteria unless the critter was too large like many beetles.
Another thing to consider is that many of these plants have evolved to stall when the temperature gets higher than "normal", possibly in response to a higher chance of mold or fungus. Sundews will lessen booger production, Sarrs will stop nectar secretion, Flytraps will slow or stop closing, etc. As long as you don't force them to capture prey that they likely won't process, they should be OK.

Thanks, Dean. I hadn't thought about the freeze-drying process knocking out bacteria and whatever...good info. I think I'm simply going to hold off until we get through these really hot days. No need in rushing into this with a question mark lingering. All the traps are looking good so far but I'm not sure about their trapping speed. The D. intermedia plant's tentacles are covered in sparkling drops of snot.<grin> I've allowed the plants to enjoy the sun this morning but I'm about ready to put a piece of weed-barrier fabric over the top of their cages for the mid-day sun. I checked water levels in trays earlier this morning. We're sitting at 91F and 64%RH...a heat index of 105F at 10:42am CST. Supposed to get to 101F today.

If we do hit 101F and the humidity drops to around 50% we will be looking at a heat index of 121F !!!!

Get your eggs and frying pans out! It sounds like a slow cooker where your at!

Camden M wrote: ↑Wed Jun 22, 2022 4:02 pm Get your eggs and frying pans out! It sounds like a slow cooker where your at!

Slow cooker for eggs?!?! That's crazy talk! At those temps, it's time to mop sauce a brisket over oak, hickory, apple, and pecan.

Hot weather isn't a fly traps enemy but it's friend(mostly). I live in Florida and frequently feed my flytraps when the weather is hitting 93°F outside.

Theres nothing to make the blood worms rot any faster than the prey the traps catch. In fact, as Dean was saying, the freeze drying process makes the blood worms almost sterile.

These are plants. Not babies. They'll catch prey with or without you when they're outside. No need to worry about rotting food. It's easier than you think to just remove it if/when it does.

Just because you get hot. Doesn't mean you don't get hungry.

P. S. Your least concern should be if the plant will digest it in time. Flytraps secrete digestive enzymes within hours of catching prey. The seal also ensures a safe environment to consume the food.

We've been hitting the upper 90's...'twas 99F yesterday and we have a couple of more days of high temperatures before any cooling. Thankfully it looks like we will *not* be hitting the 104F mark as was once forecast! Maybe I'm the oddball, but hot weather usually lowers my appetite... The sterilization of the blood worms during the preservation process does seem like it will help prevent quick food deterioration.

The plants are doing better than earlier and the feeding is to make their growth accelerate, but I don't want to start pushing the plants while they may be experiencing heat stress. I've found that, for me, a five degree difference between something like 72F and 77F isn't too extreme but the different between 92F and 97F is definitely noticeable. I think I'm just going to hold off feeding at least until we drop back down below 95F. We're dropping down into the low-90F's this coming week so things will be a bit more moderate(?) then.

Thanks for the thoughts, they help!

jetfire245 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 23, 2022 6:06 am Hot weather isn't a fly traps enemy but it's friend(mostly). I live in Florida and frequently feed my flytraps when the weather is hitting 93°F outside.

Theres nothing to make the blood worms rot any faster than the prey the traps catch. In fact, as Dean was saying, the freeze drying process makes the blood worms almost sterile.

These are plants. Not babies. They'll catch prey with or without you when they're outside. No need to worry about rotting food. It's easier than you think to just remove it if/when it does.

Just because you get hot. Doesn't mean you don't get hungry.

P. S. Your least concern should be if the plant will digest it in time. Flytraps secrete digestive enzymes within hours of catching prey. The seal also ensures a safe environment to consume the food.

ChefDean wrote: ↑Wed Jun 22, 2022 4:29 pm

Camden M wrote: ↑Wed Jun 22, 2022 4:02 pm Get your eggs and frying pans out! It sounds like a slow cooker where your at!

Slow cooker for eggs?!?! That's crazy talk! At those temps, it's time to mop sauce a brisket over oak, hickory, apple, and pecan.

Actually, you could probably make beef jerky by just setting some marinated ‘n finely chopped beef (what flavor of beef jerky you want) outside for about 48 hours, given you have good air flow and temps stay around 100 (pretty much a dehydrator).

Might I recommend this if you actually plan to- https://youtu.be/a6h065bSkRs

I am so, so happy to report that the noble NWS has lowered our forecast temperatures!!!!!!

Intheswamp wrote: ↑Thu Jun 23, 2022 12:27 pm I am so, so happy to report that the noble NWS has lowered our forecast temperatures!!!!!!
Forecast_06232022.jpg

You mean they changed their guess to what they now think might be a possibility of an outcome.

Yes, but it's an *educated* guess...their parents paid for the weather-person diploma from the Evelyn Woodhead Speed Reading and Weather Forecasting Course and signed by Sister Mary Elephant, herself....with a forgiven student loan!!!! Yes, anybody can be whatever they want to be in this world...a weatherman, an astronaut, a unicorn, an it, a ....

How did it end up? did you give him worms?