FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

ambkosh8465 wrote:Just a little update - my Jaws plant has just caught *another* daddy-long-legs! It's got two traps with those long spindly legs sticking out everywhere now! Maybe it heard me saying I wished they'd eat *all* of them! Unfortunately, there are still hundreds of those creepy-crawlies all over my entire deck. I probably have enough of them to feed a couple *acres* of flytraps!

Nice!

hooofi wrote:Very well, I thought that small traps are more likely to trap ants. Thanks for your post.

I know this is an old post, but here I've been seeing some huge ants, literally the size of the diameter of a penny or so. They're certainly bigger than some of the traps on some of my vfts! So ants very well could be a good source of food for them in the wild, if they're the bigger ants.

Sent from my XT901 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

I've been seeing those huge ants too -- all over my kitchen and bathroom! They're big enough that they actually make a little 'thud' noise when you knock them off the counter onto the floor so you can stomp on them. Too bad all my flytraps are outside! I had to resort to using that Raid-brand bait gel to get them under control...

RAID?! Ker-pow!!!

Leo756 wrote:I've been seeing those huge ants too -- all over my kitchen and bathroom! They're big enough that they actually make a little 'thud' noise when you knock them off the counter onto the floor so you can stomp on them. Too bad all my flytraps are outside! I had to resort to using that Raid-brand bait gel to get them under control...

RAID?! Ker-pow!!!

I just wish they actually blew up in a puff of smoke when they ate it! Muahaha!!

Sent from my XT901 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

mnwatson1 wrote:I just wish they actually blew up in a puff of smoke when they ate it! Muahaha!!

Yeah, I'll second that! I'm just glad I don't have to wake up each morning and flip the bathroom light on to see a hundred of them scurrying all over the sink like roaches!

I just wish they actually blew up in a puff of smoke when they ate it! Muahaha!!

Yeah, I'll second that!

These sound like Carpenter ants. If so, you could get your wishes if you lived in Southeast Asia. According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpenter_ant

"Exploding Ants
In at least nine Southeast Asian species of the Cylindricus complex, including Camponotus saundersi, workers feature greatly enlarged mandibular glands that run the entire length of the ant's body. They can release their contents suicidally by performing autothysis, thereby rupturing the ant's body and spraying toxic substance from the head, which gives these species the common name "exploding ants."[4][5][6] The ant has an enormously enlarged mandibular gland, many times the size of a normal ant, which produces the glue. The glue bursts out and entangles and immobilizes all nearby victims.[7][8]
The termite species Globitermes sulphureus has a similar defensive system.[9]"

I guess stepping on them might make a big sticky mess.

Wow, that brings "poking in an ant-pile" to a whole new level

Leilani Kimiko wrote:

I just wish they actually blew up in a puff of smoke when they ate it! Muahaha!!

Yeah, I'll second that!

These sound like Carpenter ants. If so, you could get your wishes if you lived in Southeast Asia. According to Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpenter_ant

"Exploding Ants
In at least nine Southeast Asian species of the Cylindricus complex, including Camponotus saundersi, workers feature greatly enlarged mandibular glands that run the entire length of the ant's body. They can release their contents suicidally by performing autothysis, thereby rupturing the ant's body and spraying toxic substance from the head, which gives these species the common name "exploding ants."[4][5][6] The ant has an enormously enlarged mandibular gland, many times the size of a normal ant, which produces the glue. The glue bursts out and entangles and immobilizes all nearby victims.[7][8]
The termite species Globitermes sulphureus has a similar defensive system.[9]"

I guess stepping on them might make a big sticky mess.

...and so the ants decided to make their OWN Raid commercials! "Kills everyone...dead (or glues them to the pavement.)"

Sent from my XT901 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

If I can't find any other bugs, would Japanese beetle larva, or those white grubs that can be found in the soil be good food?

They are pretty big, but a perfect size for mature fly traps, and can be found pretty easily with a bit of digging.

Hi,
I'm not familiar with Japanese beetles, but I can say a few things about beetles an grubs in general.

First, plant eating grubs/caterpillars, etc. may seem like good choices with their fat soft bodies, but they have mouths which are are specifically designed for eating plants so when put in a trap, there's a good chance they will just eat a hole in it and escape.

Second, any adult beetle is not the ideal choice because the hard exoskeleton shields all the goodies inside and makes it hard for the flytrap to absorb them. They can be eaten but soft bodied insects are easier. They may also be able to eat their way out if it's a plant eating beetle.

I have heard those warnings elsewhere, but I can think of a third.
We know flytraps don't like fatty food. That's why they don't like beef, etc. I'm wondering about the fat content of those grubs. I would do some research on sites which list the analysis and nutritional values of feeder insects to see if grubs like this have significantly more fat than other feeder insects we know the plants can tolerate. If it's too high, it might kill a trap even if it doesn't eat its way out.

Thanks Veronis for adding a little knowledge to everyone here. Its always great when you can learn just a little more about these amazing VFTs...

Does anyone have any detailed info on mealworms and their nutritional content for VFTs?

Cheers.

This first paper seems to have info regarding VFTs according to the summary I saw. I didn't read the whole paper:
Photosynthesis and Nitrogen Metabolism of Nepenthes alata in Response to Inorganic (NO3-) and Organic Prey N in the Greenhouse
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2012/263270/

The rest of these list nutritional values but mostly regarding feeding to reptiles:
Nutrient Content of Insects
http://www.organicvaluerecovery.com/stu ... nsects.htm

The nutritional value of insects
http://www.topinsect.net/swfiles/files/ ... els_49.pdf

Feeding Captive Insectivorous Animals: Nutritional Aspects of Insects as Food
http://nagonline.net/wp-content/uploads ... DIFIED.pdf

Feeders: Insects, Worms, Grubs, Fish
http://bamboozoo.weebly.com/the-feeders--bugs.html

Nutritional Value of Commercially Raised Insects
http://www.geckotime.com/nutritional-va ... d-insects/

Feeder Nutritional Analysis
http://www.moonvalleyreptiles.com/crest ... er-insects

How about roaches cuz mine just ate 1 a week ago and it opened just yesterday lol. Just curious

Roaches are fine if they are small. Obviously if they are too big for the trap it will kill the trap.