FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hello,

My plants have been declining in health for a while. One of them is putting put some bizarrely shaped traps, while the others developing traps die before they can fully grow. This has started from early September and hasn't gone a away. While I believe the heat of my climate was the problem (100+ F) and while the cooler fall weather has helped them a little, the issues persist. I've been seeing some aphids on my other Flytraps so I'm starting to this if their are some pests I'm not aware of. I've been seeing some aphids on my other plants I sprayed them with some diluted rubbing alcohol to see if that could help. Any suggestions would be nice. Thanks.

If you are sure it's aphids then something like neem oil is an effective treatment. I am not familiar with using diluted rubbing alcohol?? Where did you learn that would help? I would believe that to be harmful, but I don't know every home remedies for insects. I use something called "take down" that was recommended by CC... I am sure there are other safe products for CP's. Bayer 3-in1 also comes to mind..

When I used to have newly forming traps die before they could develop I discovered that it was because I was keeping them too wet.

hollyhock wrote:If you are sure it's aphids then something like neem oil is an effective treatment. I am not familiar with using diluted rubbing alcohol?? Where did you learn that would help? I would believe that to be harmful, but I don't know every home remedies for insects. I use something called "take down" that was recommended by CC... I am sure there are other safe products for CP's. Bayer 3-in1 also comes to mind..

I learned it from here https://www.almanac.com/pest/aphids

I also dug up an old thread that said the same aphids-t287.html

Fieldofscreams wrote:When I used to have newly forming traps die before they could develop I discovered that it was because I was keeping them too wet.

I have cut back on watering quite a bit since I switched to using LFS. I've noticed that it can hold moisture for a while so I've let it dry out a little after each watering. I water my Maroon Monster the same way and I hasn't shown the same deformities.

I think I would opt for the totally submerged pots to drown them seems the safest way. I would never use insecticidal soap or rubbing alcohol on my CP's... That almanac post is very specific about the type to use is grain alcohol. And at $20 a bottle you could definitely get something that's tried and truly going to work.
And I didn't see alcohol mentioned as a wonderful method in that post. I did see Matt mention Ortho was recommended.. Anyway they are your plants and if you feel comfortable with it then that's all that matters. Good luck...

pest-identification-and-control-t6170.html?hilit=Pest

I don't think you have a pest problem. Even if you did why would you want to use something that isn't tried and true to use on CP's?

I use Bayer 3in1.

hollyhock wrote:I think I would opt for the totally submerged pots to drown them seems the safest way. I would never use insecticidal soap or rubbing alcohol on my CP's... That almanac post is very specific about the type to use is grain alcohol.

Well it didn't say grain alcohol was the specific one to use as much as it said it works the best.

"Isopropyl alcohol (also called isopropanol or rubbing alcohol) works fine and is easy to find, but be sure it doesn’t have additives. Ethanol (grain alcohol) seems to work best. "

However It probably wasn't the best idea. I don't know where I say rubbing alcohol being talked about anywhere in that old thread. I may have skimmed through it a bit too quickly and read something wrong. I've also used diluted rubbing alcohol for a number of CP related things. (cutting off flower stalks for propagation, getting rid of mold in seedling pots) so maybe that's why I made the connection. I thought to maybe try a method that I had access to instead of paying money for something that may or may not be available in any stores in my area. Oh well. If it works it works. If something happens, I deal with it.

You might want to take a peak at your rhizome just so it isn't rotting

I bet if you uproot them you will find black and brown mushy old rhizome stems and it is probably causing the health of your plant to diminish.

It's been a little under a week since I applied the rubbing alcohol and I haven't seen any damage yet. I may be wrong but I don't think it did anything harmful so that's good.

However I can confirm that their are Aphids there. I've looked on my other plants, and I've clearly seen some of them. It's Fall at the moment, so a lot of the vegetables in my garden are dying and supporting a whole bunch of them. So it makes sense for some of my plants to catch them. But luckily, I have gotten some Neem oil spray. Is this good for carnivorous plants?

I think that will work great. Already to use and I do like safer brand product.