FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hi everyone, I’m a beginner at keeping venus flytraps and just bought my first VFT a few days ago. I’ve been keeping my VFT in the yard to let it get enough sunlight.

However, this morning I woke up to a damaged VFT. Now I don’t have solid evidence of this, but I’m suspecting that the possums that hang out in my yard did this? I will look for a new, safer spot for it.

My questions for you guys are: is there a chance that my VFT can make a come back? If so, what are some things I can do to help it recover? Should I leave it alone or feed it a bug to give it more energy?

I’m located in the Brisbane area in Queensland, Australia, and it’s starting to get chillier here so there is also the added factor that my VFT may go into dormancy soon.

The photos are taken a day apart

Looks fine to me. As long as they didn't dry out, they will be fine. I've had tree rats, aka squirrels, uproot several of my flytraps and pitchers. I think I got to most of them quick enough to save them. I did have a drosera aliceae go missing because of those pests.

When I read "possum", the first thought that came to mind was "What on earth would a possum want with a flytrap?!" Then I read "Australia" and thought "Ah, a different beast from my local possum." Mine are officially called "opossum" but I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that name.

I've had whitetail deer pull flytraps out of their pots, only to discover that the plants taste horrible and then spit them out on the ground. Now I usually give my collection a quick once-over before heading off to work, just in case I had an unwanted visitor in the dead of the night.

Thankfully we have (what I consider to be) the cuter version of possums here in Australia. Probably why I still tolerate them hanging out in my garden.

Makes me feel a bit better to know that I'm not alone in having my VFT eaten

Holy crap! Australian possums are adorable!!! USA possums, not cute, but they eat a ton of ticks and can’t catch rabies.

Squirrels and birds use to dig up my vft all the time. They all recovered, but I did lose a baby plant. I would sacrifice all my plants if Australian possums would hang out in my yard

Look more like rain damage? Wouldn’t there be bite marks if possums attacked it? Your Venus Flytrap shouldn’t be going dormant as it’s spring right now in Australia. Unless conditions there in Queensland are different from WA?

Eventerminator wrote:Look more like rain damage? Wouldn’t there be bite marks if possums attacked it? Your Venus Flytrap shouldn’t be going dormant as it’s spring right now in Australia. Unless conditions there in Queensland are different from WA?

Possums remain the prime suspect as plant was left undercover.
Update is that since the post my VFT has made it through winter and has now grown so much it needs to be repotted! Woohoo

One day, I hang my laundry up on the tree outside. I left it overnight (bad idea). The next day, the laundry was gone! Disappeared. I looked al over the yard, and it was no where to be found. I suspect a raccoon took it; maybe my neighbor will be wondering who put laundry in their yard.

thepitchergrower wrote:One day, I hang my laundry up on the tree outside. I left it overnight (bad idea). The next day, the laundry was gone! Disappeared. I looked al over the yard, and it was no where to be found. I suspect a raccoon took it; maybe my neighbor will be wondering who put laundry in their yard.

Are you sure it wasn't the wind? Or maybe it was a flood...

It disappeared. entirely....

Tornado...
That would make it disappear entirely.

Why would raccoons go after laundry?

Idk, they went mostly for the underwear.