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Venus trap plant closes its trap but wont digest
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We bought a Venus fly trap about a month ago and it doesnt eat, we put a dead fly inside one of the traps and it closed , but after awhile it opened up with the fly the same as it was before, this happened several times, the trap closed but the plant does not digest the bug. What could ve the problem? Why is this happening?
carnivorous-plants venus-fly-trap
asked 8 hours ago
Katya
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up vote
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We bought a Venus fly trap about a month ago and it doesnt eat, we put a dead fly inside one of the traps and it closed , but after awhile it opened up with the fly the same as it was before, this happened several times, the trap closed but the plant does not digest the bug. What could ve the problem? Why is this happening?
carnivorous-plants venus-fly-trap
asked 8 hours ago
Katya
61
New contributor
Katya is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
We bought a Venus fly trap about a month ago and it doesnt eat, we put a dead fly inside one of the traps and it closed , but after awhile it opened up with the fly the same as it was before, this happened several times, the trap closed but the plant does not digest the bug. What could ve the problem? Why is this happening?
carnivorous-plants venus-fly-trap
asked 8 hours ago
Katya
61
New contributor
Katya is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
We bought a Venus fly trap about a month ago and it doesnt eat, we put a dead fly inside one of the traps and it closed , but after awhile it opened up with the fly the same as it was before, this happened several times, the trap closed but the plant does not digest the bug. What could ve the problem? Why is this happening?
carnivorous-plants venus-fly-trap
carnivorous-plants venus-fly-trap
asked 8 hours ago
Katya
61
New contributor
Katya is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 8 hours ago
Katya
61
New contributor
Katya is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 8 hours ago
Katya
61
New contributor
Katya is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 8 hours ago
Katya
61
asked 8 hours ago
Katya
61
61
New contributor
Katya is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Katya is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Katya is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
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up vote
2
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The plant evolved to eat live insects and spiders, and not dead ones. So you have to trick it by making it think it's caught live bait...
To feed a dead bug to your plant, first drop it into the trap so the trap closes. Easily done. Next, ever so gently squeeze the two lobes of the traps between your thumb and forefinger, as if you were trying to pick up a delicate bit of...something delicate. Squeeze it a few times more, making sure the two lobes come into gentle contact with each other. This will flex all the trigger hairs inside the trap. Another method is to carefully insert a toothpick or blunt bit of wire (like a straightened paperclip) through the gaps in the loosely closed trap. Wiggle your tool a little, so the trigger hairs inside the lobes are stimulated.
http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq2460.html
answered 7 hours ago
Graham Chiu
20.1k11664
Good point. I kind of assumed that the OP triggered the hairs “enough†when feeding the plant.
– Stephie♦
3 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Venus flytraps “digest†their prey differently than you may expect - the fly and it’s chitin carapace will not dissolve completely, but remain seemingly unchanged when the trap opens again. If you look closely, you will notice that the remains look “empty†or “flatâ€Â, not as plump as a live fly. Chitin is a pretty stable substance whereas the inner organs can be dissolved and absorbed by the leaf.
Plus, it’s not the chitin carapace that contains the “nutrients†the plant needs, so there is no need to develop mechanisms to break down the chitin.
Practical hint:
You don’t need to actively feed the plant, the insects are not the main “food sourceâ€Â, but merely like a mineral supplement that makes up for the fact that they naturally grow in low-nutrients soil like bogs. (Which is also the reason why you should not add fertilizer or use pre-fertilized substrate for them.) I am not saying that you shouldn’t feed the plant, just that you don’t have to worry about them and that the occasional fly now and then is enough, whether it’s caught by the plant itself or by you doesn’t matter.
A trap leaf can also just open and close a few times, then it will wither and die. So as tempting as it is, don’t play with the traps too much...
answered 7 hours ago
Stephie♦
12.1k11345
Although Graham's answer has useful advice, I think this answer gives the real reason. A dead "eaten" fly looks much like a dead fly. I wouldn't feed them either. There's a tendency to feed too many and flies that are too big.
– winwaed
27 mins ago
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
2
down vote
The plant evolved to eat live insects and spiders, and not dead ones. So you have to trick it by making it think it's caught live bait...
To feed a dead bug to your plant, first drop it into the trap so the trap closes. Easily done. Next, ever so gently squeeze the two lobes of the traps between your thumb and forefinger, as if you were trying to pick up a delicate bit of...something delicate. Squeeze it a few times more, making sure the two lobes come into gentle contact with each other. This will flex all the trigger hairs inside the trap. Another method is to carefully insert a toothpick or blunt bit of wire (like a straightened paperclip) through the gaps in the loosely closed trap. Wiggle your tool a little, so the trigger hairs inside the lobes are stimulated.
http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq2460.html
answered 7 hours ago
Graham Chiu
20.1k11664
Good point. I kind of assumed that the OP triggered the hairs “enough†when feeding the plant.
– Stephie♦
3 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
The plant evolved to eat live insects and spiders, and not dead ones. So you have to trick it by making it think it's caught live bait...
To feed a dead bug to your plant, first drop it into the trap so the trap closes. Easily done. Next, ever so gently squeeze the two lobes of the traps between your thumb and forefinger, as if you were trying to pick up a delicate bit of...something delicate. Squeeze it a few times more, making sure the two lobes come into gentle contact with each other. This will flex all the trigger hairs inside the trap. Another method is to carefully insert a toothpick or blunt bit of wire (like a straightened paperclip) through the gaps in the loosely closed trap. Wiggle your tool a little, so the trigger hairs inside the lobes are stimulated.
http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq2460.html
answered 7 hours ago
Graham Chiu
20.1k11664
Good point. I kind of assumed that the OP triggered the hairs “enough†when feeding the plant.
– Stephie♦
3 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
up vote
2
down vote
The plant evolved to eat live insects and spiders, and not dead ones. So you have to trick it by making it think it's caught live bait...
To feed a dead bug to your plant, first drop it into the trap so the trap closes. Easily done. Next, ever so gently squeeze the two lobes of the traps between your thumb and forefinger, as if you were trying to pick up a delicate bit of...something delicate. Squeeze it a few times more, making sure the two lobes come into gentle contact with each other. This will flex all the trigger hairs inside the trap. Another method is to carefully insert a toothpick or blunt bit of wire (like a straightened paperclip) through the gaps in the loosely closed trap. Wiggle your tool a little, so the trigger hairs inside the lobes are stimulated.
http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq2460.html
answered 7 hours ago
Graham Chiu
20.1k11664
The plant evolved to eat live insects and spiders, and not dead ones. So you have to trick it by making it think it's caught live bait...
To feed a dead bug to your plant, first drop it into the trap so the trap closes. Easily done. Next, ever so gently squeeze the two lobes of the traps between your thumb and forefinger, as if you were trying to pick up a delicate bit of...something delicate. Squeeze it a few times more, making sure the two lobes come into gentle contact with each other. This will flex all the trigger hairs inside the trap. Another method is to carefully insert a toothpick or blunt bit of wire (like a straightened paperclip) through the gaps in the loosely closed trap. Wiggle your tool a little, so the trigger hairs inside the lobes are stimulated.
http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq2460.html
answered 7 hours ago
Graham Chiu
20.1k11664
answered 7 hours ago
Graham Chiu
20.1k11664
answered 7 hours ago
Graham Chiu
20.1k11664
answered 7 hours ago
Graham Chiu
20.1k11664
20.1k11664
Good point. I kind of assumed that the OP triggered the hairs “enough†when feeding the plant.
– Stephie♦
3 hours ago
add a comment |Â
Good point. I kind of assumed that the OP triggered the hairs “enough†when feeding the plant.
– Stephie♦
3 hours ago
Good point. I kind of assumed that the OP triggered the hairs “enough†when feeding the plant.
– Stephie♦
3 hours ago
Good point. I kind of assumed that the OP triggered the hairs “enough†when feeding the plant.
– Stephie♦
3 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Venus flytraps “digest†their prey differently than you may expect - the fly and it’s chitin carapace will not dissolve completely, but remain seemingly unchanged when the trap opens again. If you look closely, you will notice that the remains look “empty†or “flatâ€Â, not as plump as a live fly. Chitin is a pretty stable substance whereas the inner organs can be dissolved and absorbed by the leaf.
Plus, it’s not the chitin carapace that contains the “nutrients†the plant needs, so there is no need to develop mechanisms to break down the chitin.
Practical hint:
You don’t need to actively feed the plant, the insects are not the main “food sourceâ€Â, but merely like a mineral supplement that makes up for the fact that they naturally grow in low-nutrients soil like bogs. (Which is also the reason why you should not add fertilizer or use pre-fertilized substrate for them.) I am not saying that you shouldn’t feed the plant, just that you don’t have to worry about them and that the occasional fly now and then is enough, whether it’s caught by the plant itself or by you doesn’t matter.
A trap leaf can also just open and close a few times, then it will wither and die. So as tempting as it is, don’t play with the traps too much...
answered 7 hours ago
Stephie♦
12.1k11345
Although Graham's answer has useful advice, I think this answer gives the real reason. A dead "eaten" fly looks much like a dead fly. I wouldn't feed them either. There's a tendency to feed too many and flies that are too big.
– winwaed
27 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
Venus flytraps “digest†their prey differently than you may expect - the fly and it’s chitin carapace will not dissolve completely, but remain seemingly unchanged when the trap opens again. If you look closely, you will notice that the remains look “empty†or “flatâ€Â, not as plump as a live fly. Chitin is a pretty stable substance whereas the inner organs can be dissolved and absorbed by the leaf.
Plus, it’s not the chitin carapace that contains the “nutrients†the plant needs, so there is no need to develop mechanisms to break down the chitin.
Practical hint:
You don’t need to actively feed the plant, the insects are not the main “food sourceâ€Â, but merely like a mineral supplement that makes up for the fact that they naturally grow in low-nutrients soil like bogs. (Which is also the reason why you should not add fertilizer or use pre-fertilized substrate for them.) I am not saying that you shouldn’t feed the plant, just that you don’t have to worry about them and that the occasional fly now and then is enough, whether it’s caught by the plant itself or by you doesn’t matter.
A trap leaf can also just open and close a few times, then it will wither and die. So as tempting as it is, don’t play with the traps too much...
answered 7 hours ago
Stephie♦
12.1k11345
Although Graham's answer has useful advice, I think this answer gives the real reason. A dead "eaten" fly looks much like a dead fly. I wouldn't feed them either. There's a tendency to feed too many and flies that are too big.
– winwaed
27 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
Venus flytraps “digest†their prey differently than you may expect - the fly and it’s chitin carapace will not dissolve completely, but remain seemingly unchanged when the trap opens again. If you look closely, you will notice that the remains look “empty†or “flatâ€Â, not as plump as a live fly. Chitin is a pretty stable substance whereas the inner organs can be dissolved and absorbed by the leaf.
Plus, it’s not the chitin carapace that contains the “nutrients†the plant needs, so there is no need to develop mechanisms to break down the chitin.
Practical hint:
You don’t need to actively feed the plant, the insects are not the main “food sourceâ€Â, but merely like a mineral supplement that makes up for the fact that they naturally grow in low-nutrients soil like bogs. (Which is also the reason why you should not add fertilizer or use pre-fertilized substrate for them.) I am not saying that you shouldn’t feed the plant, just that you don’t have to worry about them and that the occasional fly now and then is enough, whether it’s caught by the plant itself or by you doesn’t matter.
A trap leaf can also just open and close a few times, then it will wither and die. So as tempting as it is, don’t play with the traps too much...
answered 7 hours ago
Stephie♦
12.1k11345
Venus flytraps “digest†their prey differently than you may expect - the fly and it’s chitin carapace will not dissolve completely, but remain seemingly unchanged when the trap opens again. If you look closely, you will notice that the remains look “empty†or “flatâ€Â, not as plump as a live fly. Chitin is a pretty stable substance whereas the inner organs can be dissolved and absorbed by the leaf.
Plus, it’s not the chitin carapace that contains the “nutrients†the plant needs, so there is no need to develop mechanisms to break down the chitin.
Practical hint:
You don’t need to actively feed the plant, the insects are not the main “food sourceâ€Â, but merely like a mineral supplement that makes up for the fact that they naturally grow in low-nutrients soil like bogs. (Which is also the reason why you should not add fertilizer or use pre-fertilized substrate for them.) I am not saying that you shouldn’t feed the plant, just that you don’t have to worry about them and that the occasional fly now and then is enough, whether it’s caught by the plant itself or by you doesn’t matter.
A trap leaf can also just open and close a few times, then it will wither and die. So as tempting as it is, don’t play with the traps too much...
answered 7 hours ago
Stephie♦
12.1k11345
edited 7 hours ago
answered 7 hours ago
Stephie♦
12.1k11345
answered 7 hours ago
Stephie♦
12.1k11345
answered 7 hours ago
Stephie♦
12.1k11345
12.1k11345
Although Graham's answer has useful advice, I think this answer gives the real reason. A dead "eaten" fly looks much like a dead fly. I wouldn't feed them either. There's a tendency to feed too many and flies that are too big.
– winwaed
27 mins ago
add a comment |Â
Although Graham's answer has useful advice, I think this answer gives the real reason. A dead "eaten" fly looks much like a dead fly. I wouldn't feed them either. There's a tendency to feed too many and flies that are too big.
– winwaed
27 mins ago
Although Graham's answer has useful advice, I think this answer gives the real reason. A dead "eaten" fly looks much like a dead fly. I wouldn't feed them either. There's a tendency to feed too many and flies that are too big.
– winwaed
27 mins ago
Although Graham's answer has useful advice, I think this answer gives the real reason. A dead "eaten" fly looks much like a dead fly. I wouldn't feed them either. There's a tendency to feed too many and flies that are too big.
– winwaed
27 mins ago
add a comment |Â
Katya is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Katya is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Katya is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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