Scorpion plants, like Venus flytraps, are very interesting because they can catch and eat insects. When an unwary bug crawls across their trigger hairs, their special traps close. Watching the traps in action is highly entertaining!.
If you just bought a Venus flytrap, you might be wondering how often to feed it and if it can live without bugs.
In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about feeding frequency for Venus flytraps. We’ll discuss:
- Do Venus flytraps need to be fed?
- Signs your plant is hungry
- Overfeeding risks
- Feeding outdoors vs. indoors
- Complete feeding schedule
- Best food for flytraps
- Step-by-step feeding method
Let’s get into it!
Do Venus Flytraps Need to Be Fed?
The quick answer – no. Venus flytrap owners don’t have to feed their plants by hand. These plants that eat animals have evolved to catch bugs on their own. The way their traps are made makes it easy for them to catch and eat bugs.
In the wild, Venus flytraps get all the nutrients they need from photosynthesis and the bugs they consume. You can successfully grow them without ever feeding insects. They’ll thrive with just sunlight proper soil, and distilled water.
However, feeding your flytrap occasionally has some big benefits:
- Stimulates faster growth and multiplication
- Helps produce flowers and seeds
- Provides extra nutrients for trap and jaw strength
- It’s fun to watch them eat!
So while not required, periodic feeding is recommended. Eating a juicy bug every once in a while will make your plant very happy.
Signs Your Venus Flytrap is Hungry
Since Venus flytraps don’t need to be fed, there aren’t obvious “hunger” signs to look out for
However, here are a few indications your plant could use some extra nutrients:
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Slow growth: If new leaf production seems to stall, a meal might energize growth.
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Small or weak traps: Traps lacking in jaw strength or size may need food to develop.
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Pale green leaves: Leaves that are light green instead of a deep green indicate less nutrients.
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No flowers: Flytraps need robust nutrient stores to bloom. Lack of flowering could mean it’s time to feed.
Again though, lack of feeding alone won’t harm your plant. Use these signs more as hints your Venus flytrap might enjoy a bug snack.
Risks of Overfeeding Your Flytrap
While Venus flytraps love insect prey, it is possible to overfeed them. Here are risks of overfeeding:
- Stress from too much digestion
- Mineral buildup from excess nutrients
- Mold growth on prey in traps
- Rotting or death of traps
- Damage to sensitive roots
Luckily, overfeeding is easily avoided by sticking to a proper feeding schedule. Just be sure not to overwhelm your plant with food. Moderation is key!
Feeding Flytraps Outdoors vs. Indoors
Whether you grow your Venus flytrap outside or inside makes a big difference in feeding requirements.
Outdoor flytraps will catch plenty of little critters on their own. They absolutely do not need supplemental feeding when grown in their natural habitat. Just sit back and let your plant hunt!
Indoor flytraps have no access to live prey. So giving them an occasional insect snack is recommended when growing them as houseplants. The bugs will provide beneficial nutrients and satisfaction.
Complete Feeding Schedule for Venus Flytraps
Here is a complete feeding schedule for indoor and outdoor Venus flytraps:
Indoors: Feed 1 live insect per trap every 2-4 weeks. Rotate traps being fed.
Outdoors: No feeding required! They will catch prey on their own.
Other feeding tips:
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Only feed 1-2 traps per plant at a time. Never overwhelm your plant.
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Wait until old prey is fully digested before feeding again. Digestion takes approx. 1-3 weeks.
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Avoid feeding during dormancy or drastic environmental changes.
And there you have it! Aim to feed an indoor flytrap just a single insect every few weeks. Outdoor flytraps don’t need any feeding assistance.
Best Foods for Venus Flytraps
You can feed your Venus flytrap any live insect or spider small enough to fit inside its traps. They love to much on juicy bugs!
Some top foods are:
- Flies
- Mealworms
- Ants
- Gnats
- Crickets
- Bloodworms
- Fruit flies
- Spiders
- Beetles
Carnivorous plants can’t eat hamburger, hot dogs, or other human food. Stick with creepy crawlies!
You can also use freeze-dried or frozen dead insects. Just be sure to “wake them up” in water first and manually stimulate the trigger hairs.
For picky traps, wiggle the food around with tweezers or gently squeeze the trap to promote closure. This mimics live prey.
Step-by-Step Guide to Feeding Your Flytrap
Ready to experience the excitement of watching your plant devour its prey? Here is a simple step-by-step guide:
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Select a healthy trap approximately 1/3 the size of the bug or smaller. Larger traps are best.
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Locate the thin trigger hairs inside the trap lobes. These trigger closing.
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Place the insect inside the trap, touching the trigger hairs. You can use tweezers or fingers.
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The trap will begin to close. If not, gently squeeze or wiggle the bug to stimulate closure.
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Once closed, tap and massage the outside of the trap to encourage digestion.
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Leave the bug inside until full digestion completes (1-3 weeks).
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Repeat process on a different trap every 2-4 weeks. Rotate traps being fed.
And that’s all there is to it! Soon you’ll have a pro bug-feeding flytrap master. Enjoy watching your plant get its nutrition the old fashioned, carnivorous way.
The Takeaway
To summarize key flytrap feeding tips:
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Feed indoor flytraps 1 insect per trap every 2-4 weeks
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Outdoor flytraps will catch their own food naturally
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Only feed 1-2 traps at a time, rotating each time
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Small live insects are best (flies, crickets, spiders, etc)
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Let traps fully digest before feeding again
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Avoid overfeeding to prevent shock and death
Follow these guidelines to keep your Venus flytrap healthy, strong, and satisfied! Feeding is not required, but it does provide great benefits. Have fun treating your carnivorous plant to nutritious bugs. Just be sure not to over-indulge your flytrap!
The best foods for your Venus flytrap:
The Venus flytrap menu: mealworms, bloodworms, and crickets.
- Freeze-dried mealworms are a healthy food source for Venus flytraps. You can buy them at many pet stores and reptile specialists. For about £5 or $8, you can get small tubs that hold enough food to feed dozens of plants for many years. For smaller plants, you might need to cut a mealworm into a piece that is the right size for the seedling instead of leaving it whole. Just add a few drops of water to the worm to make it drinkable again, use kitchen roll to soak up any extra water, and then put the worm into the trap. Follow the steps above to gently touch the trigger hairs with your cocktail stick. Yum! .
- They are called “bloodworms,” which sounds gross, but these tiny freeze-dried worms are a great food for Venus flytraps. You can buy them at most pet stores and aquariums. They are cheap, healthy, and easy to find. You can buy small pots from Amazon. Just take a small amount of dried worms, add a few drops of water, and use kitchen roll to soak up any extra water. Then, use a cocktail stick or toothpick to pull out a small “meatball” that is about a third the size of the trap. Put it in, and then do what was said above: use your cocktail stick to gently touch the trigger hairs.
- If you can find dried crickets that are small enough, adult Venus flytraps will love them as a snack. Tubs of dried crickets are cheap on Amazon. Just put one in each trap, making sure that its antennae don’t stick out and stop the seal from being complete. You can gently squeeze the sides of the trap or use a cocktail stick or toothpick to move the trigger hairs.
All three of these foods are suitable for other carnivorous plants as well as Venus flytraps (Dionaea muscipula). Most species do well with bloodworms, but sundews (Drosera) and butterworts (Pinguicula) do especially well. Mealworms and crickets, on the other hand, tend to do better with larger pitcher plants like Sarracenia and Nepenthes.
An all-red cultivar of the Venus flytrap awaiting its next meal.
How often should you feed a Venus flytrap?
If you’ve taken care of all its other needs, you can safely feed a Venus flytrap every month of the growing season. Simply pop bugs into 3 or 4 large open traps, stimulate the hairs as described above, and your plant will thank you for it!.
Total Venus Flytrap Care Under 10 Minutes – Wal-Mart ,Lowes Beginner Fly Trap Tips (Updated 2024)
FAQ
How often do you feed a Venus flytrap?
Venus flytraps typically don’t require regular feeding if they are grown outdoors and able to catch their own food. The Spruce says that if you keep them inside, you should feed them a small insect like a cricket or a fly about every two weeks to a month.
Can I feed my Venus flytrap dead bugs?
While Venus flytraps can digest dead insects, it’s not the ideal food source. They need the movement of live prey to trigger the trap’s closing and digestive processes.
Can you overfeed a Venus flytrap?
Yes, it is possible to overfeed a Venus flytrap.