Feeding these interesting species of plants can be difficult. A normal plants’ food would consist of WATER, C02, and LIGHT. These things are very beneficial to ALL plants, but the Venus’ Flytrap has another great recourse. These biting plants loathe nutrient-rich soil and water, mainly because they can “OVER-FERTILIZE” or “BURN” your Venus’ Flytrap’s roots. Because of this occurring, Venus’ Flytraps need to get their nutrients from somewhere… but where? Not where, but WHAT? What do they get their protein and nutrients from? BUGS! Yes, that’s right, bugs! How do your traps get those bugs, you ask? Well, each trap, or “MOUTH” has six little “TRIGGER HAIRS” as we call them, 3 on each side. When a bug flies or crawls into the Venus’ Flytrap’s mouth, they must strike two hairs, or one, twice quick. When or if they do, the trap will SNAP! If the trap doesn’t open in 30 minutes, DO NOT WORRY! It will take almost a week in order for them to open back up. Please do not stick your finger in the trap, because it wastes valuable energy. EACH “MOUTH” CAN ONLY EAT 4 TIMES BEFORE IT DIES, so triggering a “FALSE ALARM” will over time, kill the single trap. Now, onto how to feed your Venus’ Flytrap dead bugs. I do not recommend feeding your plant dead bugs, as it is a difficult process. But many do not like handling live bugs, so it is an option. Drop the dead bug into the trap, and then touch two of the hairs inside quickly. For a minute or two after the trap closes, lightly massage the trap. (Another reason I do not like feeding my traps dead bugs is because of this. Over time, this can bruise the leaves.) Come back every 1 minute for the next 10 and for 30 seconds, massage the leaves. If your trap opens up after or within a day, the digestion has been unsuccessful. You may have to try again, or just get used to feeding your trap live bugs. Feeding is only necessary if your Venus’ Flytrap is indoors, as it can catch it’s own outdoors. Hope you have luck with your existing or future Venus’ Flytrap!
