How Much Water Do Venus Flytraps Need?

By brchcar1445 April 13, 2023 April 13, 2023 Carnivorous Plants Care

How much water venus flytraps need is usually not a simple answer. Where venus flytraps grow naturally in the pine savannahs in North Carolina, they are typically dry around the top but always have access to water underground where the roots are. We try our best to emulate this, venus flytraps need to be watered consistently so the top can stay relatively dry but the roots have access to water. This amount of water ranges throughout the year. The amount of water a venus fly trap needs is determined by temperatures, light/sun exposure and other factors.

Lets really dig in here to help you learn how much water your venus flytrap needs.

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https://youtu.be/9M5JHPIMrgk

If you are more of a visual learner and like to listen to a video, I go over everything below in video form. Check out my watering guide so you can learn how much to water venus flytraps. I also added part two of this video at the bottom of this article so you can learn what type of water and what equipment works best for watering venus flytraps!

How Much Water Do Venus Fly Traps Need

Venus flytraps are a tricky plant to water at times. Unless you live in an environment where the weather is always consistent, giving them the correct amount of water can be a tricky balance to achieve. If you know what to look for and how to easily measure the amount of water in the soil, it becomes a lot easier.

Were going to discuss best practices that I have learned over the last 10 years growing carnivorous plants including venus fly traps.

Venus Flytrap Natural Habitat With Water

Venus Flytraps in their natural habitat. Dry above and wet below.

Before we get into best practices with tips & tricks I think It’s important to understand how venus flytraps grow in the natural habitat. One of the biggest venus flytrap myths and misconceptions is that they grow in swampy boggy areas and need to be sitting in water all the time.

In truth, venus flytraps grow in North Carolina in areas called pine savannahs. These areas are well-drained on the top but the roots to the plants always have access to water below the surface. Knowing this helps us understand what type of watering conditions help venus flytraps thrive.

A little dry on the top but wet down where the roots are. This is a tricky balance to maintain which is why this can be one of the trickier venus flytrap care areas to master.

Learn the negative impact that tap water can have on your venus flytrap, click here!

Know The Weight Of Your Venus Flytrap Planter

My very first and possibly most important tip for watering venus flytraps is going to be understanding the weight of your planter or pot. Knowing the feel of your planter when it needs water vs when it is full will make your venus flytrap watering life so much easier. Knowing the weight will be easier than constantly sticking your finger in the soil or trying to keep a watering calendar. Watering patterns can change a lot as the weather and temperatures change. Knowing the weight will keep you an expert when weather is cold and warm.

When your venus flytrap needs water allow yourself to get really familiar with its weight. After watering, allow the plant to absorb water for 24 hours, come back and get familiar with the weight of the planter now that it’s full of water. Knowing the weight of your planter can take a lot of the guess work out of knowing when to water. I can’t stress how important this tip is to becoming experienced at watering venus flytraps.

Until you learn the weight of your pot, it’s important to go over some tips that will help you know when it’s time to water your venus flytrap.

Must Have Equipment For Watering

Simple Ways To Determine Your Flytrap Needs Water

If you are still learning the weight of your planters but need to know when your plant needs water, one of the easiest ways is to put your finger in the substrate. Go down about an inch or two, if the substrate is still dry your plant probably needs water. You NEVER want your venus flytrap to go completely dry. It’s important that the roots always have access to water. A venus flytrap can dry out and die if the planter is allowed to go completely dry.

Another great tip is to use a plant tracker to keep a watering journal. This can be really helpful when weather conditions are consistent, but can be hard to rely on when weather is not the same day in and day out. If you are interested in a free plant tracker, I actually have one you can download for free to help you keep track of watering patterns.

Click here to get a free downloadable plant tracker!

Tray Watering Vs Top Watering Venus Fly Traps

Tray Watering Venus Flytraps

I almost always tray water my venus flytraps. Knowing that the roots like having access to the water all the time while the top prefers it to be a little more dry points to the obvious choice of tray or bottom watering. Keeping water in the tray allows the lower part of the plant to have access to water more consistently.

A common watering error that I see all the time is people leaving the tray full ALL the time. You do not want your venus flytrap sitting in water ALL the time. This can lead to mold, mildew and even rot which usually results in the death of your plant. Crown rot is one of the more common killers of venus flytraps and it happens mostly because of the common belief that they should aways be wet and swampy.

There are always exceptions to this, lets talk about that real quick.

If you are in peak growing season and the weather is consistently above 75 degrees F, your plant is probably going through a lot of water. You can probably put water in your tray and it’s gone after 2 or 3 days. In these growing conditions, it’s absolutely fine and even recommend to keep that tray full. When the temps drop and you notice that the tray of water is sticking around for more than 3 days or so, I strongly recommend pulling the flytrap out of the water or emptying the tray.

Water is going to stick around a lot longer as temps begin to drop. It’s vital that your watering habits adapt to the weather. This is why understanding the weight of your planter is so important. Venus flytraps shouldn’t be sitting in stagnant water for more than a few days.

Can you feed a venus flytrap dead bugs, click to learn more!

When To Top Water Venus Flytraps

Top watering can help flush your venus flytrap. Getting rid of some of the built up dissolved solids in the soil!

Lets talk about top watering real quick. I do top water them once a month or so. Not really for watering sake but to help flush the plant. Sometimes, especially if outside, they can collect stuff on the top. Pollen, falling leaves and debris, some of this stuff can seep into the soil and not be great for the flytrap.

I like to top water until I see the tray starting to fill. I then will dump the tray of water out. This helps flush some of the dissolved solids that may have built up in the soil. You can do this a few times to help give your plant a really good flush. This can help the long term health of your plant an substrate.

How Much Water Do Venus Flytraps Need Indoors

If you keep your venus flytraps indoors, it becomes even more important for you to keep an eye on the water levels. Water does not dissipate as quick indoors as it will outside in the sun. It’s important that you do not allow your flytraps to sit in water all the time indoors. I know I keep coming back to this, but it’s another good reason for you to have good familiarity with the weight of your planter. I give my venus flytraps considerably less water during peak growing season when they are being grown inside vs outside.

Follow all the same rules for watering venus flytraps when watering indoors vs outdoors. Just know that water doesn’t go away as fast which can make it seem like you are not watering enough, even though you are.

Should You Let Venus Fly Traps Sit In Rain?

Venus flytraps will do just fine in rain. If it’s just a rainy day mid summer, don’t worry about it. Let them be. They will dry out the next day and be fine. If the rain lasts for more than a couple days then I recommend pulling them out of their trays and allowing the water to flow out the bottom of the pot.

If the rain lasts for more than a week, I recommend covering them and getting them out of the rain. They really shouldn’t be exposed to that much water for really long periods of time. Anything over a week and a half I’d probably try to cover them a bit.

Watering Venus Flytraps During Dormancy

The last thing I want to talk about is watering during dormancy. If you are doing dormancy correct, it’s probably somewhere between 30 and 50 degrees F and there is little to no light for your plants. In these conditions water is going to stick around for a LONG time. I strongly recommend that you fill the tray, allow the plant to absorb water for a full day or two then dump the tray of water out.

The plant may maintain the water for weeks at a time. I watered my flytraps this winter in dormancy maybe once every 3 to 4 weeks. Overwatering and rotting venus fly traps during dormancy is extremely common. Know the weight of your pot, don’t allow this to happen.

Conclusion

Learning how much a venus flyrap needs is only part of the equation for watering these carnivorous plants. You are also going to want to learn about what types of water and how you can get that water. You can’t just use tap water or you will kill your venus flytraps. Watch the video below to learn about the best tools and types of water for watering venus flytraps.

https://youtu.be/KT0Ce91AA4I

Click here to learn about venus flytrap conservation efforts!

Can Venus Flytraps Eat Ants?

By brchcar1445 February 20, 2023 February 20, 2023 Carnivorous Plant Info, Carnivorous Plants Care

Venus flytraps can definitely eat ants. A venus flytrap that is left outside will likely eat a few ants. If you are looking for the best insects to feed your venus flytrap, I wouldn’t recommend feeding ants if possible. Ants have been known to kill or cause harm to the trap that captures the ant. I wouldn’t panic if your flytrap closes on an ant, but just know that they have been known to cause issues for venus flytraps. There are much better options if you are choosing insects to feed your venus flytraps.

Lets take a closer look at venus flytraps eating ants, and which insects are better options!

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Can Venus Flytraps Eat Ants?

Technically, the answer to this question is yes. Venus flytraps can and will eat ants. The better question to ask is whether or not you should feed your venus flytraps ants. When left outside, I have noticed that my venus flytraps will close down on larger ants. Smaller garden ants may not be big enough to trigger the trap to close.

I’ve seen my own venus flytraps handle ants just find but I have also seen them turn black and die when trying to digest the ant. It does seem that sometimes the ant does cause issues with the flytrap. This could be due to ants acidic nature.

If you are asking this question to consider which insects are best to feed your venus flytrap, I’d probably avoid ants all together. I wouldn’t panic if you see your flytrap catch an ant, but it does seem there are better options for feeding a venus flytrap. We will talk about some of those options below.

Can A Venus Flytrap Eat Gnats?

Can you feed a venus flytrap dead bugs?

Do Venus Flytraps Eat Ants In The Wild?

Venus flytraps definitely eat ants in the wild. Venus flytraps will actually close and try to eat anything that moves. They aren’t picky, but will close the trap down when the trigger hairs are touched. Any insect moving around inside the trap will trigger the plant and the trap will close. Ants are one of the most common insects making them a common meal for venus flytraps.

When in the wild, a flytraps diet consists of 33% ants, 30% spiders, 10% beetles and 10% grasshoppers. According to the paper cited below, if you feed venus flytraps nitrogen content (insects) the result will be larger traps. It’s also stated that 20 to 50% of flytraps total intake of nitrogen comes from insects alone. You can conclude that a group of flytraps that feeds on insects will grow larger than a group that is never fed any insects.

Citation

The point really is that, venus flytraps consume a lot of ants in the wild, so it’s probably okay. However, if you have a choice, I’d recommend some of the other insects below.

Better Choices Than Ants To Feed A Venus Flytrap

Although it’s probably okay to feed your venus flytrap ants, I would recommend some other types of insects if you have a choice. The best insects are going to be the ones that have higher concentration of nitrogen and are easy for the flytrap to break down and digest. Check out the best insects below to feed a venus flytrap.

House Flies

It’s all in the name. One of the best insects for a venus flytrap is the common house fly. They have a lot of nitrogen and are soft enough for the venus flytrap to easily break down and consume.

Spiders

Spiders are also high in nitrogen and have fairly soft bodies that are easy for the venus flytrap to break down and consume. The are the second most common insect eaten in the wild by venus flytraps.

Wasps

There are many kinds of wasps and these do tend to be a little tricky as they tend to be a little bigger than some of these other insects. If the wasp is too big, the trap will close but it won’t be able to digest the insect. Assuming the wasp is less than half the size of the trap that closes, it makes a great meal for the plant.

Mealworms

Mealworms are my favorite insect to feed my venus flytraps. They are fairly easy to get and are not very expensive. It’s much easier to buy some live mealworms than try to find insects around your house for your venus flytrap to eat. They are soft enough for the venus flytrap to digest easily but also contain a lot of nitrogen.

Crickets

Crickets, like mealworms, are a great and easy to obtain snack for your venus flytrap. Just make sure you get some that are small enough so that the trap will close entirely. They are easily broken down and contain a lot of nitrogen.

https://youtu.be/-PsUgnwdB0A

Conclusion

When it comes down to it, vneus flytraps can and will eat ants. If left in the wild, it’s one of the top insects that get consumed due to how common they are. If you can avoid ants, I’d recommend doing so. There are better insects that are higher in nitrogen that can do less harm to your flytraps. Any of the insects listed above would be better and are typically available to buy and feed your venus flytrap.

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Can You Feed A Venus Flytrap Dead Bugs?

By brchcar1445 January 16, 2023 January 16, 2023 Carnivorous Plants Care

You can feed venus flytraps dead bugs. It’s important to understand however, it’s more of a process than just allowing the trap to close and walking away. Feeding a venus flytrap dead bugs is more of a manual process. Venus fly traps releases digestive enzymes when a secondary response is triggered inside the trap after it closes. After the trap closes you must gently massage the flytrap head to trick the trap into thinking that the insect inside is alive. This will trigger the digestive enzymes to breakdown and absorb the insect.

Lets get into a deeper discussion about how this works and why venus flytraps are an absolute evolutionary marvel. Lets talk about size, type and how to feed a venus flytrap a dead bug.

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Can You Feed Venus Flytraps Dead Bugs?

Venus flytraps are truly an evolutionary marvel. The process to feed venus flytraps dead bugs is just one of the many examples of how extraordinary they are. Before we get into the why, let me explain the process you need to follow to make sure that a venus flytrap digests a dead bug or insect.

It should be noted that it’s almost always better to feed your venus flytrap a live bug instead of a dead bug. Although its 100% possible to feed it a dead bug, if you have a live alternative, I’d definitely go with that. One of the best live bugs you can get easy and cheap are meal worms. They are one of the best options if you want to have live bugs on hand to feed.

If dead bugs are the only option for feeding your venus flytrap, keep reading so you can learn about what time, what size and how to feed a venus flytrap a dead bug.

What Kind Of Dead Bug Or Insect

Before we jump into how to do feed a venus flytrap dead bugs, lets talk about the kind of dead bugs you should be picking out. You want to search for a bug or insect that has a soft exoskeleton. Anything with a super hard shell can be problematic for the venus flytrap to digest. Large beetles with hard shells will be difficult for the venus flytrap to digest. The end result is often the flytrap head dying because the hard shelled beetle is just too much.

A common house fly might be the best option for a venus flytrap.

A common house fly really is the perfect insect for a venus flytrap to munch on. They are soft and dissolve really well when the venus flytrap releases its enzymes. Most spiders work really well as they are softer bodied insects. Meal worms are an excellent insect to feed flytraps. They do have a bit of a harder outside, but not so hard that they can’t be dissolved. Mealworms are actually my favorite meal to feed venus flytraps. Alive and dead, they are great!

Avoid anything that is overly squishy or really wet. Leaches, slugs, earth worms are all terrible for feeding venus flytraps. Venus flytraps can definitely break them down but this often results in the trap turning black and dying. There is just too much moisture. The insect will develop mold and mildew and eventually take out the flytrap. They really aren’t evolutionary designed to eat slimy wet insects.

Correct Size Of Dead Bug or Insect

Picking out the right type of insect is important but also finding the right size can be just as important. A venus flytrap must form a good seal when closing down on an insect. If an insect is too large, a seal cannot be completed and it will have a really hard time breaking the insect down.

You should never feed your venus flytrap anything that is more than 1/3 it’s size. Keeping it around this size ensures that there is enough insect to justify the plant going through its process to break the bug down. But it’s also not so large that the venus flytrap will have a hard time sealing around it.

Feeding The Venus Flytrap A Dead Bug

Now that you swatted down the perfect type and size dead insect to feed your venus flytrap, lets get started.

At first, you will feed it just like you do a live insect. Place the insect inside the trap head, try to center it as best as possible. Putting the insect in the trap may trigger it, if not, simply use your finger to touch the trigger hair inside the trap. There are typically 3 small hairs that are the trigger. If it’s too small, just rub your finger or something small along the inside of the trap head, it will eventually close.

Once the trap closes, you will want to gently massage the outside of the trap for about 30 seconds to a minute. Venus flytraps will not release their digestive enzyme unless the secondary response is triggered. It’s not good enough to just make the trap close. If you did this correctly, you will see a seal begin to develop around the insect in about 30 minutes. If no seal forms, this means the flytrap will likely open up in the next few days and not actually breakdown and use the insect.

Keep reading below why the venus flytrap needs the secondary response in order to release it’s digestive enzymes.

How A Venus Flytrap Works While Feeding

Venus flytraps are truly incredible when you really start to analyze their evolutionary traits, even when it comes to eating dead bugs. The secondary trigger was developed because venus flytraps waste a lot of energy trying to digest an insect. If there isn’t an actual insect inside the trap, it can die from wasting so much energy without replenishing what it lost with the insect.

Imagine a raindrop or falling leaf fall into a venus flytrap. It closes and releases its enzymes but receives nothing in return. The amount of energy a flytrap puts out trying to breakdown and absorb an insect is a lot. Over time, venus flytraps developed a secondary response as a fail safe in the event that they are triggered by anything other than an insect.

I try to imagine the amount of flytraps that died over so many years before it started to realize that in order to survive long term, it needs to adapt and stop trying to absorb without knowing for sure that it has a live insect.

That insect on the inside wiggling around is the secondary trigger the plant needs to start producing its enzymes and breaking down the insect to absorb what it needs!

Conclusion

When it comes down to it, I strongly recommend feeding a venus flytrap live bugs. However, if live bugs are not an option it is okay and possible to feed a venus flytrap a dead bug or insect. It’s a little more work on your part, but if done correctly the venus flytrap will never know if it’s absorbing nutrients from a live or dead bug.

If you would like to learn more about venus flytraps and how to care for them, check out the video below. It’s a full venus flytrap care guide, from A to Z. Make sure to subscribe to the Carnivorous Plant Hub YouTube channel for more great videos!

https://youtu.be/fQwx8wqpG_M

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Do Venus Flytraps Eat Gnats & Fruit Flies?

By brchcar1445 October 30, 2022 October 30, 2022 Carnivorous Plant Info

Full sized venus flytraps do not typically eat gnats or fruit flies. Gnats & fruit flies are too small to trigger the hairs to make the trap close on a venus flytrap. A smaller venus flytrap from 1-2 years old may be small enough to eat gnats and fruit flies. Even though venus flytraps eat gnats and fruit flies at a young age they are not the best carnivorous plant for gnat or fruit fly control.

Lets talk more about what carnivorous plant you can get to control those pesky gnats and fruit flies!

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Do Venus Flytraps Eat Gnats & Fruit Flies?

If you grow venus flytraps from either seed or propagation, you may have some around that are small enough to eat fruit flies and gnats. Typically, you are not getting venus flytraps for gnat or fruit fly control. Even the young venus flytraps that are capable of eating the gnats or fruit flies don’t have enough traps on them to actually make a difference.

You could even debate that if a gnat were to trigger a full sized venus flytrap to close its trap it probably expends more energy trying to digest the gnat or fruit fly than it will get from the insect due it it’s small size. The venus flytrap has evolved to know it needs a larger insect to trigger the trap for it to be worth expending the energy to close.

The other issue is that venus flytraps actually need to be triggered twice. They have evolved to know that it’s possible for a leaf or rain drop to trigger the trap to close. The venus flytrap actually waits for a secondary trigger once the trap closes. If the thing inside is not moving, the flytrap will likely not go thorough with full digestion to save energy. Digestion will only trigger if the thing its trapped is moving around on the inside and triggers the hair a second time. The flytrap then releases it’s digestive enzyme to eat it’s prey. A gnat would not be big enough to trigger the secondary response.

Carnivorous Plants That Eats Gnats & Fruit Flies

Venus flytraps are amazing and one of the coolest carnivorous plants.They are small enough to eat gnats and fruit flies but will not make much of a dent with an outbreak. However, there are some amazing carnivorous plants that you can get pretty easily that will help you control your gnat and fruit fly problem.

Were going to talk about some amazing carnivorous plants that will definitely eat some fruit flies and gnats in enough of a quantity that can actually help you out!

Mexican Butterworts or Pinguicula

do venus flytraps eat gnats — A ping is a much better option than a venus flytrap for eating gnats and fruit flies.

PINGS! One of my favorite carnivorous plants! These amazing carnivorous plants are not only better for eating gnats and fruit flies but they are even easier to care for! Venus flytraps can be really tricky to care for. They need full sun or at the very least a very strong grow light for 12-15 hours a day. Venus flytraps will not typically grow well on a window sill either, making them tricky to really care for. Venus flytraps also need a winter dormancy period. All of these factors make venus flytraps tricky to grow.

Pings (short for pinguicula) are much easier to care for.

Each leaf on a ping can capture and eat many gnats or fruit flies.

They do still need light, but not nearly as much as a venus flytrap. They actually do really well on window sills and don’t typically need any kind of winter dormancy. But, most importantly, they can consume massive quantities of gnats and fruit flies. I had a breakout last year and my ping CLEANED up the gnats and fruit flies. Check out the video below so you can see just how many gnats and fruit flies my ping took care of.

If you are interested in purchasing a ping, California Carnivores has a huge selection. I recommend a “Sethos” or “Weser” as they are pretty easy to care for but there are so many other great pinguicula out there you can get eat gnats and fruit flies. Also, make sure to enter CPHUB at check out so you can get 10% off your order!

Order A Ping From California Carnivores, Click Here!

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I actually have a YouTube channel where you can see my carnivorous plants. I did a video all about how my pinguicula was catching gnats and fruit flies. Check it out below! Click the icon in the upper left to subscribe to my channel for updates on this very plant!

https://youtu.be/-PsUgnwdB0A

Another thing I really love about pings is they produce beautiful little flowers. These flowers are often pinkish or purple that are always a great contrast to the green ping. You can get all different colors of pings that produce all different colors of flowers. If a ping is healthy, it can produce several flowers are a time. When the flowers are blooming, these little carnivorous plants are beautiful but also lethal!

Cape Sundew Or Drosera Capensis

Another great carnivorous plant that likes to eat gnats and fruit flies is the Cape Sundew. These are quite a bit different than pings but just as impressive. They grow long tentacle type leaves that develop little drops of dew. This dew is very stick and traps insects. The plant then releases an enzyme that breaks the insect down and uses it for food.

These are just a bit more high maintenance than pinguicula. They need a little more light and just an uptick in humidity to continue to produce the dewy substance that traps the insects. They can do well in window sills if the window gets a lot of sun. They really like hanging out in a bathroom or kitchen sink. Being above a sink helps them get a little boost in humidity.

Like pinguicula, they are much easier to take care of than venus flytraps. They also do not need any type of dormancy period. This helps them be useful for gnats or fruit flies year round!

If you are interested it getting yourself a Cape Sundew California Carnivores is a great option! They are one of the most trusted and knowledgeable carnivorous plant nurseries around. Plus, you can get a 10% discount using the code CPHUB at checkout!

Order A Sundew From California Carnivores, Click Here!

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If you want to see more of a Cape Sundew, you can check out the video I did talking about mine. They are really cool plants and whether you have a gnat problem or not, they are a lot of fun to have around the house! Check it out below!https://youtu.be/1b9b2MsApTA

Do Venus Flytraps Eat Gnats: Conclusion

I often get the question on my YouTube channel, do venus flytraps eat gnats and fruit flies? It really comes down to the size of the venus flytrap. If it’s smaller it will eat gnats and fruit flies.

When it really comes down to it though, it doesn’t matter if a venus flytrap eats gnats or fruit flies because they can’t eat enough to help control the number of gnats or fruit flies you likely have. This question is asked because people want a natural way to help control these tiny insects. Venus flytraps are not the answer for that.

The good news is that there are some other truly amazing carnivorous plants that are easier to care for and do a MUCH better job of eating gnats and fruit flies in large quantities. Most people have no idea that there is a wide world of incredible carnivorous plants out there! If you are interested in learning more, head on over to my YouTube channel and see some of my personal collection!

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Can A Venus Flytrap Have Tap Water

By brchcar1445 October 13, 2022 October 13, 2022 Carnivorous Plant Info

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Will Tap Water Kill A Venus Flytrap?

One of the most common mistakes people make is giving their venus flytrap tap water as soon as they get it home. In some rare instances, tap water might be okay but more often than not, tap water contains too many dissolved solids. These dissolved solids will burn the venus flytraps roots and slowly kill it. Tap water in most cases is toxic to a venus flytrap.

Know If Tap Water Is Safe With This Tool

It’s really important not to guess with your tap water. If you really want to know if you can give your venus flytrap tap water this tool will be necessary. Most tap water contains dissolved solids. These dissolved solids are potentially toxic to your venus flytrap. A TDS meter is a tool that allows you to measure those dissolved solids in your tap water.

Not only will you be able to measure the “TDS” or total dissolved solids to see if it’s okay to give your venus flytrap, this will also allow you to see if your water is safe for drinking out of the tap. TDS meters are extremely affordable, you can grab one off Amazon for around 10-15 dollars. The one I’ve linked below is the one I use personally and it has never steered me wrong.

They are extremely easy to use. You just stick the meter end into your water and it will display a reading. Make sure you only use the TDS meter when the water is room temperature. If the water is too hot or too cold it can skew the measurement.

You want water that is below 50 PPM to safely use for venus flytraps. If you use water that contains around 50 PPM you will want to repot your flytrap once a year. Even at that low, the dissolved solids will build up in the soil over time. You can flush the plant with distilled water to help flush the dissolved solids out. You can measure the water coming through the plant to see if there is a build up. I personally prefer not to use anything over 10 PPM, this extends the substrate and I have less build up .

Also, if you are interested in more venus flytrap care information, check out my complete guide to venus flytrap care! You can also check out how often you should water a venus flytrap.

Superior Options To Tap Water

You may want to consider some different options to tap water for watering a venus flytrap. You need water that has very little to no dissolved solids. Keep in mind that boiling water does not eliminate dissolved solids, only bacteria. It’s also important to note that most bottled waters do not eliminate dissolved solids. Some of them even add minerals for taste, which harm venus flytraps. I wanted to list some options below so you can find good water for your venus flytrap.

Distilled Water From Store

If you want to avoid giving your venus flytrap tap water this is one of the easiest options. The only problem is it’s availability. In the section of your grocery or big box store that sells water there is usually a section that sells distilled water by the gallon. It usually ranges from 70 cents to 2 dollars a gallon. The bigger issue than price is that stores are OFTEN out of distilled water. There is nothing more frustrating than going to the store to get water for your plants and its all sold out. You can buy 5 gallons at a time when it’s in stock, but it can be quite the hassle.

Zero Water Pitcher (My Favorite Option)

Since you should not be giving your venus flytrap tap water, one of the best options out there is a Zero Water Pitcher. This is a special water pitcher that eliminates all dissolved solids out of tap water so it’s safe for your venus flytrap. Keep in mind that not all water pitchers do this. Brita for example, will not get rid of dissolved solids. It takes a special filtration process to eliminate the dissolved solids.

If you want to learn more about how much water each filter produces and how the Zero Water pitcher works, check out my full video review below. I go in depth with the Zero Water Pitcher so you can see if it’s right for you. If you don’t want to watch the video you can also click the link below to check it out along with the reviews on Amazon!

One of the best benefits to getting a ZeroWater pitcher is that it comes with a free TDS meter for measuring water. Once you get your pitcher you can then also measure your tap water to see what the TDS levels are.

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https://youtu.be/q3Iik5-B1Z4

Collect Rain Water For Venus Flytrap Instead Of Tap Water

In most cases, rainwater is a better option than tap water for your venus fltyraps. It should be noted however that even rain water can be contaminated in more polluted areas. It still might be a good idea to grab a TDS meter to measure your rain water before committing to using it. I’t’s also good to point out that most people collect rainwater off of a roof of some sort. Sometimes gutters and roofs can collect chemicals that could be harmful to a venus flytrap.

Rainwater is probably a good option but I’d recommend going with distilled water or the Zero Water pitcher above, just to be more safe. You’re venus flytrap is too precious to risk giving chemicals from roof collected rain water.

Reverse Osmosis System

The absolute best option but least cost effective option is installing a reverse osmosis system. This is the option you would want if you have 50 or more carnivorous plants in your collection. This is not necessary for most people but is definitely an option. The nice thing about having the reverse osmosis system installed on your tap water is the benefits of both it being clean drinking water and good for your venus flytrap.

They can be a little more expensive and still require filter replacements after so much use. You could reserve whichever sink you install if under to be just for carnivorous plants. This will ensure that you are never wasting the RO clean water. The Zero Water Pitcher is a much more affordable option. But if you want to really improve your drinking water and have a large source of zero PPM water, a reverse osmosis system might before you.

Check out the system I recommend below!

Conclusion

Can a venus flytrap have tap water? In most cases no… Unfortunately venus flytraps are a little too sensitive to dissolved solids to use tap water. Watering is one of the trickiest parts of growing healthy venus flytraps. I go in depth on everything water in my ultimate venus flytrap watering guide. It’s really in depth and gives you all the ins and outs of watering. I strongly recommend checking it out so you can learn how and when to water a venus fltyrap.

https://youtu.be/hfQKNffFp3s

There are other things you need to know about growing healthy venus flytraps but learning the ins and outs of watering is really important. Understanding how tap water impacts your venus flytrap is really important. Knowing the dissolved solids in your tap water is necessary when deciding if you are going to use it. Getting a TDS meter will be necessary if you plan on using tap water.

You can technically give venus flytraps tap water but you are taking a huge risk and gamble if you do it without a TDS meter.

For more great info, check out my YouTube channel Carnivorous Plants Hub where I bring you all kinds of great carnivorous plant care, unboxing and more!

Free Venus Flytrap Care Sheet & Plant Tracker

By brchcar1445 January 15, 2022 December 1, 2023 Uncategorized

free plant tracker

Free Plant Tracker & Venus Flytrap Care Sheet

Want free access to an amazing printable plant tracker and venus flytrap care sheet? A form will pop up shortly, just enter your email and name. Within minutes you will receive both the free plant tracker and venus flytrap care sheet right to your email!

NOTE: If the window did not pop up, try right clicking the link below and open this page on an Incognito browser for Chrome or an Inprivate window for Edge. Sometimes if you have visited my website before, the pop up will not trigger. Opening it in a private viewing window will trigger the pop up again!

Free Venus Flytrap Care Sheet & Plant Tracker – Carnivorous Plants Hub

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Are Venus Flytraps Poisonous To Cats & Dogs? Flytraps Toxic To Pets?

By brchcar1445 April 8, 2021 October 6, 2022 Carnivorous Plant Info

Venus flytraps have a very exotic and aggressive look to them. They are carnivorous plants, which means they consume insects. I get the question asked all the time… Are venus flytraps poisonous to cats or dogs? Are they toxic to any pets or children?

According to the ASPCA venus flytraps are not poisonous to cats or dogs. They are non toxic to any pet or even people. They are safe to consume and at the worst would only cause a little indigestion. Venus flytraps are completely safe for cats, dogs, any other pets and even people if consumed.

I can attest to at least cats not being impacted by venus flytrap consumption. My cat ate an entire flytrap plant and never even threw up. I never noticed any discomfort to even indicate they caused indigestion. I was worried at first, but it’s one of the reasons I decided to write this article. They are a scary looking plant and my first thought was that they might have something in them that could be harmful to pets.

It turned out they are not harmful at all!

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Are Venus Flytraps Poisonous To Cats Or Dogs?

Venus flytraps are not toxic or poisonous for pets or children. As a matter of fact, it’s quite the other way around. Cats, dogs and small children are very toxic to venus flytraps. I’ve lost more venus flytraps from my cat chewing on them or my child knocking them over than venus flytraps have harmed pets or people.

Even though venus flytraps are not toxic to cats or dogs, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye on them over the course of the next couple days if they do happen to eat one. You want to watch for signs that could indicate that ingestion of the plant is causing discomfort or health issues. You can look for the following.

Swelling, rawness of the skin or mouth, redness, swelling.
Collapsing suddenly or lethargic behavior.
Diarrhea or vomiting.

If you notice any of the symptoms above, it might be a good idea to contact your veterinarian immediately!

Keep Your Venus Flytrap Safe From A Cat

Now that you know that a cat or dog are more toxic to a venus flytrap than the plant is to them, you might be wondering if there is a way to keep your plants safe. I wanted to present some ideas that can help you keep your cat and your venus flytrap safe and happy. Cats really like flytraps, it could be the sweet residue they create to help attract insects. Either way, there are options if your kitty is a flytrap killer!

Sometimes understanding why your cat is attracted to your venus flytrap can help you figure out the best way to keep them away.

Usually, the main reason a cat eats a plant is to aid it in digestion. They may not be attracted to just your venus flytrap but just to plants in general. Cats instinctively know that they need to eat fibrous foods to help aid in vomiting. They eat plants to help them cough up that pesky hairball.
Beyond coughing up hairballs, it may be that your cat is just curious. Sometimes flytraps will dangle outside of their pot making it an irresistible target for your cat.
Beyond that, good luck figuring out why your cat is bothering your plant. Cats are crazy animals and there isn’t always an explanation to why they do things. This may be the case with your cat and venus flytrap.

Ideas To Keep Your Cat Away From Your Venus Flytrap

Remember the part in Batman where Alfred told Bruce that “Some men just want to watch the world burn”? Well, replace the word men with cat and that pretty much explains cats. I wanted to bring you some ideas that can help you negate some of your chaos your cat creates.

Plant Protection From Your Cat

Nuvue Products 32109 Pest Guard Cover, 52" x 52" x 54"

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Last update on 2024-04-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

You can use the pet guard above to literally put a protective bubble around your venus flytrap. This will also keep other critters and birds from getting to your plant.

Deter Your Cat

Whether your cat is eating or just chewing on your plant, neither will be good for it. Even just chewing will often lead to a venus flytrap dying. One way to keep your cat away from your flytrap is to deter them. I’ve seen very mixed results with deterrents. It actually seems to work less often than it does, but it’s worth a shot. There are some natural cat replants you can buy but most don’t get very good reviews and don’t seem to work very well. One home remedy that has seem some good results is to take some vinegar and dilute it with water. You can spray the vinegar on your plant safely but the cat will hate it. The problem with this method is you must reapply every few days after the vinegar wears off. If you forget the cat may come back and eat some flytrap. If you can be consistent long enough, maybe your cat will just stay away!

Discipline Your Cat

I know, this one stinks. No one likes to be the bad guy with their cat but in order to teach good behavior sometimes you have to be a little mean. This one requires a little patience and timing but may be the best overall option.

I don’t condone spanking or “beating” animals so I would avoid doing this if possible. The more tried and true method that doesn’t hurt the cat is to use a spray bottle every time they interact with the plant. Make sure they are actually messing with it before you spray them. You want them to associate the water hitting them with messing with the plant. After doing this a few times, you might be surprised at how effective it is!

The water bottle below acts as a great plant mister and cat sprayer. I love my CoreGear!

CoreGear (Ultra Cool™ XLS) USA Misters 1.5 Liter Mister & Sprayer Personal Water Pump with Full Neoprene Jacket and Built-in Carrying Strap (Grey)

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Last update on 2024-04-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Cure Kitty Boredom

Often times the main reason your cat is bothering your plants is simply because they are bored. Maybe you just brought your plant into your home and now it’s the new fun thing to play with! If this is the case, you might need to consider grabbing something else that is new and shiny for your cat to play with.

You can grab a simple kitty toy or you can go big with the cat condo below!

Amazon Basics Cat Tower with Hammock and Scratching Posts for Indoor Cats, 15.8 x 15.8 x 19.7 Inches, Gray

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Last update on 2024-04-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Plants For Your Cat

Another potential solution to help keep your cat away from your venus flytraps is to give them their own plant! One of the most common and probably obvious plants you can get your cat is some catnip. You can click here to find some catnip seeds to grow yourself!

Maybe a better option is a cat grass growing kit! These are really cool. Not only will your cat love having fresh grass to eat but your kids will love watching the grass grow too. You can make it fun for the cat and the kids! You can check out the cat grass growing kit below!

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Check out the cool video below showing more about Cat Grass!

https://youtu.be/0xKeN63YR1c

Tips To Keep Dogs Away From Venus Flytraps

We haven’t talked a lot about dogs, mostly because they aren’t nearly as much of a problem. They aren’t attracted to them quite like cats are and usually just putting them out of reach resolves the problem. Cats are more agile and able to get to higher places. I did want to give a few tips if you are having problems with your dog and venus flytraps.

Keep your venus flytraps fairly high off the ground. Most of the time if a dog takes out your venus flytrap its simply due to a powerful tail sweep or just a clumsy bull dosing. Keep them up on a table out of tail length!
If your dog does like to mess with the plant, you may need to give some puppy discipline. It’s hard to be mean to our dogs (sometimes it’s easy I suppose) but most of the time we don’t want to be upset with them. The best way to avoid being upset is to train them to not do things that make us upset. Use the “dad voice” or in my household at times the “mom voice” with your dog when you see them messing with your plants. They don’t want to upset you, often times using a strong tone with them will deter them enough.
You can also try chemical or natural deterrents. I would recommend something natural although they don’t typically work as well, especially with dogs.
The best thing you can do here is to just keep your venus flytrap separate from your dog. Whether it’s higher off the ground or in a different room or behind a fenced area.

Occasionally your dog will mess with your venus flytraps but more often or not it’s going to be the cat you have to worry about!

Most of the stuff above work for Nepenthes too, if you are interested! You can read more about how to keep your Nepenthes Safe From Dogs & Cats by clicking here!

Are Venus Flytraps Toxic To Cats & Dogs?

I looked all over the internet to try and find examples instances where cats or dogs were injured or hurt from eating a venus flytrap. There was one instance of a couple of cats eventually dying after ingesting a VFT but it was never conclusive on what their cause of death was.

The ASPCA has disclosed them as being non toxic and safe for ingestion. They may cause a little stomach discomfort but that’s about the extent. Click below to check out the ASPCA website.

Venus Flytraps On ASPCA Website

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Can You Grow Sundews Indoors? Are Drosera A Good Indoor Plant?

By brchcar1445 November 21, 2020 October 6, 2022 Carnivorous Plants Care

Sundews are amazing carnivorous plants. I hear people asking all the time, “can you grow sundews indoors?” I think the name “sundew” makes it seem like a plant that you should grow outside in full sun. Dorsera are extremely hardy plants and are a lot of fun to grow indoors.

You can definitely grow sundews indoors. If you have a window sill that gets some sun during the day, you should be able to grow a sundew indoors. If you don’t have a good window, you may need a grow light. The good news is, sundews are really easy to grow. They are probably the best and most versatile carnivorous plant for beginners to grow. I’m going to show you exactly what you need to do to successfully grow a drosera indoors.

Below I’m going to lay out some of the steps you need to take to make sure you can easily grow your sundew indoors. They are a carnivorous plant and do have some unorthodox needs when it comes to growing them indoors. Let’s dive in!

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How To Grow Sundews Indoors

I put together a quick guide to growing sundews indoors. Make sure to go over everything below before you pull the trigger on a drosera plant. They aren’t hard to grow but do have some specific needs that goes against typical growing logic.

I’ll try to touch on each important area that needs to be covered so you can give your sundew the care it needs while been grown indoors. If you take the time to learn about the drosera plant, you won’t regret it. Sundew plants are amazing and can be a lot of fun to show off to friends and family.

They are also great for controlling flies and gnats. I’ve seen my sundews completely covered in gnats before. This gives them some value on top of just being amazing plants. Lets take a look at what you need to do to grow a sundew indoors.

Check out my video below of me unboxing some new sundew plants from Predatory Plants. If you like it, make sure to subscribe so you can see updates on those plants and many other carnivorous plants!

https://youtu.be/kKs0Y0Qak6w

Know Your Sundew Plant

We are generalizing sundew plants here which can be kind of a mistake. This guide will help you grow some of the more standard types of sundews but it will be up to you to know if your sundew has extra special requirements.

Some sundew plants only live one year then seed and die while some need a dormancy period. I’m going to give you some sundews below that will be easy to grow for beginner’s. If you have not purchased a sundew yet, please consider one of the good beginner sundews below!

Drosera Carpensis (Cape Sundew)

The drosera carpensis is probably the best beginner sundew plant. It’s extremely accessible with many sellers offering it and they are really hard to kill. They do not require any kind of dormancy period so you can enjoy them year round. Dormancy periods can be tricky and frustrating to master. These plants have been deemed as almost impossible to kill and make a great beginner sundew plant!

You can even grow a Cape Sundew from seeds pretty easily. If you can find a good reputable supplier of seeds, most people have pretty good success growing them from seeds. It can be a lot of fun to grow a sundew from seed to a full sized plant!

Click Here To Get A Cape Sundew Plant

Drosera Spatulata (Spoon Leaved Sundew)

This is another great starter sundew. The spoon leaved sundew has wider and broader leaves to help give it a more thick appearance. I actually prefer this style of sundews! They are also very easy to care for and you should be able to give them the same care and they will live a long healthy life!

Drosera Binata (Fork-Leaved Sundew)

The drosera binata or fork-leaved sundew looks a little closer to the cape sundew mentioned up above. It has more of a tentacle look but they are truly incredible. You can give them the same care and they will also live a great long life!

Sundew Care: Grow Sundews Indoors

I’m going to give you a quick guide on caring for and growing sundews in your home! These plants are so much fun to watch and do a great job keeping gnats under control. If you have kids they are going to love watching this cool carnivorous plant chomp down on bugs!

Indoor Lighting Needs

To successfully grow sundews indoors, one of the most important things will the light you are able to provide them. Whether it’s artificial or sunlight, check out the requirements below so you can keep your sundew plant happy!

If you have a window in your home that can provide your sundew plant up to 6 hours of sunlight a day, you probably won’t have any problem with lighting requirements. If you can get your plants more light, then even better! I would try hard not to go under 5 hours. This may require you to move it to multiple windows as the day goes on.

The other option is to get some artificial light. You can get a Sansi 30W bulb with an E26 (standard) socket to get your sundews more light. I purchased this light for my nepenthes and it really works well. It’s pretty affordable and super easy to set up and plug in. I just grab some clamp lights, like below and allow that light to shine on my Sundews for 6-10 hours day!

Check out my lighting setup below!

This setup is super easy and you can see the exact bulb and the clamp light that I purchased below.

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Simple Deluxe Clamp Lamp Light with 8.5 Inch Aluminum Reflector up to 150 Watt E26 (no Bulb Included) 6 Feet 18/2 SPT-2 Cord, 1-Pack, Silver and Black

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Watering Sundews Indoors

Make sure when you water your sundews that you are only giving them pure water. This includes, distilled, rainwater and reverse osmosis water. Sundews, like other carnivorous plants do not like minerals in the water. The minerals can burn the roots and slowly kill your sundew plant.

Avoid using your tap water unless you have a TDS meter to measure the PPM in your water. You want to try and keep the PPM below 50. PPM stands for parts per million and this is essentially measuring the mineral content in your water. You can see a TDS Meter below! Occasionally tap water will run lower than 50 PPM but it’s super rare.

You want to make sure your sundews never dry out. They like to remain moist. One of the best ways to water a sundew is to keep them in a tray of water with 0.5 to 1 inch of water at all times. This will help make sure the plant stays healthy and continues to produce the dew drops that catch the insects.

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Sundews also like a little extra humidity in order for them to thrive. I live in an area where my humidity is often down around 30-40 percent without any assistance to get a higher humidity. In those conditions my sundews grow fine but I can really tell the difference in how fast they grow and how much dew they produce when I bump the humidity up.

I try to use a humidifier to help give them a bump. If thats not something that is possible for you, maybe try bringing your sundews in the bathroom with you when you take a shower or try to keep them in a window in your kitchen or bathroom. Both kitchens and bathrooms have naturally higher humidity due to how the rooms are used.

Also, a small humidifier is extremely affordable and easy to manage, check out the small humidifier below to help give your sundews a nice boost!

Pure Enrichment® MistAire™ Studio Ultrasonic Cool Mist Humidifier - Small & Compact, Overnight Operation, 2 Mist Settings, Optional Night Light, & Auto Shut-Off - For Offices, Plants & Small Spaces

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Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Soil Mix For Sundews

For Sundews, you want a good carnivorous plant soil mix. I actually have a video I made showing you how to make a great carnivorous plant soil mix. I made this mix up for my venus flytraps but this mix is great for sundews as well.

You want to make sure you have a nutrient poor soil mix. You also want to make sure your mix has good aeriation. I use a peat moss, perlite and silica sand mix. This mix does a great job of allowing water to escape but also absorbing water to help slow release it to your plant. If water can’t escape and sits your plant can be subject to root rot.

You can get a great carnivorous plant soil mix on Amazon below. I have talked to people who just don’t have the time or resources to make their own and love the option of just having some shipped to their home, check it out!

Organic Earth Carnivorous Plant Soil Mix 1 QT - Plant Food Peat Moss & Perlite for Carnivorous Plants - Terrarium Soil, Pitcher Plant Soil, Venus Fly Trap Soil

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Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

You can also use a long fiber sphagnum moss for your indoor sundew plant. LFPM is a favorite among many carnivorous plant grows. It does a great job of absorbing the water but doesn’t allow water to accumulate. My sundews right now are in LFSM but when I replant it will be to a peat moss, perlite and silica sand mix. You can also get long fiber sphagnum moss on Amazon shipped right to your home!

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All Natural Sphagnum Moss Potting Mix (2 Quarts), Dried Moss Blend for Carnivorous Plants, Orchids, Top Dressing, and More

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Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Don’t forget to check out my video below! I will show you how to make your own sundew soil mix. Please also subsribe to my channel so you can see updates to all my carnivorous plants and more!

https://youtu.be/q6WaSVn3bKg

Pots & Planters For Sundews

When you are looking for a pot or planter for your sundew plant, you just want to make sure you are getting something that has plenty of holes for good drainage. It’s also important that you get a pot or planter for your sundew that is either plastic or resin.

You can get a ceramic planter but you need to make sure it’s fully glazed. You don’t want the ceramic or clay to be exposed to your substrate. The clay can leach minerals into your soil giving your sundew a long and slow death.

Don’t be afraid to get creative. There are plenty of fun planters and pots out there that can be a lot of fun to put your sundews in!

Click Here To See Pots & Planters On Amazon!

Feeding Sundew Plants

When you grow sundews indoors you may have to work a little harder at keeping them well fed. If you grow sundews outside, they will almost always be able to catch more than their fill of insects.

How much you need to feed your sundew plant will completely be determined by how much exposure they have to insects. Check out my sundews below. They are around some other carnivorous plants and there always seems to be a semi decent amount of gnats available.

If your plants are never exposed to insects, you may need to feed them from time to time. If you can find insects, this totally works. Flies are great! You want to make sure you only feed them softer insects. Try to avoid crickets & grasshoppers.

My Sundew catching some gnats.

You can get a bag of fly larvae to feed your sundew on occasion. I would say one larvae a week should be plenty depending on the size of your plant. The bigger it is the more you may want to feed it. Make sure you soak the fly larvae before putting it on your sundew plant, this will help it be able to break it down easier.

Symton Medium Feeding Grade Black Soldier Fly Larvae

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Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Do Sundews Need Dormancy?

The answer to this question is yes, for some. No for others. I STRONGLY suggest for your first sundew plant, to get one that doesn’t need a dormancy period. Dormancy can bring some extra need when it comes to care and isn’t very fun when you have to watch your plant stop growing or die off.

There are plenty of incredible and easy to grow sundews out there that don’t need to go through a dormancy period. Make sure and do some research on the sundew you want to find out if they need a dormancy period.

Most growers will list this information on their product page. If they don’t, you should be able to contact them and find out if the plant they are selling requires a dormancy period.

Final Thoughts

If you are even considering a sundew plant, I strongly suggest you give them a shot. If you do your research, there are plenty of low maintenance sundew plants that can thrive in a wide array of conditions. The longer you have your sundew the better acclimated it will become to its environment.

They will wow your company and always give you something to talk about. Telling someone you have a carnivorous plant always peaks interest and questions will be asked. It’s fun showing people how your little plant catches and eats bugs. Sundews can be grown indoors and they will make you happy you chose to get one.

Why Is My Venus Flytrap Turning Black? Leaves, New Growth & Traps!

By brchcar1445 October 24, 2020 October 6, 2022 Carnivorous Plant Info, Carnivorous Plants Care

One of the most common questions I see is, “Why is my venus flytrap turning black?”. Sometimes its the leaves turning black or an existing trap. Or maybe it’s the new growth turning black. There are lots of reasons why a venus flytrap might turn black, we are going to cover everything.

The first thing I should say is don’t panic. A venus flytrap turning black is a very natural occurrence and even happens to the healthiest of plants. If you have new growth turning black on venus flytraps you might have a bigger issue. But older traps and leaves turning black is nothing to be concerned about in most cases.

The most common reason your venus flytraps turn black is that it’s at the end of its timespan. Flytrap heads turn black and die all the time, it’s no big deal. It also could be due to overfeeding the trap or feeding the trap something that’s too large. Another common reason is dormancy, sometimes when a venus flytrap enters dormancy it looks almost completely dead with traps and leaves turning black. Stress from being repotted or the use of improper soil/water can also be common reasons for a venus flytrap turning black. Improper care with feeding, lighting and watering could certainly be the cause.

Lets dive into all the different reasons and see if we can identify why your venus flytrap is turning black.

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Why Is My Venus Flytrap Turning Black?

Below we are going to be discussing in detail each reason why your venus flytrap leaves, traps or new growth is turning black. Most likely the black on your venus flytrap is totally natural and nothing needs to be done.

There may be some situations where you need to give your venus flytrap different care. I’m hoping we can identify and diagnose the issue with your venus flytrap!

Most Common Reason: Old Age

The most common reason your venus flytrap is turning black is that it’s at the end of it’s lifespan. After a venus flytrap has opened and closed 3-5 times they expend all their energy and will turn black and die.

This is really common and happens to all venus flytraps. The plant itself lives a very long time, up to 20 years. However, the traps will come and go pretty commonly. Keep in mind that if you trigger the trap for entertainment, you are decreasing that traps lifespan.

If that trap happens to catch a couple of insects and reopens, it will die quicker than some of the other traps that do not catch an insects. That trap even though it’s turning black and dying, has done a lot to help the plant out.

Stress From Repotting

If you just purchased and repotted your venus flytrap there is a good chance you will lose some flytrap heads before you gain some new ones. Often times the stress of being repotted and acclimating to a new location can aid in turning your venus flytrap plant black.

Just keep in mind that if the heads are turning black after being freshly repotted, you probably do not need to be alarmed. Give your flytrap some time to acclimate to its new environment and it should start sprouting new traps before you know it.

I would keep reading however, to make sure you are taking proper care after repotting your plant. There are a few other things that could go wrong and if you’re not giving your flytrap proper care you could lose your plant.

Overfeeding

I have seen a lot of people who don’t know better try to feed every head on their venus flytrap plant insects. A venus flytrap consumes a lot of energy when it eats an insect. Even though that insect does sent a lot of energy to the main plant, it takes its toll on the existing traps.

The plant can’t support that many traps consuming insects in that short amount of time. This will likely not kill the plant but it could turn most of the existing flytrap heads black.

A venus flytrap should only be fed about 1 fly a week per plant. One head on each plant per week is enough to give the plant what it needs. The plant mostly survives off the light it’s provided, the insects act as fertilizer. Too much fertilizer and it can be harmful to the plant.

If you want to learn more about feeding a venus flytrap, check out my full guide on feeding a venus flytrap.

What & How To Feed A Venus Flytrap Click Here!

This is a photo of a venus flytrap that ate too large of an insect then eventually died.

Flytrap Ate Too Large Of An Insect

The rule when feeding a venus flytrap is try not to feed it anything bigger than 1/3 the size of the trap. Sometimes you can’t help it if the trap catches a larger insect, this usually ends in the trap turning black and dying.

I just had a smaller trap catch a yellow jacket and just about a week later it died. You can watch the video below of me dissecting some of my traps with insects on the inside. It’s a fun look at what the bugs look like after they have been absorbed by the plant.

You won’t always be able to stop your trap from catching larger insects natrually but you can control whether or not you feed your trap large bugs. Make sure when feeding your flytrap not to give them insects that are too large. In my experience this will result in the trap turning black and dying 100% of the time.

https://youtu.be/afE3GsOz08o

Not Using The Correct Soil Or Water

Venus flytraps have fairly special needs due to the way they grow naturally. If you are not meeting those special needs your plant could be unhealthy and could turn black and die.

Substrate/Soil Needs

A venus flytrap needs a special soil mix that contains extremely small or no amounts of minerals. What I use is a peat moss, perlite and silica sand mix. You need to make that your mix has no fertilizer to additives in it. You can buy the soil premade on Amazon if you don’t want to deal with it or you can make it yourself.

Check out below to see the soil you can buy right on Amazon already mixed and ready to use.

Organic Earth Carnivorous Plant Soil Mix 1 QT - Plant Food Peat Moss & Perlite for Carnivorous Plants - Terrarium Soil, Pitcher Plant Soil, Venus Fly Trap Soil

PERFECT GROWING ENVIRONMENT: Organic Earth’s...
PREMIUM INGREDIENTS: Organic Earth’s carnivorous...
TREAT YOUR PLANT: Ideal pitcher plant, sundew...
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OUR MISSION: At Organic Earth, we’re dedicated...

Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

If you would rather make your own soil mix, I can show you how to below. Also, I have an entire article I wrote all about venus flytrap soil mix. This includes how to make it and much more information.

Venus Fltyrap Soil Information Click Here

I have also made a video showing you exactly how I make this mix, make sure to check it out below!

https://youtu.be/q6WaSVn3bKg

Type Of Water

One of the most common mistakes people make when getting a new venus flytrap is they give it tap water. It’s an honest mistake and not always clear on the plants instructions. The minerals in tap or bottled water will burn the plants roots and eventually kill it. This process will turn the plant black as it’s dying.

It’s important to understand that you will need distilled water, rain water or even water obtained through reverse osmosis. Pure water will be the only kind of water that works for your venus flytrap in the long run.

You can get distilled water at a local grocery or big box store for under $1 a gallon. I usually just pick up 4 or 5 gallons at a time to make sure I have enough for a bit. You can use rain water if you have a way to collect it. You may want to test it however, just to make sure the parts per million is low enough.

Watering Instructions

The other thing that could be happening is your venus flytrap isn’t getting enough water or your overwatering. Make sure you keep your venus flytrap moist but not soaking wet. It’s important to never let your substrate dry out. You also want to avoid adding so much water it makes the substrate muddy.

You can use the tray method to water but you want to be careful not to leave the plant in too deep of water. You can fill a tray with about 1/4 of an inch of distilled water and place the pot in the water. Don’t add more water until the tray completely dries out.

Watering is one of the most common mistakes people make that leads to their venus flytrap turning black. You can read all about how to water a venus flytrap at my full guide below. It has more info about the kind of water and how much water you give a venus flytrap!

Venus Flytrap Watering Guide Click Here

Wrong Pot Or Planter

For a venus flytrap to thrive and avoid turning black you will need to make sure your plant has good water flow and aeration. The pot or planter you choose will have a hand in that. Make sure your pot or planter has good drainage with plenty of holes int he bottom for the water to escape.

Venus flytraps are known to suffer from root rot and standing water can aid in that. You need the water to be able to drain out of the bottom of the planter.

You also want to make sure you avoid any planters that can leech harmful minerals into the soil. Terra cotta for example can leech minerals into the soil and cause the roots to burn. Some clay pots will also leach minerals. I suggest using plastic or resin planters with good drainage. You can get a clay pot, just make sure it’s fully glazed to avoid any leeching.

Check out the planter below I recommend for venus flytraps.

Mkono 6.5" Plastic Planters with Saucers, Indoor Set of 5 Flower Plant Pots Modern Decorative Gardening Pot with Drainage for All House Plants, Herbs, Foliage Plant, and Seeding Nursery, Cream White

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Last update on 2024-04-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

To see what I suggest for good planters, check out my full guide on the best pots and planters for venus flytraps below!

Best Pots And Planters For Venus Flytraps

Winter Dormancy

Many venus flytraps have been discarded due to the dormancy period. Many people mistake normal dormancy for their plant being dead. During dormancy most of the plant will turn black and look dead. Usually there is a little green left, so you can tell, but most people would probably think the plant is dead.

When the days shorten and temperatures drop venus flytraps go into survival mode. They completely stop growing and most current growth dies back to conserve energy. The rhizome spends all winter storing up energy to make a comeback in the spring.

This is how venus fltyraps work in their natural habitats. They have evolved to be able to survive cold winters. You should try to avoid your trap being in whether that dips below 32 degrees too often but there are ways to overwinter your plant to ensure it survives the winter.

Dormancy can be a little tricky with venus flytraps and for your plant to stay healthy it’s necessary. It’s a good idea to learn more about dormancy to make sure your venus flytrap lives a long healthy life. I havea full guide to venus fltyrap dormancy below.

Learn all about overwintering your venus flytrap and how to make sure your plant has a nice comeback after dormancy below.

Venus Flytrap Dormancy Guide

Venus Flytrap Head Turning Black

The most common place for a venus flytrap to turn black in the head or the trap. Usually the tips of the trap will start turning black and the blackness will spread to the rest of the head. It then moves from the head to the leaves.

This is most commonly caused by old age but could be because of any of the reasons above. Its totally normal for a trap to turn black and die. If all your traps are turning black and dying, use the information above to determine if you are doing something wrong with your venus flytrap care.

Another really common reason the venus flytrap head turns black is from it eating an insect that is too large. In my experience, every trap that eats a large insect starts turning black and dying within a week. Don’t panic at this unless all your venus flytrap heads start turning black. Then you may need to change care habits or consider it could be dormancy setting in.

Venus Flytrap New Growth Turning Black

Its not at all uncommon for a new trap that’s coming up to turn black and die. If you start to see this over and over or all your traps are turning black and dying it could be a bigger problem.

Did you just replant your venus flytrap? Sometimes, if you replant the flytrap the new growth won’t do very well until the plant gets acclimated. Make sure it’s getting a lot of sunlight and being kept watered with distilled water and new healthy traps should start popping up.

Make sure you have optimal growing conditions for your venus flytrap. It needs a lot of sun or light to grow healthy. Venus flytraps like a full days sun if possible, if not, you may need grow lights to supplement the light it needs. Venus flytrap new growth will turn black if the plant is not getting enough light.

It’s also important to make sure the plant is getting distilled water and being kept moist. If the plant dries out, the venus flytrap new growth may turn black.

Keep the plant watered well and give it plenty of sun to avoid any new growth from turning black! Just keep in mind that on occasion a new growth will turn black, don’t be alarmed. I would only look into it if you see this repeat or if all new growth is turning black.

Venus Flytrap Leaves Turning Black

If just the leaves of your venus flytrap are turning black you may have a slightly different problem. Sometimes if your have too much sun or light and they get too hot they could burn. You see this when a venus flytrap is put in a glass terrarium. The glass magnifies the sun and burns the plant.

Another cause for this could be if your using tap water with minerals. The water can get on the leaves and the minerals burn them and cause black spots. Make sure you are only watering with distilled or pure water.

If the edges of your venus flytrap leaves are turning black it’s probably alright. As long as the black isn’t spreading to the entire plant you probably have nothing to worry about. Make sure you are following all the care instructions above and your plant should be okay.

Sometimes stress from replanting or too much sun can cause the edges of the leaves to turn black a bit. Watch your plant, if the rest of the plant seems to be doing fine, it’s probably okay!

Should You Cut Off Black Venus Flytraps?

Cutting off black venus flytraps is really not necessary. It’s mostly an aesthetic decision. I will admit, I love the way my venus flytraps look right after cutting off all the older black dead leaves and flytraps. There are a few things to keep in mind when cutting off black flytraps.

Never cut off any green parts of your plant. If it’s green, it’s helping. Anything that’s green is absorbing sun and helping with photosynthesis. The more green collecting sun and light the more healthy your plant will be.

I usually don’t touch black flytraps until they black goes all the way back to the rhizome. If it’s black all the way back to the main plant, you know it’s served its purpose and is no longer helping the health of the plant.

This trap would be okay to cut off since you can see the leaf is black all the way back to the rhizome.

Keep in mind, it’s not necessary to cut it at this point. The black flytrap will eventually decompose and fall off. Just make sure if you decide to cut off black growth that you avoid cutting any of the green. Even if the head is all black and the leaf is still green, just cut the head off and leave the green stem.

Cutting off black flytraps is 100% optional but a freshly trimmed flytrap does look really nice! Its especially nice to trim them freshly after dormancy as a lot of the plant will be black and dead.

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Final Thoughts

Often times when your venus flytrap is turning black, there is really nothing to worry about. The normal course of life will happen with these plants and they will turn black and die. But, it’s a really good idea to go over the information above to make sure you are doing everything you can help keep your venus flytrap healthy.

Venus flytrap care is not really standard in the gardening world and often times growers learn this the hard way by killing their plant. You should be able to determine why your venus fltyrap is turning black by going over the information in this article.

If you thought this content was good, please make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel below. I want to start a carnivorous plant nursery someday and you subscribing to my channel supports that dream! Check out one of my recent unboxing videos below to see if it’s something you might like!

You can also check me out on Instagram or Pinterest below! Also, if you are interested in convervation efforts of carnivorous plants, check out the International Carnivorous Plant Society for more info!

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Nepenthes Pitcher Plants Dormancy: Do Nepenthes Go Dormant?

By brchcar1445 October 23, 2020 October 6, 2022 Carnivorous Plant Info, Carnivorous Plants Care

I see people asking do nepenthes pitcher plants need dormancy, a lot in the carnivorous plant communities I’m a part of. The most popular carnivorous plant is the venus flytrap and their dormancy period is very important. Most people associate these plants together since they are both fairly common carnivorous plants and assume a nepenthes tropical pitcher plant should go dormant. The phrase “pitcher plant” is also used to describe sarracenia which do need a dormancy period.

With that being said, to be clear, this article is specifically calling out Nepenthes pitcher plants not to be confused with sarracenia American pitcher plants. They do require dormancy and if you are inquiring about sarracenia and not nepenthes tropical pitcher plants, you may want to consider a different article!

Nepenthes pitcher plant dormancy is not actually a real thing. Nepenthes tropical pitcher plants do show different growth patterns in the winter time when the days shorten but it’s not in an actually dormant state. The growth of new pitchers will slow down and some of the older growth does tend to die off, which is why it’s commonly believed they go through dormancy. Growth will slow down a bit but they are still in an active growing state.

The best thing you can really do is just adjust the way you care for your pitcher plant during winter months where the growth may slow down a bit.

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Do Nepenthes Pitcher Plants Need Dormancy?

We will talk about some winter time care tips below but first lets talk about where nepenthes pitcher plants come from and why a dormancy period is not really needed with these plants.

Nepenthes pitcher plants come from tropical locations. These locations do have seasons but not like the seasons we experience. The seasons are typically pretty warm year round but may experience less light than normal For example, during a rainy season, a nepenthes pitcher plant is less likely to see more sun so they compensate by slowing growth a bit to conserve energy. This is not considered a dormancy as they are still actively growing.

A beautiful new pitcher on my nepenthes ventrata. Sitting next to my Venus Flytraps!

Most people do not live in the same conditions that the jungle has but we do share a common trait, shorter periods of light during certain seasons. When the days shorten during winter time your nepenthes tropical pitcher plant will sense it and start to slow down growth for the good of the plant.

During this time, you can help your plant in a few different ways, we will talk about them below in just a bit. With a typical dormancy the plant no longer needs light and can be stored at a certain temperature to be brought “back to life” when the weather starts to get warm and days long again.

A nepenthes pitcher plant cannot be treated the same way. You will actually want to do your best to accommodate it and provide it with some of what it’s lacking during this time.

Nepenthes Winter Time Care Tips

Lets take a moment and go over a few care tips for a nepenthes during winter time. Since they are not in a dormancy stage they actually require a little more attention from you in the winter time. Winter time induces more stress on your plant and you may need to give them just a bit more care.

Increase Humidity

Increase the humidity as much as you can. Winter time brings on less humidity and this can hurt your nepenthes a bit. Try to purchase a humidifier like the one below, they are affordable and having a little extra humidity in your home is always a good thing

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Last update on 2024-04-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Other things you can do to increase humidity for your plant are to mist your plant twice a day. Make sure you mist the leaves and the main stem of your nepenthes plant. This will give it a lot of extra humidity.

Nepenthes should never sit in water. However, you can get a tray fill it with aquarium rocks then put some distilled water in with the aquarium rocks. Set your plant on top of the rocks. This will help increase the humidity as your plant is sitting on top of a tray of water but not soaking in one.

You can also move your plant to a more naturally humid room in your home. The kitchen and bathroom tend to be more humid than other rooms. You can even bring your nepenthes in the bathroom with you while you shower. The warm humid environment will help it get a small dose of humidity! If you shower once a day, your plant will be getting a nice dose of daily humidity.

Increase Sunlight Or Use Artificial Light

Try to put your plant in a window that gets the most light throughout the day. Since it’s not getting as much in it’s current spot, maybe there is another window in your home that gets more light during the day.

If you don’t have an area to give it more light, you may want to get an artificial light for it. You can easily get a Sensi grow bulb along with a simple clamp shop light and you will have your very own grow light set up for your plant!

I leave my light on overnight so it’s not on during the day. My tropical nepenthes pitcher plants get their light during the night time. It’s kind of bright and can be kind of annoying during the day so I just flip it on during the night and turn it off in the AM. Check out my current setup for my hanging pitcher plants.

Our setup in our dining room. This light is only on overnight, we do not turn it on during the day.

Check out the bulb and clamp light we use below for this setup. The Sansi bulb has an E26 socket and it’s easy to find a standing or wall lamp to put it in. We use the affordable shop clamp lights below but you can shoot for something more aesthetically pleasing if you like.

Check out the lighting section in my Ultimate Nepenthes Ventrata care guide below, it’s for a Ventrata but the lighting applies to all nepenthes plants.

Ultimate Nepenthes Ventrata Care Guide

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Other than the extra light and humidity just continue to care for your nepenthes pitcher plant as you did before. It isn’t going through dormancy but will need a little more attention during the shorter days in the winter months.

Final Thoughts

Your nepenthes pitcher plant is not going through dormancy but its going through a much more stressful time. It will be important for you to watch and care for your plant more than normal. Looks for signs that it’s turning brown or yellow and pitchers are not growing or dying.

Don’t panic though, you just need to give it a little more humidity and more light. Make sure you keep your home around room temperature and your nepenthes pitcher plant will do just fine!

Make sure to check out my YouTube channel below and you can watch my journey with my personal nepenthes ventrata plants. Check out the video below to see a couple of my more exotic nepenthes plants I recently unboxed!

Also, if you are interested in carnivorous plant conservation please check out the International Carnivorous Plant Society for more info!

https://youtu.be/kKs0Y0Qak6w

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Table of Contents

How Much Water Do Venus Fly Traps Need

Venus Flytrap Natural Habitat With Water

Know The Weight Of Your Venus Flytrap Planter

Must Have Equipment For Watering

Simple Ways To Determine Your Flytrap Needs Water

Tray Watering Vs Top Watering Venus Fly Traps

Tray Watering Venus Flytraps

When To Top Water Venus Flytraps

How Much Water Do Venus Flytraps Need Indoors

Should You Let Venus Fly Traps Sit In Rain?

Watering Venus Flytraps During Dormancy

Conclusion

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Table of Contents

Can Venus Flytraps Eat Ants?

Do Venus Flytraps Eat Ants In The Wild?

Better Choices Than Ants To Feed A Venus Flytrap

House Flies

Spiders

Wasps

Conclusion

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Table of Contents

Can You Feed Venus Flytraps Dead Bugs?

What Kind Of Dead Bug Or Insect

Correct Size Of Dead Bug or Insect

Feeding The Venus Flytrap A Dead Bug

How A Venus Flytrap Works While Feeding

Conclusion

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Table of Contents

Do Venus Flytraps Eat Gnats & Fruit Flies?

Carnivorous Plants That Eats Gnats & Fruit Flies

Mexican Butterworts or Pinguicula

Cape Sundew Or Drosera Capensis

Do Venus Flytraps Eat Gnats: Conclusion

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Will Tap Water Kill A Venus Flytrap?

Know If Tap Water Is Safe With This Tool

Superior Options To Tap Water

Distilled Water From Store

Zero Water Pitcher (My Favorite Option)

Collect Rain Water For Venus Flytrap Instead Of Tap Water

Reverse Osmosis System

Conclusion

Free Plant Tracker & Venus Flytrap Care Sheet

Want free access to an amazing printable plant tracker and venus flytrap care sheet? A form will pop up shortly, just enter your email and name. Within minutes you will receive both the free plant tracker and venus flytrap care sheet right to your email!

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Table of Contents

Are Venus Flytraps Poisonous To Cats Or Dogs?

Keep Your Venus Flytrap Safe From A Cat

Ideas To Keep Your Cat Away From Your Venus Flytrap

Plant Protection From Your Cat

Deter Your Cat

Discipline Your Cat

Cure Kitty Boredom

Plants For Your Cat

Tips To Keep Dogs Away From Venus Flytraps

Are Venus Flytraps Toxic To Cats & Dogs?

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Table of Contents

How To Grow Sundews Indoors

Know Your Sundew Plant

Sundew Care: Grow Sundews Indoors

Indoor Lighting Needs

Watering Sundews Indoors

Soil Mix For Sundews

Pots & Planters For Sundews

Feeding Sundew Plants

Do Sundews Need Dormancy?

Final Thoughts

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Table of Contents

Why Is My Venus Flytrap Turning Black?

Most Common Reason: Old Age

Stress From Repotting