They are mostly cultivated and sold as specialty houseplants.

Think of insects as the fertilizer you might use to feed other plants.

At this point the trap has just begun the feeding action.

Venus Fly Trap

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The trichomes must continue to be stimulated for the bristles to close and interlock completely making the trap airtight.

This means the Venus flytrap must be fed live prey.

Otherwise the lobes fail to lock completely and digestion of the food source stops.

venus flytrap traps

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In this case, the trap reopens in a day or two, releasing the undigested material.

Nutrients are extracted and absorbed into the plant.

Each trap on the plant is able to open and close a limited number of times.

Warning

Don’t touch your Venus flytrap’s traps just for fun.

About ten unsuccessful trap closures result in the Venus flytrap failing to respond to contact.

The jot down of insect to feed a Venus flytrap depends on the size of its traps.

Even Venus flytraps kept as houseplants can often capture and digest small indoor insects to support continued growth.

No, you cannot feed a Venus flytrap dead bugs.

This carnivorous plant can survive several months without the necessary nutrients provided by digesting prey.

However, deprived of all prey, the Venus Fly Trap will eventually die back.

Sugars contained in fruit will likely cause your Venus flytrap to rot.