What should I feed my flytrap?
Firstly, Venus flytraps are carnivorous. However, this does not mean that they can eat any old thing you decide to stick in it. You can not feed it any of the following:
- McDonalds
- Chocolate
- Human flesh - gross!
- Steak
- Bread
- Fish
- Chicken
- Chips/fries
- Vegetables
- plus most other things
Venus flytraps have evolved to consume only bugs. They’re very picky and if you feed them anything else they won’t like it. The best bugs to use are soft squishy bugs without super strong exoskeletons (too hard to digest). Ants and slaters are bad due to their hard exoskeletons and moths are too fuzzy to digest. Some of the best bugs to use are:
- flies
- crickets
- cicadas
- caterpillars (be careful they don’t eat their way out though!)
- spiders
It is crucial that you don’t feed your plant anything bigger than about 1/4 the size of the leaf, any bigger and you risk damaging the plant or the plant rejecting the bug. If you’re careful you can go up to about 1/2 the size of the leaf but be careful.
Maggots are good food too, but that’s a topic for another post.
Jordan responded on 11 May 2008 at 12:35 pm #
Can you feed venus fly traps mosquitoes, too? Cause I live in Michigan and we can get a lot of mosquitoes in the house over the summer and it would be great if my trap could eat them.
Ryan responded on 15 May 2008 at 8:39 pm #
Hi Jordan,
Yep, mosquitos are great. Just make sure it’s not too big as you don’t want bits of bug hanging out of the trap.
Amac responded on 01 Jul 2008 at 5:42 pm #
are grasshoppers ok because i have way too many in my backyard, and whats better grasshoppers or ants
Amac responded on 01 Jul 2008 at 5:57 pm #
is it ok to feed my vft a 1cm grasshopper every week or should i feed it less
Ryan responded on 09 Jul 2008 at 5:38 am #
Hi Amac,
Grasshoppers are fine. Any insects will be okay for your plant to eat.
Feeding your plant once per week is certainly on the high side, but if you have plenty of traps then it shouldn’t cause it any harm.
Just make sure the legs aren’t sticking out the sides of the trap as it can cause leaking of the digestive juices and the air which gets into the trap cavity can cause damage to it.
AJ responded on 11 Aug 2008 at 4:10 pm #
What about slugs? I heard the slugs are okay to feed you flytrap it that true?
And what about hamburger meat? Is that okay or no?
Carrie responded on 28 Aug 2008 at 6:52 pm #
Hi i just purchased a venus fly trap and have a few questions.. Ok how often should i feed them? Also should i use a heating lamp on them like i would on baby chicks? and last what should i feed them during the winter?
Ryan responded on 04 Sep 2008 at 3:19 am #
Hi Aj,
Hamburger meat is 100% not a good idea. Any food from a non-insect in general will be bad.
Slugs should be okay to feed your plant.