Venus Flytrap

[venusflytrap]

i grow carnivorous plants too(sun dews. pitcher plants, butter worts, venus fly traps). Rain water is good as they like acidic soil so addaing tap water will neutralise it and the plant will die. In winter/dormant season dont water it like normal (in a tray of water). It will cause rot, only keep it saturated in summer. best thread so far!!

 

[geeza]

How big do they tend to grow? And do they eat anything that goes into their mouths or is it just flys and.... crap? Can we have some pics of you venus fly traps? I want to grow my own now!

yeh mate, any left overs just hoy them in and itll make short work of those chicken bones

 

[Meatball]

yeh mate, any left overs just hoy them in and itll make short work of those chicken bones

Just found this:

"Inside the Venus Flytrap
Carnivorous plants have to be able to:

* attract insects
* capture bugs
* discriminate between food and non-food
* digest their prey "

 

[basmic]

I'll post a picture of my VFT tomorrow, in daylight.

Feeding wise, I give it anything that moves. Ants, half-alive blue bottles, small spiders. Just don't go stupid by giving it bits of mincemeat or beefburgers.

You have to remember how the trap works, in order to understand why it's important what you feed the VFT.

Each trap has 6 very fine sensors, 3 on each leaf. They are like small hairs. Whenever it feels constant movement on these hairs, it's time for the trap to close. If the movement stops when it's closed, the trap will re-open the next day. If the movement continues, when the trap has closed, it'll simply keep tightening on the victim.

There is a technique to getting wriggly creatures in the traps, which I have sucessfully used. Insert the victim in a container, place the container in the freezer. Leave the victim in the freezer for the shortest time possible (ie: 30 seconds to 2 minutes), enough so it's barely moving. Then transport the victim to the trap, and it'll start moving in the warm air again. The VFT should pick up this movement, and capture the animal.

 

[Meatball]

I'll post a picture of my VFT tomorrow, in daylight.

Feeding wise, I give it anything that moves. Ants, half-alive blue bottles, small spiders. Just don't go stupid by giving it bits of mincemeat or beefburgers.

You have to remember how the trap works, in order to understand why it's important what you feed the VFT.

Each trap has 6 very fine sensors, 3 on each leaf. They are like small hairs. Whenever it feels constant movement on these hairs, it's time for the trap to close. If the movement stops when it's closed, the trap will re-open the next day. If the movement continues, when the trap has closed, it'll simply keep tightening on the victim.

There is a technique to getting wriggly creatures in the traps, which I have sucessfully used. Insert the victim in a container, place the container in the freezer. Leave the victim in the freezer for the shortest time possible (ie: 30 seconds to 2 minutes), enough so it's barely moving. Then transport the victim to the trap, and it'll start moving in the warm air again. The VFT should pick up this movement, and capture the animal.

LMAO Cool! is there a good store to get the seeds from? How much are they normally?

 

[Tachyon]

LMAO Cool! is there a good store to get the seeds from? How much are they normally?

There's a clue further up the thread.

 

[Tachyon]

Here's a pic I took a while back. There's a couple of other pics in that gallery of other carnivorous plants as well although it's mostly just flowers & plants I have.

 

[Kol]

DO IT. Use plenty of Baby Bio. Give it plenty of sun and breathe on the little blighter all the time. Just don't get too close

 

[basmic]

LMAO Cool! is there a good store to get the seeds from? How much are they normally?

Or get them from Fleabay for about £2.

 

[Puzzled]

Stupid Question Time.....

What actually happens to the venus fly traps prey? Does it suck it dry like a spider and drop the remains, or just crush it?

 

[Kol]

Stupid Question Time.....

What actually happens to the venus fly traps prey? Does it suck it dry like a spider and drop the remains, or just crush it?

I thought it was digested? ie. enzymes secreted and slowly digested.

 

[basmic]

I thought it was digested? ie. enzymes secreted and slowly digested.

Got it in one. When the trap opens (usually several days to a week later), all that remains is the exoskeleton - the body without the juicy bits.

 

[Liverpool-Lad]

My old plant

http://www.andy-m.myby.co.uk/big.jpg

http://www.andy-m.myby.co.uk/big2.jpg

 

[basmic]

The beast itself:

A close-up of a trap, clearly showing all 6 hairs (3 on each leaf), in a triangle-like formation.

 

[Chunky]

mine never really caught many flies

 

[Meatball]

The beast itself:

A close-up of a trap, clearly showing all 6 hairs (3 on each leaf), in a triangle-like formation.

Wow. I think I might buy a starter kit.

 

[basmic]

Wow. I think I might buy a starter kit.

They are rather hardy plants. Just keep them in a window which has loads and loads of sunlight coming through it each day.

During the months November - January, you only need to keep the soil moist. The rest of the time, quite literally have it standing in water. My tray in that picture is constantly kept topped up, near the brim.

 

[Meatball]

They are rather hardy plants. Just keep them in a window which has loads and loads of sunlight coming through it each day.

During the months November - January, you only need to keep the soil moist. The rest of the time, quite literally have it standing in water. My tray in that picture is constantly kept topped up, near the brim.

thanks for the tips. I'm going to buy the starter kit from that little shop of horrors website

 

[basmic]

This is what just happened to me - feeding gone wrong:

 

[D4VE]

^ Urrrgh

wouldnt want that in my house