Mealworms have been known to burrow out of traps, and crickets move so quickly they can easily escape. Venus Flytraps will eat any kind of insect, but only insects. I do prefer to feed venus flytraps live insects if I’m going to feed them. I'm actively looking for contributors, photographers, and people to collaborate with. Short Answer. If your plant lives outdoors, or if you can put it outside on sunny days, then it will catch all the food it needs without your help. Bloodworms are ideal for almost all species, particularly sundews (Drosera) and butterworts (Pinguicula), while mealworms and crickets are often good for larger pitcher plants (Sarracenia and Nepenthes). While Venus flytraps and other carnivorous plants will gratefully accept live insects, I’ve found it’s rarely worth the hassle. You might also want to subscribe to my email newsletter to be notified when I publish my next article. What’s more, even the healthiest plant will eventually slow down its growth if it doesn’t catch any prey. All three of these foods are suitable for other carnivorous plants as well as Venus flytraps (Dionaea muscipula). I write once or twice a month, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Depending on your climate, a cold frame may be enough for dormancy. For that, be sure to read my complete Venus flytrap growing guide or grab a copy of Peter D’Amato’s carnivorous plant “bible”, The Savage Garden. Im also thinking of getting a cold frame. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you’ve provided to them or that they’ve collected from your use of their services. Weird & Wacky, Copyright © 2020 HowStuffWorks, a division of InfoSpace Holdings, LLC, a System1 Company. It catches its prey—chiefly insects and arachnids—with a trapping structure formed by the terminal portion of each of the plant's leaves, which is triggered by tiny hairs (called "trigger hairs" or "sensitive hairs") on their inner surfaces. But if you really want to feed your plant yourself, then there are 5 important things to bear in mind: Don’t give your plant anything it wouldn’t catch naturally. Once you’ve taken care of their basic growing requirements - or if you simply can’t wait any longer - read on…. Learn more. It’s worth mentioning that reptile and amphibian specialists (such as Swell Reptiles in the UK) sell mealworms and crickets as live food, as well as freeze-dried. Then, using a toothpick or cocktail stick, separate out a little ‘meatball’ which is about a 1/3 the size of the trap. We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. Venus Fly Traps eat ants, fly’s, beetles, or slugs with larger creatures like tiny frogs and spiders being on the list of food as well. Yum! Just remember the rules above. FAQ: Why is my Venus flytrap turning black. 26 April 2017. Crickets: If you can find dried crickets that are suitably small, they make a fine snack for adult Venus flytraps. If you want your Venus flytrap to be happy and grow big colourful traps, there are lots of things you should do before thinking about what to feed it for dinner. Closing a trap requires a lot of energy, so don’t trigger them if you aren’t feeding them. That means no chocolate, chicken, or other human food. Flytraps actually get a good deal of their sustenance like other plants do, through the process of photosynthesis.During photosynthesis, plants use the energy of the sun to drive a reaction that converts carbon dioxide and water to sugar and oxygen. If other plants can thrive on gases in the air plus water from the soil, why do Venus Flytraps eat insects? Beginner's Guide to Sarracenia Now Available, Growing Requirements of Nepenthes Hybrids, How to divide and repot Sarracenia, by Phil Wilson, 5 Gift Ideas for Carnivorous Plant Growers. Pop it in, then use your cocktail stick to gently touch the trigger hairs as described above. Whatever you do, don’t forget to take care of their other needs first! Stay up-to-date! If you’re using a dead bug, use a toothpick or cocktail stick to gently ‘tickle’ the hairs through the gaps after the trap’s closed over the prey. They are cheap, nutritious, and can be bought at most pet shops and aquariums. Simply rehydrate the worm with a few drops of water, soak up any excess water using kitchen roll, then pop it into the trap. It might sound boring, but your little plant will be much healthier with proper watering, lots of bright sunlight, and - in the longer run - a cold winter dormancy than with bits of food being dropped into its traps. Digestion only starts if the trap’s trigger hairs are stimulated after it has closed.