TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk
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I'm prolly gonna get a sundew from lowes in about 2 days. What I need to know is how does it eat? Can you stick a bug on one of it's leaves and it will stick and be digested? How EXACTLY does it work? Does the plant move?
Ok, first many of your questions are answered here. FAQ on dews.
The tentacles will trap the bug, wrap around it and dissolve it into a soup. They will then reabsorb the nutrients, unfold and leave the husk. You can feed your dews, make sure the bug is small enough for them to eat, or it will rot! I feed mine and they catch insects on their own, so they don't have a problem with food.
Some varieties move more than others. On some, just the tentacles fold over the prey. Others the whole leaf folds over like a sandwich. Some tie themselves in knots trying to get the food!
A healthy dew will have...
1) new growth
2) lots of dew
3) bigger the better
Does the bug need to be alive before it eats it? And also, because Its ussually flyless here now with the real cold weather. I can't find many bugs. What size of bug are we talking about?
And because it won't be able to attract much in this kind of house, How exactly should I hand feed it (and how much)? And is Plant food o fertilizer OK for it? And how fast will the tentacles wrap around it? And how long does the entire eating process take? Sorry for all the questions
Hey Venuskid,
First off... you do not "need" to feed it at all. Sundews produce food through photosynthesis just like any other plant. Insects are merely a dietary supplement. Your dews will live perfectly happy without you ever feeding it a single thing.
As to your questons...
1. The bug can be dead.
2. Depending on what plant you have it may go dormant in winter so lack of bugs is no problem (if you tell us what you get we can tell you if it goes dormant.)
3. Nature usually dictates what size bug it will get. If its too big it simply pulls free and escapes. Most dews feast on bugs about the size of gnats.
4. I wouldnt worry about hand feeding (again they dont "need" to be fed.)
5. Fertilizer or plant food is unnecessary.
6. Depends on the plant, Some plants move faster than others. (some are quite dramatic, almost like VFTs
)
7. Depends on the size of the bug. The bigger the bug, the longer the digestion time.
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