Did i feed my vft too much?

[Warlock]

I just bought my vft yesterday from Frank's, and I already fed it 4 things. Two slugs, an earthworm, and a big pillbug. Are any of these things harmful to my plant?

 

[jimscott]

According to Barry Rice's CP FAQ, it is definitely possible to overfeed VFT's. He also gave a rule of thumb about one critter per trap. Also, the critter should be ~1/3 the size of the trap or else the trap may blacken and die.

 

[vft guy in SJ]

Most plants purchased from those stores are not in the best of health to begin with. Overfeeding one right away while it is still acclimating itself to its new home can be a bad thing. Don't be surprised if all the newly fed traps turn black and die within a few days. Also take into consideration what a VFT would catch on its own before you randomly drop things into a trap. Earthworms and slugs are not something that  VFT would naturally capture on its own and therefore is not really "equipped" to handle such prey. From what Ive read of other peoples experiences, earthworms tend to get all gooey and nasty and eventually kill the trap. Slugs can eat their way out so likewise are unsuitable as VFT food. For best results, put your plant somewhere outdoors and let it catch its own prey. Your plant will be happier and will reward you with a huge potfull of awesome bug chomping goodness.

Good luck
Steve

 

[jimscott]

Although CP's need the critters, they don't need them as much as we think they need them. They need light, food, air circulation, and humidity more than we think they need them.

 

[pond boy]

Agreed,earthworms\slugs get all gooey and stinky and ooze out of the traps.

 

[VeiledFighter]

yeah avoid sugs/worms. I tend to always have one trap feeding per plant.

 

[Warlock]

Thanks for the help. I think it's ok, but I'll take it easy in the future.