TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk
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food
- Thread starter wallyisawalrus
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Wally,
As far as bugs go my only recommendation would be to avoid bugs that are high in fat (waxworms and the like.) Spiders and scorpions should be okay (as long as we're not talking Tarantulas and Giant Desert Hairy Scorpions.)
I'm not sure I would go feeding any animals (ie mice, frogs, birds) to Sarrs.
Pyro
As far as bugs go my only recommendation would be to avoid bugs that are high in fat (waxworms and the like.) Spiders and scorpions should be okay (as long as we're not talking Tarantulas and Giant Desert Hairy Scorpions.)
I'm not sure I would go feeding any animals (ie mice, frogs, birds) to Sarrs.
Pyro
The best thing is, the sink, and walk around in the bottom of the pitchers. A good thing if it's a purpurea because they are slanted, and they can sometimes push some stuff down furthing, to make room. Pluse they're slow enough to put in a VFT alive, and it wont get crusehd or stuck... It will move around, and set the trap further.
I have had some problems with a certain type of ant. Here in the UK, we have a species of ant called a wood ant. (Canadian redwood ant to be precise) It was introduced into this country many years ago as a form of biological pest control. Now, the control has become the pest! They are a large and aggresive species. They rear up on there back legs when disturbed and try to bite the offender. Also, they are capable of squirting an acidic substance from there abdomen. It is this that causes the problems. ALL of my CP's that have ever caught an ant has ahd the trap go brown and die overnight.
They will capture any type of small bug, arthropod, maybe a small frog or lizard. A rollie poly or pill bug is a crustacean and not a insect, tough as a scorpion.
But thats not the real problem. The problem is when a trap catches too many prey items it will rot the inside of the leaf out.
Thats what happens. To keep this from happening we place cotton in a good deal of pitchers, this keeps them from trapping insects and maintains a pretty trap for cut flower trade. This is mainly done with trumpet type Sarracenia (leucophylla & cultivar hybrid Judith Hindle).
The worse thing to be caught by the plants and mainly S. purpurea are slugs. Slugs will not only rot the trap quickly but the stench is that of a rotting corpse with larger clumps of plants. Too much meat for any plant, and very gross for any human near the plants.
Thus a new cultivar is being named;
"lnsect Stinker"
I did try and feed a spider to a S. flava once, but it dropped into my shoe at my ankle and bit me. It was the black widow and my ankle swelled like a upside down baseball bat. 2 days in the hospital & still some pain and a nasty scar. The plants can and will catch there own food. Rules to live by
Mike
St. Petersburg Florida
But thats not the real problem. The problem is when a trap catches too many prey items it will rot the inside of the leaf out.
Thats what happens. To keep this from happening we place cotton in a good deal of pitchers, this keeps them from trapping insects and maintains a pretty trap for cut flower trade. This is mainly done with trumpet type Sarracenia (leucophylla & cultivar hybrid Judith Hindle).
The worse thing to be caught by the plants and mainly S. purpurea are slugs. Slugs will not only rot the trap quickly but the stench is that of a rotting corpse with larger clumps of plants. Too much meat for any plant, and very gross for any human near the plants.
Thus a new cultivar is being named;
"lnsect Stinker"
I did try and feed a spider to a S. flava once, but it dropped into my shoe at my ankle and bit me. It was the black widow and my ankle swelled like a upside down baseball bat. 2 days in the hospital & still some pain and a nasty scar. The plants can and will catch there own food. Rules to live by
Mike
St. Petersburg Florida
