Worms?

[cchang]

3 months to recover from shock (from another discussion)?  That could be what's happening to my original vft.  It's lost it's vibrant green colour and hasn't been growing, but seems to be staying alive.  Anyways...

I ended buying a second vft and after some cleanup (rotting traps, leaves, fungus, et al.) it's doing really well.

A couple of nights ago, I was sitting and admiring it's nice traps when I noticed a small, white line (approx. 1 mm) in the middle of the hinge.  It didn't strike me as odd until when I looked at it again... it had moved closer to the leaves.

Then it started to climb up inside the trap.  I checked on another trap and there was one there too.  These "worms" are too small to trigger the traps and would not provide enough nutrients to the plant but should I be worried?  

 They don't seem to be attacking the plant...

 

[Mac]

It happen samething to me. It start to eat my vft bulb and right now my green dragon is already dead. I don't know it is the same kind of worm but you should be worry.

 

[Coma]

you may wanna try drownD the little beggerZ (like i did) and there all gone and my vft is doing fine ....what i did is i got a plant pot bigger than the one the vft is is and filled it with rain water and submerged the vft for about 2 and ahalf days , then i keppt a GOOD eye on it to make sure they where all gone , if not try the same trick again and again till there all gone ... vft live in a bog so i guess they dont mine the water

 

[cchang]

Coma... good suggestion. I tried washing some of them off yesterday and it set off 2 of the traps.

Do you know if I can also use this method with my Nepenthes and Sarracenia?

I think the tray of water my Sarra and vft is sitting in has little insects moving around in it.... don't know what they are? Fly larvae, mosquitoes? I am compelled to change the water.

Thanks for the help...

 

[schloaty]

Cchang,
Yeah, if you read the Savage Garden, it warns you to look out for those little white buggers. They live in the VFT "saliva" and are parasites. The drowning techinique it the best.
Also, with the little larvae or whatever they are, I get the same thing too. When I change my water, I drain off as much as I can first (so the population of aquatic critters is as dense as I can make it), then I sumberge my terrestrial Utric in the city of snacks for a couple of hours. Seems to really like it.

 

[sherkborg]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1


*takes a breath* I see those worms on my vft!!!!

After a tap water month, with a bit of plant grower, after almost all traps rotting... now I see it has little worms on it!!!

I watered my plant.. (fill the pot up so its over the top and let it soak in) and i see the worms!!! they have been living with my vft!!!!!!!


Anywyas few questions....

How long can you leave a vft submerged?
Also, Should I shine my plant grower light on it while its summerged?

Will this kill all bugs in my moss?

 

[sherkborg]

When I placed my little pot in a glass and flooded it... well

it floated to the top and wont sink.

So I added quaters... will this kill the plant in any way? (using money to weigh it down)

 

[BigCarnivourKid]

I wouldn't think they would do any harm for the short time you will need them to hold the VFT under the water.

 

[sherkborg]

k, also how long? 2 days?

how long summerged? Im thinking 3 days (2 + 1 to make extra sure)

 

[sherkborg]

Interesting... I buried some annoying bug flying around me (green bug about the size of a lady bug) and one day after or two i redug it up (was only under top) and its completely eaten away. Only its exo skeleton remains.

Also I noticed from the moss im growing from my dead vft (tap water death, but decided to keep growing the moss for the heck of it) I see around 30-40 of these worms. Ive never ever ever seen them until I looked incredably close... they are about .3 mm big... and about half a CM at max long...

Also u wont see them from anymore then 2 inchs away ( i can only see them at 1 inch away) So magnifiying glass would help. Also most seem to be non movement (eating) but when they arn;t boy theysure run around.

they are clear with a line (vein of plant matter) running down them..


Anyone known what exactly they are? Im gonna try to let them grow big? Might as well... its a spagnum moss only pot. hehe... lets see if they die off naturally or infest and kill the moss?

 

[sherkborg]

Call me mr little scientis...

but i did a few things with the mini worms...

if ya drop them on a hot surface (lamp) they die instantly.

if ya hold them mm away from the bulb they will "cook" after about 30-60 seconds

however if you stick them up near the base of the bulb (in the lamp) they die very very quick. Maybe from light exposure?


Do these suckers due from intense light? caues if so you could just put your vft under intense close light for like 20 seconds and they would die.. (a reflect chamber and focus all light onto the plant and surface)

 

[cchang]

good investigating sherkborg...

Those worms are definitly the same one's I had.
I, fortunately, only had a couple of worms on each trap. I submerged my vft entirely for 24 hrs and am waiting to see if it was successful. All the traps closed on me because it was difficult to weight the plant down. We'll see in a couple of days.

 

[sherkborg]

I taped loonies and twoonies to my plant cause it kept floating back up. heh.


Anyways My mom told me they will lay eggs... so keep a eye on your plant... I plant to give mine a few soakers along the way cause of that.

So with 24 hours you killed your worms? cause right now im on like 32 horus under water....

 

[cchang]

I don't know if all the worms are gone... nor am I sure if they didn't lay any eggs. I figure, if more shows up, I'll soak it for longer next time. My traps are still closed right now.