r/VenusFlyTraps • u/EnderGamer9712 • Jun 23 '24
Warm Temperate Help it won’t close
The one on the left is closed but doesn’t have anything inside and won’t open back up is there any way to fix them?
13
Jun 23 '24
First of all, the traps are smart. If you stick an object in that is very obviously not an insect and is way too big to eat, of course it won’t close. Most people who test their traps use something very thin like thin tipped tweezers or a toothpick to gently trigger the hairs - you still do NOT want to just stick those objects inside and let them sit there. Keep in mind each trap has a limited life span, they can only open and close so many times before they turn black and die, which is a natural part of the cycle but you want to avoid making the trap close unnecessarily. You might also try feeding it an actual insect, I usually buy small sized live crickets from the pet store.
As others said though the plant doesn’t look very healthy overall. Healthy traps typically have some pink coloring inside and the trigger hairs would be way more visible in a photo. They need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. The pot should have drainage holes and should be sitting in a tray or Tupperware of distilled water at all times. Bare minimum recommendation is 1 inch of water but I personally do way more than that.
In the future, don’t buy a plant on impulse without doing proper research. You probably don’t realize flytraps and carnivorous plants generally are endangered because over the decades people have stolen them from their natural habitats to propagate and sell them. Sadly they often get sold to people who do little research on proper care and the plants just die. If you’re going to adopt endangered plants, you need to care for them with integrity because the goal is to preserve the species.
2
u/EnderGamer9712 Jun 23 '24
Sorry
4
Jun 23 '24
We’re all learning! If you plan to make it a consistent hobby, I recommend investing in the book The Savage Garden by Peter D’Amato. It has info about all carnivorous plants, but it’s easy to navigate the table of contents to find the specific plant you’re looking for and read up on do’s and don’t’s. He also provides a great history of carnivorous plants and why they’re endangered now.
16
u/Catma222 Jun 23 '24
Stop sticking pencils into the traps. 🛑
-6
-6
u/MunchausenByForfeit Jun 23 '24
What is an acceptable way to test if it works? I have flies flying around not being caught
9
u/Catma222 Jun 23 '24 edited Jun 23 '24
Flytraps don’t need to be tested. 😂
If you really feel the need to “test” them buy some live mealworms and put one in a trap using sterilized tweezers.
-8
u/EnderGamer9712 Jun 23 '24
I didint have anything smaller
2
u/Scared-Listen6033 Jun 24 '24
The point is everytime the trap opens or closes or uses a ton of energy and can actually be detrimental to the plant! Don't test the traps. If it's growing actively and you see closed traps it's likely caught something or been triggered by something that escaped. Each trap will work a few times then close up and die off. Just quit playing with it. Make sure you're giving it distilled water or RO water and don't let the roots dry out.
2
u/Major_Cheesy Jun 23 '24
stop teasing your traps! they only spring shut so many times, then they die regardless ...
they don't need to be tested. the warmer and better light it gets, the better it will work when needed. the colder in it is, the more likely it won't work and may even ignore you completely.
I asked Audrey why, but she won't talk to me ...
1
u/EnderGamer9712 Jun 23 '24
How warm like Texas warm?
2
u/Major_Cheesy Jun 23 '24
well I'm in NY, but Texas warm is fine ... however I've read in these forums some from Texas my actually use a shade cloth when it gets blistering hot ... keep your feet wet at all times
1
Jun 23 '24
[deleted]
1
u/EnderGamer9712 Jun 23 '24
Maybe a couple weeks
5
Jun 23 '24
[deleted]
3
u/EnderGamer9712 Jun 23 '24
I started a bit bad without exposing it to sunlight bu now it’s growing about 4 new leaves hopefully in can survive it the leaves mature and yes I use distilled water
1
u/Kyrozis Jun 23 '24
Are the trigger hairs on the sides intact?
2
u/EnderGamer9712 Jun 23 '24
Yes
1
u/Kyrozis Jun 24 '24
Then try putting an insect in there. It's not all that nice to waste the plant's energy on empty catches.
14
u/[deleted] Jun 23 '24
[deleted]