Q&A for How to Care for Venus Fly Traps

It is not necessary to feed your fly trap insects. If you do feed it, only feed it one insect at a time, and wait for that trap to open up again before feeding another.

After planting, Venus fly traps can reach maturity in as little as 8 months.

Venus fly traps have evolved to eat insects and other small creatures as a way of supplementing nutrients that they’re not otherwise obtaining because they traditionally grow in nutrient-poor soils. It is therefore best if the fly trap does get bugs regularly to remain healthy. A Venus fly trap grown without feeding on bugs likely won’t be that healthy and won’t last as long.

First up, only feed the plant if absolutely necessary; Venus fly traps growing where there are bugs do not need feeding by hand. If you do need to feed your Venus fly trap because it cannot get bugs, then feed it with bugs (beetles, flies, ants, etc.), either live or dead. If the bug is dead, you’ll need to stimulate the trigger hairs inside the trap by squeezing the two lobes very gently between your thumb and forefinger, just a few times, and always very gently. As you do so, ensure that both lobes contact each other with each squeeze. Otherwise, feed it live food. For more help feeding the trap, see Part 6 in the article above.

In general, you don’t need to feed the Venus fly trap unless it’s grown in an incredibly pristine environment indoors where there are absolutely no insects it can obtain. Outdoors, the plant will obtain all it needs from insects, and even frogs, that are passing by. A Venus fly trap can survive one to two months without feeding but it’s best if it gets food more regularly, like a few house flies a month. If you do need to feed it, give the plant an insect, slug, or similar small live creature every week or two. For detailed feeding tips, read Part 6 above, which explains how to make the prey slower so it doesn’t crawl out before the trap has had a chance to close and how to help the plant get the nutrients it needs.

When the Venus flytrap is growing, it should be watered when the soil is almost no longer damp. During the dormant season, when the plant stops growing, the plant should be watered much less; just don’t let the soil dry out completely. See Part 4 of the article above for details on choosing a good watering method from 3 different possibilities. When watering, be sure to saturate the soil and be aware that during hot weather, small containers can dry out each day, so keep a close eye on your Venus fly trap more frequently when the weather’s hot.

A Venus fly trap's digestive enzymes break down the soft internal organs of the insect or spider and leave the exoskeleton intact. The fly should fall out on its own. You might damage the plant if you try to take it out yourself.

Tap water often has added chemicals and minerals, which could harm your plant. Pure or distilled water do not have these, and are considered safe.

You may be watering it too much or too little. It could also not be getting enough sunlight and think it is still in the dormancy stages.

No, it does not bite people. Regardless, you should not stick your finger into the Venus fly trap's "mouth."

It depends on how much sun it gets and how moist the soil is. The soil should always be slightly moist, so add more water if the soil is drying out.

If the gnat was not moving, the trap may not have sensed it. The gnat may also have been dead and digested by the time you found it.

You should repot after the dormancy period because any other time would be too stressful for the plant.

You can go to a store and go to the fish aisle and get a bottle of the dehydrated blood worms. Then feed it one small blood worm as needed.

Yes, that's normal. It's a flower stalk, and will produce small white flowers eventually.

Not at all! If it lives outside, it can catch small animals, like frogs. If it lives inside, it can get its nutrition from sunlight.

Yes, they all grow randomly and look different - like your fingerprints! Even if you are using growth techniques, they will never be exactly as intended in size.

Absolutely not. The venus fly trap should not be fed anything other than insects.

It is, when you notice the plant has divided into multiple plants, is drying out too quickly, or is getting crowded into the pot.

They eat small crickets and grasshoppers, spiders, ants, small beetles, and mealworms.

No, you do not have to feed your flytrap every day, if it lives outside then it will catch small insects and bugs, but if it lives inside then it can live mostly on sunlight and water.

Yes, but take care that it is not in a place where it can tip over easily.

It varies, but usually about ten days. If you feed it dead insects and it opens after just a day or two, it may be rejecting it because it doesn't consider it food. Ants have powerful jaws and may try to cut through the leaf to escape, so they may not be the best live insect to introduce to your plant.

No, they are not safe for animals to be around.

Use only distilled or de-ionized water. Bottled drinking water may contain minerals that will kill the plant over time, filtered or not.

Repotting her at any time other than the dormant period may cause the flytrap stress. On the other hand, I would rather have a stressed plant for a while than grow her in the rubbish soil they sell them in. So, your call.

Yes. Your Venus Fly trap would be happy in the kitchen as long as it has good sunlight.

Yes, Venus fly traps do enter a dormancy period. You will notice that your flytrap doesn't produce new leaves or traps during that time.

It is growing flowers, so it can produce seeds by being pollinated. If you want to pollinate it, gently rub your finger on the flower.

The point of repotting is to give your plant more space, so you will need a bigger pot to keep your plant healthy.