Since all this is still new to you, you should observe what the plant does
and learn from your observations. You really need to do a google search to
find out more about your carnivorous plant.

The plants don't need to catch flies to survive so let them do their own
thing without forcing flies upon them. If the fly is too big, the trap will
reopen by itself to let it go.

The marginal teeth on the leaf blade are not the trigger hairs that close
the trap.

Do dead flies have any nutritional value? Eat one and find out. I wouldn't
eat one but that's my personal preference.


verizon wrote in message
...
Hi,

I bought a venus fly trap from home depot a little over a month ago,
everything is ok so far

i have been using tap water which seems to work (ny area tap water) so all
is well on that front...

today though we had a hot today out and i managed to catch a big fly, and
found another dead one

on the porch outside, i killed the one i found and put it in one of the
traps, but being a little anxious

(since this thing has not eaten anything since the first day i got it),
and
since both are really big flies i decided to help one of the trap close
and
now i am afraid that i might have hurt it. when i close the trap i only
applied pressure at the outer most region (where the "teeth"? are located)

so, my question is do you think i hurt it, is it ok to help the traps
close
using the same method i have used in the future?

also does the dead fly i found have any nutritional value?



Thanks in advance

Guy Nussbaum