"sdshfs" wrote:

Hi all,

I am having a problem with my venus fly trap.

Normally it will eat bugs just fine. However, recently the mouths will not
close at all. They won't even move. There are about 4 on the plant right
now fully grown.

The plants seems to be doing fine otherwise. It is an all around good green
color, and it has actually been growing 2 new mouths very quickly the past
few days.

Can anyone provide any info on why the mouths are no longer working? It
doesn't mean it's dieing does it?

Thanks for any info!


The traps often seem to have only a set number of snaps in them. If
they're "teased" to show visitors they can move, that wears them out
prematurely, & puts the whole little plant at risk. When the trap "freezes
up" from fruitless teasing, it also ceases to excrete the digestive
enzymes, so even if you hand-fed it a cricket, it might not do any good;
the act of closing on its prey is what starts the enzyme process, not that
it needs to close entirely, but it needs some action.

The second problem is they are so often grown indoors where humidity is
too low for them, so that eventually the jaws are too dry to function. A
completely closed terrarium usually has sufficient humidity, or a belljar
that fits snugly over the entire pot. An aquarium pump set up to pump air
inside a completely closed terrarium helps fight off the possibility of
plant-rot. Most instructions never suggest a pump, but warn that the
terrarium needs to be partially opened for air circulation. But an open
lid doesn't really induce air circulation though it does cause the
humidity level to drop far below optimal.

A third problem is they need a winter dormancy. Some people dig them out
of the terrarium & store them in the refrigerator crisper for two or three
months, or the whole terrarium placed in a dim unheated garage for the
duration. In a terrarium at room temperature year-round, they eventually
wear out for need of a winter dormancy, yet this essential part of their
care is often overlooked as boring.

-paghat the ratgirl

--
"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher.
"Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature.
-from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers"
Visit the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com