Venus flytrap is one of the most popular carnivorous plants, and they feed on various insects to get their nutrition. But what to do to if your Venus flytrap is not eating? In this post, you will find reason why your Venus flytrap is not eating or closing a trap, and how to make it start eating and closing a trap.
Main reasons why a Venus flytrap is not eating is due to poor health, dormancy, lack of trap stimulation, inactive or old traps. It might also not be eating or closing because of feeding insects too big, wrong type of soil or water.
A Venus flytrap needs around 4-10 days on average to digest an insect that has been captured in a trap. Big insects will take longer to digest.
Reason #1: Lack of trap stimulation
For a Venus flytrap to close its trap when there is an insect inside of it – there has to be some movement. When a bug walks inside the trap, it activates few hair triggers on the center of the trap. Then, a small electrical current closes the lobes once it detects activity.
If you put a dead or inactive insect inside the trap, this won’t activate hair triggers inside the trap for it to close. To activate them, move the insect around until the trap closes. Move it rather quickly, as there has to be lots of stimulation in a short period of time.
Lack of stimulation is one of the common reasons why Venus flytrap traps in a healthy plant don’t close and it doesn’t eat.
Reason #2: You are feeding insects that are too big
Following up on the first point, hair triggers must be touched and activated by an insect for the trap to activate. Unfortunately, if an insect is too big, it will not touch the hairs on the inside of a lobe for them to activate it to close. A bug has to touch the surface of trap lobes.
If you don’t feed your Venus flytrap yourself, it might be not eating due to not being able to catch any bugs of appropriate size. However, if you feed it yourself, try to drop insects that can easily fit inside the trap. Also, don’t feed any fatty worms or similar.
Reason #3: Your Venus flytrap is dormant
Did you know that your Venus flytrap needs to go dormant in winter? During winter, make sure to move your Venus flytrap to a cool spot, where it can rest. This period should last from November to beginning of March.
During winter, keep your Venus flytrap at around 30-35 degrees Fahrenheit (-1-2 Celsius). There is no need for natural or artificial lighting. If you wish to keep it in warmer conditions, of up to 70 F (21 C) or more, you need to place it in a spot where it can receive sun. If temperatures are high, you need to also provide sun.
At this time, your Venus flytrap will be inactive and won’t catch any bugs (if kept at low temperatures). It might also lose some leaves, which is normal. Lower the temperatures, more leaves it is likely to lose.
If you keep your Venus flytrap at very low temperatures (30-35 F), it will lose most leaves and won’t be growing any. But don’t worry – with the beginning of spring and summer it will start growing new leaves.
Your Venus flytrap might even look dead during winter but this is normal. But if you are keeping it at higher temperatures (50 and over with light), it might grow some leaves, but mostly on the bottom. Don’t try to feed it – it won’t eat. Watering is still required, but no water logging, or it can cause rot.
Reason #4: Trap is inactive
Each trap on Venus fly trap has its own lifespan. Each trap on a Venus flytrap can only catch insects few times (1-4 on average), after which it will no longer do it. Your flytrap will still eat, but not with that specific trap.
An inactive trap won’t be closing if it’s inactive. Some leaves that are older might die without ever catching any prey, due old to age. Or, if a trap has previously caught a very big insect, it might not catch any more in the future.
Dying or dead leaves will turn black, which you should later trim off. That will save your Venus flytrap some energy and will help with new growth. At this point, an inactive trap will only photosynthesize and perform other metabolic processes.
Wide opening of lobes is a sign that this specific trap is trying to get light, but not catch prey. Its hairs (‘teeth’) on the sides of lobes will point outwards, and a trap itself might look too open and bent. Active traps have ‘teeth’ pointing inwards.
If you are not sure whether a specific trap is still active, you can try to active it with a small thin object. But don’t keep it there for a long time, remove straight away once (and if) it shuts.
Reason #5: Plant is sick
Another reason why your Venus fly trap might be not eating is due to pests & parasites or general sickness. Pests that can affect Venus flytraps and damage the plant include aphids, spider mites, fungus gnat larvae. If untreated, they can kill the plant.
What is more, make sure you care for your Venus flytrap carefully. Don’t use any water high in minerals, use poor nutrient soil like this, provide enough direct sunlight and avoid fertilizing the soil. Keep the soil wet, but not too soggy.
If really required (due to no food/Venus flytrap not eating), it can be fertilized few times during a growing season. However, you can only fertilize the plant itself, soil must never be fertilized. Prune old leaves and more.
You can read more about Venus flytrap care in this post.
Reason #6: Using wrong type of soil/water
Carnivorous plants grow in nutrient-poor soils in their natural habitats. That is why they consume insects to get more nutrients (especially nitrogen) that will support their growth.
However, if you are using wrong type of soil – that is high in minerals, your plant won’t be needing to eat. And even, it is likely to die.
Carnivorous plants, including Venus fly traps, are very sensitive to mineral content in soil and pH. Ideal pH of soil for Venus flytraps is around 5-5.5 (acidic soil). Never fertilize the actual soil. You can check soil parameters with a soil meter like this.
They are also sensitive to dissolved salt content in water – only use distilled, demineralized, purified or reverse-osmosis water.
Having said that, Venus fly trap is actually getting its energy from sunlight that it receives. Consuming insects only provides it with extra nutrition to grow if the soil is poor in nutrients. At home, make sure your Venus flytrap soil is acidic and poor in nutrients, and that it receives lots of bright sunlight.
If the soil is in the neutral pH range or too high in minerals, it won’t be eating. But also, if your Venus flytrap is getting everything it needs, it won’t always need to eat insects to continue growth. The main thing is to ensure that your Venus flytrap is healthy. They know when to stop eating.
Thank you for reading this post on why Venus flytrap is not eating. If you would like to read more about Venus flytrap care, please see this post.