Venus flytraps are one of the most popular carnivorous plants in the world and a fantastic choice for anyone who wants to grow their own insect-eating plant.
The Mealworm Diet – What Do Mealw...
These plants are carnivorous, and they’re a lot of fun to have around the house.
Their tiny, toothy traps catch insects, spiders and more.
In this article we did hours of research to find out:
- what kind of worms Venus flytraps can eat
- whether you should feed your plant worms from your garden or from bait shops or pet stores
- which types of worms are considered a nutritious snack for venus flytraps to eat
One big question new Venus fly trap owners want to know is: Can my Venus fly trap eat worms?
The answer is yes, venus flytraps eat worms, but not all kinds of worms as they need to be able to fit inside your venus flytrap.
Let’s explore in more detail.
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Can Venus Fly Traps Eat Earthworms?
Venus fly traps can eat worms. Can it eat Earthworms? The answer is yes..and no.
If you want to keep your Venus flytrap healthy, don’t feed it anything bigger than its trap.
The reason is simple: if the plant eats something that is larger than its trap, it can eat through the leaves and lead to leaf rot.
Fortunately, it’s easy to keep track of what size of insect or worm you’re feeding your plant by looking at its traps—if it’s too big for the trap, don’t give it the food.
You can feed a dead earthworm if it has been cut to fit the trap. Avoid feeding a live earthworm because it may be dangerous and may work its way out.
Usually, a foul smell from the trap and fluids dripping all over is a sign that your Venus flytrap consumed an earthworm.
In summary, feed dead worms to venus flytraps that have been cut up into small pieces and you should be fine.
But generally, earthworms would never find themselves in the mouths of venus flytraps in the wild, so they’re certainly not a part of its normal diet.
Can Venus Fly Traps Eat Mealworms?
If you are wondering if you can feed your Venus flytraps mealworms, the answer is yes!
Feeding venus flytraps mealworms is fine and make for good venus flytrap food.
Mealworms have plenty of nutrients and proteins that support a healthy diet needed by a Venus flytrap.
Mealworms are also easy to digest.
But here’s the thing: many outdoor flytraps do not require any additional insects as part of their diet since they are already exposed to enough insects outdoors.
As you know venus flytraps eat flies in vast quantities, so if you have an outdoor fly trap, feeding it mealworms might be overkill.
But if you have an indoor flytrap or one that lives outside but has limited exposure to insects, then feeding it mealworms can be beneficial for its health.
Feeding Venus flytraps mealworms can be done in several ways; you may feed whole and living, dried mealworms or freeze-dried mealworms.
It is important to know that you can only feed them one worm per trap.
If the worm is larger than that of the trap’s size, then they will have difficulty digesting the larger worm.
Cut it into smaller pieces if the flytrap is small to avoid overfeeding.
NOTE: Many people don’t know this but mealworms can bite, so although a carnivorous plant like the flytrap should be fine, it’s always best practice to crush a live mealworms’ head first.
How Long Does It Take for A Venus Flytrap to Digest a Mealworm?
It takes an average of one week for a Venus flytrap to fully digest its food.
When you feed mealworms, they should be fed to your plant in small amounts so the flytrap can digest the worms before they start decomposing.
If you feed too many mealworms at once, it will take longer for them to digest and your plant could get sick.
If you notice your plant is not recovering after feeding it mealworms, there are a few things you can do:
First, check to see if there are any other insects in your terrarium that may be eating the mealworms.
Second, make sure that the temperature in your terrarium is between 50°-85°F;
Third, make sure that the humidity level is between 80%-90% for optimum mealworm health and to protect your carnivorous plant.
Fourth, ensure you’re not feeding it too many mealworms at a time.
How many mealworms can most carnivorous plants eat? One per week is more than enough food – at least for a venus flytrap.
Can Venus Fly Traps Eat Bloodworms?
For indoor plants and those that don’t get to eat a lot of insects, you can feed them bloodworms and they will still be healthy.
More commonly fish food, feeding bloodworms to venus flytraps can be a good choice to provide all the nutrients it needs and for the polymer that will activate its immune system.
There are plenty of nutrients in bloodworms, like:
- chitin
- vitamin b-12
- niacin
- amino acids
- Vitamin C
- beta-carotene
- and riboflavin.
Frozen bloodworms should be thawed before feeding.
Although bloodworms are a good idea if your Venus Flytrap is indoors, again, there will usually be plenty of insects available if it’s outdoors.
Bloodworms, which are great for a Venus Flytrap’s diet, are available at aquariums or pet stores and should be rehydrated before feeding.
The method for feeding Venus flytrap bloodworms is similar to mealworms.
Take just enough so it fills a third of the trap It is important to remember to feed only one trap at a time which is important to take note of during the feeding process.
You may use a tweezer or stick to gently tickle the trigger hairs.
Can Venus FlyTraps Eat Wax Worms?
Yes, you can feed your fly trap wax worms.
The best way to feed them is to put wax worms in the trap and then gently help the plant to close the trap.
Wax worms are a great food for Venus fly traps because they are high in protein, which is what the plant needs most.
Wax worms also have plenty of fat and other nutrients that will help your plant grow strong.
But again, the common theme is to make sure the wax worm is small enough to fit into the trap, so it can become viable plant food.
If not, you should cut it into smaller pieces for easier digestion.
Can Venus Flytraps Eat Superworms?
Yes, Venus Flytraps can eat superworms. But it’s not a good idea as they are larger versions of mealworms.
Most people grow their Venus flytraps in pots or planters, but if you want to grow them in your garden and feed them superworms, make sure you only put one superworm per trap.
If you do decide to feed your Venus Flytrap superworms, make sure they’re no more than a quarter of an inch long.
This will likely mean cutting the superworm into pieces first.
The traps need more than one insect type to stay healthy and happy, so don’t just feed it a diet of only this species.
You should also keep in mind that superworms are live feeder insects—which means they’re usually kept as pets and used for feeding other animals (like frogs and reptiles).
The same thing also applies to superworms as mealworms.
They have mandibles and can chew their way out of things. Crush their head before you feed your venus flytrap just to be safe.
Summary
As carnivorous plants, Venus Flytraps require a different kind of diet than your typical plant.
You can buy live worms at your local pet store and feed them to your Venus Flytrap.
The best worms to use are mealworms, bloodworms, wax worms and superworms.
It is important to know that not all worms can be fed to a Venus Flytrap, especially ones that are too large as well as things like caterpillars which may eat their way out of the trap.
You can feed a Venus Flytrap dried worms, and other insects for nutrition.
Flying insects contains extra nutrients which are excellent for the plant and are preferred.
Your Venus flytrap is going to be just fine without insects or worms during winter dormancy.
Just let the plant “hibernate” during this period and wait for it to blossom again during springtime.
You can enjoy setting off their trigger hairs and watching them feed when they wake up again!
