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Something's Chewing Holes in my Sarracenia...

Over the last week or so, something has been chewing holes into my Sarracenia and I'm not sure what it is or what to use to control it. Today I woke up to find a hole in each of my Sarracenia Leucophylla's pitchers and one in its newly emerging pitcher. Strangely, this was the only plant of four Sarracenia, two VFTs, and a sundew harmed. Any advice on what insect is causing this and what I should do to stop it is much appreciated.



PS: I know the photo is terrible. I took several others but they failed to upload, so if you need more, just ask.
 
Wasps do it to escape pitchers...
 
I've heard that as well, but I don't think that is the case here. In two of the three pitchers, the hole was below the line of dead insects and any insect at that level of the tube would've surely died by this time. Also, that does not explain why four holes appeared in a single night.
 
Happens to me also. I never worry about it. This year I had a hole in my S. oreophila and a caught insect stuck his head out and plugged up the hole. :)
 
It seems some insects are smarter than others... or more well endowed mandible wise.
 
Late reply... But do you think it could be birds? Some warbler species will chew similar holes in long, trumpet-shaped flowers to steal the nectar inside. Seems like a warbler might have done the same thing to your pitchers, but discovered there were tasty insects inside instead of nectar. The fact that all the holes happened on the same morning suggests that it might have been something smarter than an insect causing the damage.
 
From the look of the pitchers, and the fact that it is happening below the insect level inside the pitchers, it appears to be just plain rot. What happens is that the insects inside the pitcher rot or decompose and if the decomposition gets too great it will rot the pitcher walls. Happens all the time, is perfectly natural and also happens in nature. The pitchers don't last forever, even though we wished they did.

---------- Post added at 03:11 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:08 AM ----------

Oh another thing. The reason why it is only happening to your Leuco's is that Leuco fills up with insects quicker then any other sarracenia. Also be aware that Leauco's also have two crops of pitchers a year, a spring crop and then the best crop in the fall.
 
Looks like your pitcher has "indigestion" from eating too many bugs; hence, the browning of the pitcher. The "death pit" probably helped attract a wasp, who fell in and then ate his way out. Totally normal and fine!
 
the same thing happened to me turned out its just a wasp that got stuck :D
 
  • #10
Normal, happens to us all!
 
  • #11
Either birds or wasps. Birds can sometimes figure out that the pitchers have insects, and decide the contents of the pitcher will make a nice early morning snack.
 
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