What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Convincing a vft it is live food

When I catch a fly I put it in the freezer for a couple of minutes, it goes to sleep and wakes up in the VFT - great. But live flies are hard to catch so I've tried other bugs and they seem to die in my freezer for even one minute. Pathetic compared to flies.

Anyway what do you guys do to make the trap close all the way. I use a bit of fine fishing line poked through the gap to tickle it but it doesn't work. (I would use angry smily here but it scares me). How long do you need to do it for? Any secret techniques?
 
just slightly squeeze the sides of the trap until you see a digestive seal on the traps. Repeat the process over a couple times again to make sure.
 
Yeah that worked on the frozen-to-death moth I just put in. Not as satisfying as live bugs trapped in there with it squeezing in on them though
biggrin.gif
 
I read in a book about VFTs that you could massage the sides of the traps every couple of minutes for about half an hour to convince the trap that there is a bug in there. I haven't tried it in a while, but I'm pretty sure it works.

And why are all the new smilies amish?
 
So what if they're hard to catch, Darwin? The chase will improve your reflexes! Get dem flies!
smile_n_32.gif


Seriously, though, I just leave my VFT's outside. They catch their own dinner.
 
I've become a master fly catcher with my hands
mad.gif
But after that one time a horse fly bit me, i let my vfts catch them on their own for a while
smile_m_32.gif
 
I've become really good at catching flies also. I have visions of ruining the fly population around my house.
smile_m_32.gif
One fly I put in my vft was alive, but the trap did not fully close. One end is open. The fly is still alive, and buzzes sometimes. I feel bad because it's dying a slow horrible death. Has this happened to anyone else?
 
I'm still only a novice fly catcher, but I caught my first fly in my hand the other day. Now that was fast reflexes.

Warlock, I suppose you can't do much about that fly, just wait as it is digested alive. Was the fly too big for the trap maybe?
 
ummm question
you all catch your vft flys
the plant is called Venus Flytrap
Venus Flytrap sure got us trained good
smile_n_32.gif
confused.gif
 
  • #10
I've had my plant catch a big hornet with it's butt sticking out and wiggling... I felt sorry for it and let it go...
smile_k_ani_32.gif
 
  • #11
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]I've had my plant catch a big hornet with it's butt sticking out and wiggling... I felt sorry for it and let it go...

Then the ******* stung me and flew away... Talk about gratitude...
smile_m_32.gif
 
  • #12
I was in a bad mood so I left the little bugger in the trap.  Check my avatar
mad.gif
smile_s_32.gif
mwahahahaha!
 
  • #13
[b said:
Quote[/b] (peter @ May 26 2004,7:32)]I've had my plant catch a big hornet with it's butt  sticking out and wiggling... I felt sorry for it and let it go...
smile_k_ani_32.gif
Peter, how big was the hornet? Looks like the ones I caught, only that it was wiggling a scary sting too, not only its butt.
smile_m_32.gif


mwhahahaha...my VFT caught (no actually I caught for it) a kind of flying ant/bee (three of the same type) and they all BIT HOLE IN MY VFT!!!
mad.gif
Grrrrr...I'm never feeding my cps anything with such large FANGS anymore! It was trying to bite out the bars of its jail (the teeth) and almost suceeded in getting out, well almost. It got its head out but I poked it back in with a dropper. Actually I tried to drown the insects by putting water into the trap while the trap is wtill partially open, but ofte the VFT just drools it all out from the sides of its 'mouth', hehe
smile.gif


Noooo...three of my biggest traps they were...

Hey BCK how'd you get the trap to seal with the...is that a roach...still half inside the trap?
smile_m_32.gif
Huh?
 
  • #14
Jason, that's a small yellow jacket that got it's head stuck in the trap.
Trap_with_wasp.jpg


BCK
 
  • #15
Muahahaha! I just threw a giant daddy longled in my bog garden, and it went into a vft trap! All of the legs are sticking out, and are wrapped around the outside of the trap! looks real cool
blues.gif
 
  • #16
[b said:
Quote[/b] (Spectabilis73 @ May 27 2004,12:25)]Muahahaha! I just threw a giant daddy longled in my bog garden, and it went into a vft trap! All of the legs are sticking out, and are wrapped around the outside of the trap! looks real cool
blues.gif
Ya, they are fun, because their little legs stick out and wiggle for an hour or less.

My terrarium is fed 6-7 flies every 2 days, so I am forced to catch flies. I have made a compost heap in my backyard and just walk over to it and wave my net and boom...instant lunch!

smile_t_32.gif
smilie4.gif
 
  • #17
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]And why are all the new smilies amish?
And there I was, certain they were Rabbis...

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]I'm still only a novice fly catcher, but I caught my first fly in my hand the other day. Now that was fast reflexes.
Bah! You just beginner luck, Daniel-san!

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]just slightly squeeze the sides of the trap until you see a digestive seal on the traps.  Repeat the process over a couple times again to make sure.
Seems like the risk of accidentally marmalising the VFT's traps by doing that is a bit high.

Darwin, what were you containing the bugs in when you put them in the freezer? I use a tobacco tin. So long as you keep an eye on them as they're going under, I find my prey goes off to sleep and only wakes up when it's too, too late and the trap is sprung! Mwa-ha-ha!

Perhaps the bugs you're using are too small and their body temperature is dropping too fast, since there's not much mass and latent warmth to them. I'd expect that, the larger the bug, the larger the 'window' of time where the bug is asleep, but not quite dead.

Steve
smile.gif
(ay, what a schmuck!)
 
  • #18
The freezer will kill flies, now the refridgerator, on the other hand, works much better. They live up to 3 days in a jar if kept in the refridgerator.
 
  • #20
[b said:
Quote[/b] (jon @ May 28 2004,1:51)]The freezer will kill flies, now the refridgerator, on the other hand, works much better. They live up to 3 days in a jar if kept in the refridgerator.
Do they, the flies, go stone out cold? I've never tried using the fridge. I would have thought it just makes them a bit sluggish.
 
Back
Top