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!

uh-oh, not digesting

My nep. rafflesiana has had a Can o' Crickets cricket in it for about 30 minutes, and still nothing is happening... I also tickled a bunch of the hairs inside it... it has 70% humidity, its 79*F, and it's in a terrarium.  thanks!                
                             
smile.gif
 
Oh, could it be that it was just replanted recently? (2 hrs.)
 
What are you expecting to have happen?
 
umm I am rather confused about your post.

Hairs inside a N. rafflesiana?? Nepenthes don't have hairs inside their pitchers.

If you just repotted your plant and the pitchers are dry.. you can add a little rainwater or distilled water so there is about an inch of water in the bottom of the pitcher.
Other than that I have NO clue what in the world your talking about with dry not normal green pitchers that are dead???

Tony
 
well, not really the hairs, just the insides. I thought it would emit enzymes... Oh, it's at perfect moisture...
confused.gif
So, should I add water to the inside of the pitcher?
 
Just add a little water to any of the green pitchers that are dry. The next pitchers the plant produces while in your terrarium should be fully functioning on their own.
Tony
 
Not that I want to speak for him or anything, but Tony, I'm not sure his pitchers are big enough to FIT one inch of water in the bottom...
 
No offense either but you expect something to happen in 30 minutes?
 
FYI, nothing happens within 30 minutes of putting a cricket in a nepenthes pitcher. If you were expecting something fancy to happen, you are mistaken. About all that will happen to most "live" things falling into a nepenthes will be that they drown in a short period of time. Days will pass and the insect will begin breaking down. Give it time. Nepenthes don't have teeth and don't chew or swallow their food. Best of luck.

Kim
 
  • #10
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (lithopsman @ Aug. 15 2002,12:13)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">well, not really the hairs, just the insides. I thought it would emit enzymes...[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
NepG, I think that is pitchers were empty to start with, and he thought that it secreted enzymes all over the bug, kind of like a dew or a ping... When he found nothing happend, he thought there was something wrong.
 
  • #11
I knew that Parasuco, I just wondered he expected enzymes to be secreted in that short amount of time to cover the cricket.

John, we are not being agressive towards you either, we're just trying to help you out. For now just wait and let your Raff make a new leave and pitcher.
 
  • #12
When I first saw Nepenthes, I intuitively thought that the lid closes and traps the prey. Not so.
smile.gif


Feeding Neps (and Sarrs) are actually a pretty boring activity once it becomes routine, especially with dry crickets. Feeding VFT's and Sundews are way more fun.

In order to enjoy a show, I don't just put insects directly into the pitchers. Instead, I place them in the vicinity such as on the leaf (or for flying insects, just trap them in my terrarium), and watch them get lured to the pitchers - perhaps even get a little drunk from the nectar. That's the fun part.

With flying insects and several neps and sundews in my terrarium, it's always interesting to watch in which plant the insect ends up. Usually, the D. Adelae wins hands down in terms of attraction.
 
  • #13
Thanks for the help!  
smile.gif
 The pitchers aren't dry, though... So I just need to wait a coupla days, right?
confused.gif
 
  • #14
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Leo @ Aug. 15 2002,6:30)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">When I first saw Nepenthes, I intuitively thought that the lid closes and traps the prey.  Not so.  
smile.gif


Feeding Neps (and Sarrs) are actually a pretty boring activity once it becomes routine, especially with dry crickets.  Feeding VFT's and Sundews are way more fun.  

In order to enjoy a show, I don't just put insects directly into the pitchers.  Instead, I place them in the vicinity such as on the leaf (or for flying insects, just trap them in my terrarium), and watch them get lured to the pitchers - perhaps even get a little drunk from the nectar.  That's the fun part.  

With flying insects and several neps and sundews in my terrarium, it's always interesting to watch in which plant the insect ends up.  Usually, the D. Adelae wins hands down in terms of attraction.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Feeding Neps (and Sarrs) are actually a pretty boring activity once it becomes routine, especially with dry crickets. [/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>

That's why i use live food, so it isn't boring. And why would u feed your Sarracenia? They are gluttons on thier own!
 
  • #15
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (nepenthes gracilis @ Aug. 15 2002,5:02)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">That's why i use live food, so it isn't boring. And why would u feed your Sarracenia? They are gluttons on thier own![/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
My s. purp absolutely sucks at catching insects. The only time it "caught" an insect was when some flying insect actually laid its larvae inside the pitcher. I routinely see spiders and flies going in and out of my purp at will.
sad.gif


Is this generally the case with all purps, or is my purp just a wuss? With my neps, once something goes in it never escapes.

Leo
 
  • #16
My purpurea has nailed TONS of flies,spiders,hornets,black wasps,etc. How old is yours? It also may need to be moved to a buggier location.
smile.gif
 
  • #17
Mine cathes earwigs for some reason... Like, gazillions of 'em...
 
  • #18
a roach laid eggs in mine and its been well fed ever since. Leo
place your sarra.purp. on the ground,it will catch a tons ofinsects,and maybe become the home of some tree frogs.
 
  • #19
Well I just got mine a couple months ago here at PFT - I don't know how old that makes it, 2yrs?

I think I know what the problem is. I keep it in a place that caters mostly to flying insects - on a balcony, on the ledge, 3rd floor, metropolitan setting. The only thing that maintains some insect traffic is that the building's landscaping acts as a kind of safe haven for them amidst all the surrounding concrete, and some of them wander up to my balcony. Maybe I'll put it on the balcony floor, and see if things get any better. Better yet, I'll buy a bunch of nonCP potted flowers to attract them. Or should I poop on my balcony?
biggrin.gif


It's funny, I used to have an ant infestation in my condo every single year until I started growing CPs. Now I don't see a single ant. It's as if one of their scouts witnessed what I was doing here and warned the swarm. I long for those ants to come back.
 
  • #20
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Leo @ Aug. 16 2002,12:52)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Or should I poop on my balcony?  
biggrin.gif
 

It's funny, I used to have an ant infestation in my condo every single year until I started growing CPs.  Now I don't see a single ant.  It's as if one of their scouts witnessed what I was doing here and warned the swarm.  I long for those ants to come back.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
HAhahahha!...HAHAHAH you make me laugh...that reminds me of when I was searching for bugs I even considered using my little doggie's poop bags to lure it...but I decided against it finally
biggrin.gif

I used to have so many ants and fruit flies too until my plants arrived!
 
Back
Top