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How many hairs?

  • Thread starter Oli G
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    vft
A VFT is supposed to have 3 hairs on each side of the trap. My Red Dragon has a trap with 4 hairs on one side and 3 on the other? Anybody else got traps with an odd number of hairs? I would post a pic but my digital camera is crap and can't pic out that much detail
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My Royal Red also has 4 hairs one one side of the trap, and 3 on another side. It may just be a slightly deformed trap, or if you have an open mind, it cound be that your traps are not getting stimulted enough and therefore not catching enough insects. By increasing the number of hairs, it increases the chance the trap will catch something. That idea is just a guess by the way...............
 
I've had this happen to me a few times. It just seems to be random and doesn't have any effect I don't think. I've had one with 5 on both lobes.
I've noticed one of my plants doesn't grow it's hairs in the centre of the trap but towards the end, furthest away from the centre of the plant.
 
Sometimes my plants have five trigger hairs on the lobes, VFT only needs at least two trigger hairs to catch its victims. One false trigger the trap doesn't close but with a second touch to the trigger hairs the traps close.
 
Hi,
I had once 6 hairs on each lobe on a large trap once!
 
Incidentaly, did you know the trap can still be activated even if the plant had no trigger hairs! The whole surface of the leaf is sensitive to movement. If it gets scratched lightly by an insects feet, the trap will start to close. Try it with a needle or something and see!
 
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