FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Hello everyone!

I am a new flytrap owner and purchased my first flytraps from the flytrap store a few months ago when dormancy season was still around. I live in Virginia and it’s now starting to warm up into the 70 and 80° temperatures! I have been keeping my flytraps outside on a plant shelf with access to direct sunlight and they have both been growing well! This evening I went outside to see if the plants needed any water in their trays and my red one caught a bug for the first time! However, the bug clearly seems too big because the legs are sticking out of it. From what I have researched, this will cause the flytrap to not digest properly and blacken and die. The bug was still wiggling its legs, so I’m assuming it might still be alive but not 100% sure. Is there anything that I can do to prevent the trap from dying? I don’t want to try to move the bug out of the trap because I’m afraid that will do more harm for the flytrap. Any suggestions or advice? Thank you!

Congrats on being a new flytrap owner! The trap will rot since it doesn't have a tight seal, but your plant will continue to do fine as long as it is properly cared for. Hope your flytrap thrives!

id just leave it on its own and itll either sort it out (my flytraps in the summer ALWAYS have legs or wings sticking out but theyre still able to digest them fine somehow ) or the trap will die off like cpgrower126 said, congrats to you and your flytrap!

I'd say that that trap will probably die...way too big. You can try removing the bug or leave it as it is...your chose.

Btw, it looks like you have soil mounded up around the base of the plants, covering up the growing points. I'm not so sure that that is a good thing. FWIW.