Shoutout to the time my Venus flytrap ate a wasp and got revenge

I was sitting on my porch in Austin last Tuesday, watching my Venus flytrap do its thing, when a wasp flew straight into the open trap and it snapped shut. The trap turned black and died three days later because the wasp was too big for it to digest. Has anyone else had a carnivorous plant die on them from eating something way too large?

2 comments

2 Comments

linda_ward3d ago

Actually that trap didn't die because the wasp was too big for it to digest. Venus flytraps can handle wasps just fine - they're actually a perfect size snack for them. The trap dying is just the normal life cycle of a leaf on a Venus flytrap. Each trap only opens and closes about 3-5 times before it naturally turns black and falls off, regardless of what it catches. So your plant wasn't killed by that wasp at all, it was just doing what it normally does. You'll see new traps growing in from the center of the plant soon enough, and those will be ready to catch more wasps for you.

the_jordan2d ago

My neighbor lost a whole pitcher plant to a mouse once.