Looking for ways to get rid of bugs in your home? Carnivorous plants might be an eco-friendly way to help you deal with your bug problem.
Because most of these plants live in places that are very different from a home garden, there aren’t any common garden plants that eat other plants.
Additionally, some of them can be grown indoors to help get rid of some pesky bugs in your house.
Newsweek asked experts how carnivorous plants work, which species can be grown indoors, and how well they work to keep bugs away.
Lisa Eldred Steinkopf, an author and houseplant expert, told Newsweek that carnivorous plants naturally grow in places with a lot of peat, which is a layer of soil made up of partially decomposed organic matter. This means that the plants “don’t get many nutrients from the soil they are living in.” “.
In the wild, American pitcher plants and sundews (more on both of them below) may have bugs all over their leaves. Kevin Zhang, president of the Mid-Atlantic Carnivorous Plant Society (MACPS), told Newsweek that this happens because in the wild, carnivorous plants are exposed to hundreds or even thousands of insects every day.
Even though plants that eat bugs won’t get rid of all of your bugs, they can be used as part of a larger plan to do so. Read more.
Kenny Coogan, Education Director at the International Carnivorous Plant Society (ICPS), told Newsweek that if you want to use carnivorous plants to get rid of pests, “you will first need to keep the plants alive.” He also said that while some carnivorous plants can be grown indoors, many (or at least the most well-known ones) would do better outside.
All carnivorous plants require pure water. Well, bottled, and city water often have too many contaminants or minerals, Coogan said. Rainwater or distilled water are better choices.
Fruit flies can be one of the most annoying household pests These small flies seem to appear out of nowhere and swarm around your fruit bowl and other food sources. Getting rid of them can be a challenge, often requiring the use of chemical pesticides and traps However, there is a natural solution – carnivorous plants that actually eat fruit flies!
Why Fruit Flies Are a Problem
The common fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) is found worldwide and thrives in homes, especially kitchens. A female can lay up to 500 eggs at a time, leading to rapid population growth. Within a week, a few flies can turn into hundreds.
Fruit flies are drawn to ripened fruit and vegetables, compost, drains, and trash cans. They land on food and can contaminate it with bacteria and other disease-causing microbes. An infestation can quickly get out of hand, making fruit flies a nuisance and health hazard.
Carnivorous Plants That Feast on Fruit Flies
Certain carnivorous plants are perfectly adapted to trap, kill, and digest fruit flies, providing a chemical-free way to control infestations. Here are some top choices:
Venus Flytraps
The Venus flytrap (Dionaea muscipula) is probably the most famous carnivorous plant, Its unique snap traps close rapidly when insects trigger sensory hairs inside Trapped flies are digested by enzymes, A large Venus flytrap can consume dozens of fruit flies before reopening
Pitcher Plants
Pitcher plants like the purple pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea) have hollow leaves filled with nectar and digestive fluids. Lured by the sweet nectar, flies fall inside and drown. A single pitcher can trap numerous flies at once and produce new pitchers frequently.
Sundews
The sticky tentacles of sundews (Drosera sp.) ensnare small insects like glue. Insects struggle to escape but cannot free themselves The plant slowly digests the prey A sundew provides continual fly trapping.
Butterworts
Butterworts (Pinguicula sp.) may be small, but their leaves are covered in a clingy mucus that traps fruit flies like flypaper. The leaves are able to digest many insects before needing to regenerate.
Cephalotus
The peculiar Cephalotus follicularis has hair-lined pits that lure flies to their demise. Inside, flies are broken down by enzymes and absorbed by the plant. A Cephalotus produces new traps continuously.
Growing Carnivores for Fly Control
Carnivorous plants can be purchased from nurseries or online retailers who specialize in exotic plants. Growing them at home is an interesting hobby and helps provide natural fly control. Here are some care tips:
- Site them in bright, indirect light with high humidity.
- Use purified or distilled water to keep minerals from building up.
- Plant in a low-nutrient soil mix that drains well.
- Feed traps live flies or small pieces of meat/fish to supplement nutrition.
- Propagate by dividing roots and planting the divisions.
With the right care, carnivorous plants can thrive for many years while helping control annoying fruit flies. Their unusual trapping methods make them fascinating additions to any indoor or outdoor living space. Maintaining a few fly-eating plants can eliminate the need for chemical treatments against fruit fly infestations.
Fruit flies can quickly multiply to irritating numbers in home kitchens and other areas. Rather than reaching for toxic chemicals, consider enlisting some natural helpers – carnivorous plants. Venus flytraps, pitcher plants, sundews, butterworts, Cephalotus, and other meat-eating plants will happily feast on fruit flies. Raising a few choice species provides biological fly control and an intriguing hobby. With the plants trapping flies continuously, you’ll be able to enjoy pest-free spaces.
How Do Carnivorous Plants Work?
Coogan said that carnivorous plants catch, eat, and digest a wide range of living things, from single-celled protozoa to small mammals and many types of insects.
According to the ICPS Education Director, some plants that eat other plants use visual cues to catch their prey, but most of the time, the sweet nectar they make is what draws its prey in.
As Eldred Steinkopf put it, insects that plants eat are “just like fertilizer” for the plants because they give them nutrients. “They are photosynthesizing, so they are actually making their own food from the sun. The insects just give them added nutrients. “.
She warned carnivorous plants should not be fed hamburger meat or anything similar. They need to stay wet all the time because they normally grow in bogs and swamps, which are covered with water and dead plants.
Eldred Steinkopf said that they do best in medium to bright light with lots of humidity and that they can grow well in terrariums, which are glass containers that can be sealed and are like aquariums for plants.
Carnivorous Plant That Kills Fruit Flies & Fungus Gnats Effectively, Naturally and Safely!
FAQ
What house plant eats fruit flies?
What is the best carnivorous plant for gnats and fruit flies?
What plant do fruit flies hate?
What preys on fruit flies?
What plants eat fruit flies?
Another killer plant with incredible fruit fly-eating abilities is the trumpet pitcher. This North American carnivorous plant is simple to grow. Additionally, this plant is temperature-tolerant which makes it easy to maintain. Through its nectar, the trumpet pitcher entices hungry insects to their trap.
Can carnivorous plants kill fruit flies?
You can invest in some carnivorous plants if you want to eliminate the fruit flies without using harsh chemicals on your trees. There are many kinds of carnivorous plants, but only some can trap and digest fruit flies. If you keep the right ones around, you’ll have no trouble getting rid of any pests.
What flies eat pitcher plants?
Pitcher Plants ( Sarracenia sp .) Known as the venus flytrap of North America, pitcher plants for fruit flies ensnare their prey with a trap lined with small hairs that sense movement. When an insect touches these hairs, it triggers a reaction causing leaves to fall over and form a deep pool of water.
What plants eat flies in a terrarium?
Venus Fly Trap Terrarium – for Indoor Growing – Perfect for Growing Carnivorous Plants Indoors Pitcher Plants are the most effective carnivorous plants. They catch and devour fruit flies like there’s no tomorrow! You wouldn’t want to keep them inside since they tend to smell like a fly graveyard.
Do fruit fly eat Fens?
Typically, they consume vegetation from fens, bogs, and moist heaths, but these habitats lack sufficient nutrients for this plant to thrive. As a means to supplement its diet, it developed this carnivorous nature. Despite going into dormancy every spring, this plant is a great fruit fly eater.
What plants kill flies?
Following plants can serve as your natural fly killers: Sundews (Drosera) are one of the best carnivorous plants to reduce flies. Sundews can grow up to 10 inches (25 centimeters). They have leaves with sticky hairs which trap the prey. They are named so because of the dew-like droplets at the tips of their hairs.