CP-feeding was Re: defunct drosera, hungry N

Andreas Wistuba (A.Wistuba@DKFZ-Heidelberg.DE)
Wed, 31 May 1995 17:33:45 GMT+1

> Y.:Someone posted a note about feeding sowbugs to their Nepenthes. I
> felt Y.:guilty, not having actively fed mine (Nepenthes alata) since I
> bought it a
>
> One should be careful in feeding carnivorous plants - if you give them
> more than the trap can digest, other organisms, potentially harmful to
> your plant, can flourish on the carcass.

In the wild CP's also eat that much sometimes. We found
Nepenthes insignis-pitchers in Irian Jaya being filled with a horribly
stinking slimy mass consisting of rotting big winged cockroaches.
Also Sarracenia if grown outside traps insect until the traps are
full. The fact that the trap gets ugly developing necrotic spots (as
in Sarracenia) does not mean much as most of the pitcher surface
still assimilates until the end of the season (Anyway they do not
have to be that attractive anymore when they are full so that no more
insects fit in;-)).
In case of S. purpurea-pitchers, which often smells like rotting meat after
some weeks in trapping business. I'm wondering whether the bad smell
serves as an additional attractant. Any suggestions???

Bye,

Andreas

Andreas Wistuba; Mudauer Ring 227; 68259 Mannheim; Germany
E-Mail: andreas.wistuba@rhein-neckar.de
Phone: +49-621-705471; Fax: +49-621-711307