Last spring WCVB here in Boston wanted to do a story on CP and they asked me
if I had any plants and if would be able to find some bugs. I went to a pet
store and purchased 20 live crickets. While the were filming the plants
(mostly Nepentehs) some crickets were "fed" to the largest plants that I had
these were N. veitchii and N. rafflesiana. I ended up with extra crickets
and I decided to feed the remaining crickets to smaller Nepenthes. Three
monthes later the results were astonishing. The size of the leaves of a N.
spatulata doubled in size from a lenght of about 3 inches to six inches and
from a 2 inch pitcher to a 4 inch pitcher and that is not the only plant.
All my other plants showed the same growth rate. So, for me the logical
conclusion is that insects work a lot better than firtilizer. I say this
because I had used 1/4 strength Miracle Grow with no dramatic effects on the
Nepenthes, but phenomenal growth of algae and moss.
I am planing on using smaller bugs (fruit flies?) on the smaller plants that
I have. Notably on a N. macarlanei (I mentioned this one before - hi Cliff)
that does not seem to grow any bigger, and is the same size it was when I
received it 1 1/2 years ago.
As for my Pings, I have noticed that they like diluted foliar feed of Miracle
Grow.
Just my 2c.
Christoph