Fruit flies like to buzz around the kitchen in summer when fruit and vegetables are stored there. To combat the annoying little insects, carnivorous plants are often recommended. Which carnivores are suitable for combating fruit flies.

The Venus Trap works well for controlling fruit flies

Which carnivorous plants are suitable for fruit flies?

Fruit flies and mosquitoes can be fought particularly well with three types of carnivores:

  • Butterwort
  • sundew
  • venus flytrap

These plants are also quite suitable for beginners. They remain small and therefore also find space in a kitchen. However, a location that is as bright as possible must be found. In addition, the plant substrate must always be moist.

This is how carnivorous plant control works

Fruit flies are controlled by the insects sticking to the sticky leaves of butterwort and sundew. A secretion is released that is used to digest fruit flies, leaving only the chitinous shell and legs.

The Venus flytrap forms so-called snap traps, which look a bit like trapping irons. If a fruit fly settles on the red inner part, the trap slams shut in a fraction of a second and encloses the prey.

The Venus flytrap then releases a secretion that it uses to digest its prey. This lasts a few days, then the trap opens again. After no more than seven openings, the snap latch dies.

The infestation is only reduced, not eliminated

Unfortunately, a heavy fruit fly infestation cannot be eliminated by carnivorous plants alone. The traps of the plants have only a limited absorption capacity. Often only one insect is digested at a time.

Digestion takes several days, only then can the next prey be caught. In the meantime, the fruit flies have mostly multiplied strongly again.

The prey animals must not be too big

What works for fruit flies doesn't work for larger prey like flies. These insects are usually too big for the traps. If insects that are too large are caught, the catch leaves and catch traps die prematurely.

At best, very large carnivorous plants such as the pitcher plant or pitcher plant with their calyx are large enough to digest a fly.

tips

Carnivorous plants can also cope when there are no insects floating around in the room, such as in winter. They then get their nutrients from the substrate and stores they have built up in their leaves.

Category:

Vegetable garden