The Venus Fly Trap or Dionaea Muscipula is one of the most unique plants in the world because it is carnivorous. Unlike other plants, the Venus fly trap is going to consume nutrients by eating insects and absorbing them from the soil.
The perennial carnivorous is a member of the sundew family. The plant will eat an assortment of arachnids and insects, including gnats, spiders, beetles, grasshoppers, and more.
More about the plant’s diet will be explored in greater depth below.
[Related Article: Can Venus Fly Traps Eat Ants]
Will The Venus Fly Trap Eat Gnats
The Venus flytrap is happy to eat many insects.
If a gnat flies into its trap, the Venus fly trap will eat it. However, it should be noted that flying insects make up a tiny percentage of the plant’s diet.
Other carnivorous plants will also eat gnats. They include Drosera, Drosophyllum, and Pinguicula. Growing a Venus fly trap in your home is a good way to eliminate a gnat issue.
These plants will also consume small flies although they do so rarely.
How Long Will It Take For A Venus Fly Trap To Eat Gnats
Once a Venus fly trap has trapped its food, it can take a while for it to digest the food in question. The time it’ll take depends on what the plant has consumed.
When it grabs bigger food, it’ll take a bit longer for the plant to consume that food. With a gnat, it should be able to consume the food within four days.
However, it can take anywhere from four to 10 days for a Venus fly trap to fully consume its meal.
Once it has finished, the plant will reopen. On average, a Venus fly trap’s digestion process can take anywhere from a week to two. Smaller insects can be digested quicker.
Using A Venus Flytrap To Control Gnats
It is common for these plants to consume gnats because gnats are attracted to the nectar. Once the gnat triggers the sensitive hairs, the trap will close.
Then, the plant will begin digesting the gnat. Placing Venus fly traps around your home is a good way to control gnats. However, there are some restrictions.
Therefore, there may be better solutions. For instance, you must remember that gnats are small and light. As a result, there is always a chance that the gnat is going to escape.
It is common for these plants to have three to 10 traps.
Therefore, a single plant would easily trap up to 10 gnats at once. While this likely isn’t the best way to eliminate gnats in your home, it can kill two birds with one stone.
It is another reason to add a few Venus flytraps to your residence.
Other Diet Choices For Venus Flytraps
Although the Venus fly trap will consume gnats, it prefers other insects. When feeding your Venus flytrap, it is a good idea to give it spiders, crickets, slugs, and flies.
Just make sure that the food fits the trap’s size. Otherwise, the plant may have difficulty digesting the food in question.
