The Venus fly trap is one of the most interesting plants. It is an intelligent plant because it will close to help eliminate bacteria and deal with digestive enzymes.
It is common for Venus fly traps to remain closed for many days. After eating a meal, it will stay closed for 5 to 12 days. In some cases, the trap will close due to rain or twigs. Once this happens, it typically takes a day or two for the trap to reopen.
More about this will be provided below.
Why Does The Venus Fly Trap Close?
You’ll find that the Venus fly trap can close for a handful of reasons. In some cases, it is going to close because you’ve tampered with it. When fully open, the sensitive hairs inside the trap are exposed.
If something touches these hairs, the trap will begin closing. It takes enough force to bend the hairs to convince the trap to close. The snap will grab onto anything that was stuck in the trap.
Suffice to say, a handful of things could lead to the trap closing.
In many cases, the trap has closed because the plant has received its desired stimuli. However, it can also close in other circumstances. If you place your finger in the trap, the leaves will likely close around your finger.
A raindrop and falling twig could also cause the plant to close its leaves.
[Related Article: Can Venus Fly Traps Eat Rolly Pollies]
Venus Fly Trap Closes After Consuming A Meal
Your Venus flytrap will consume a variety of foods. The carnivorous plant has been known to eat mealworms, crickets, and bloodworms. If you’re going to raise one of these plants, it is a good idea to purchase enough food.
Remember that it is best to use freeze-dried versions of these foods. Mealworms are often too big for small plants so it is best to feed new flytraps smaller bloodworms.
When you place the food in the plant’s trap, the sensitive hairs will bend. This will cause the trap to close.
Once this happens, the plant won’t open its leaves until it has finished eating the meal. How long will this typically take? Ultimately, there is no exact answer.
Be patient because it can take anywhere from 5 to 12 days for the trap to open. Once the meal has been consumed, the trap will open and you can prepare to feed the plant again.
The Trap May Open Sooner
In some situations, the Venus flytrap is going to open much sooner. As mentioned above, the trap can close because you’ve touched the hair with your finger.
Alternatively, a falling raindrop or twig could trigger the hairs and cause the trap to close. The good news is that you won’t have to wait too long for the trap to open once again.
Typically, it will take between 24 to 48 hours for the trap to reopen once something like this happens. Remember to feed your venus fly trap once every week or two weeks.
Wait for the trap to open after an accident to feed it again.
