When I wrote about Maureen last week, my Venus flytrap and accidental horticultural science experiment, I assumed the update would be something simple like “she’s still alive.”
Instead she’s out there catching her own food and doing great - if your definition of “great” includes mainlining bugs until your heart stops.
(The glass bottle is rainwater. Obviously.)
If you're just joining this very niche botanical drama, you’ll want to start here with Maureen’s origin story and Venus Flytrap care guide. It involves my 90-year-old mother, a plastic cup, and Maureen - the flytrap.
It’s been two full weeks since Maureen ate her first meal. Then she went outside and immediately opened a drive-thru.
Table of Contents
🍽️ The Feeding Frenzy Begins
Two days after her first hand-fed fly, I moved Maureen outdoors to soak up some real sun and hopefully catch a bug or two on her own.
It turns out she didn’t need hope. She needed portion control.
Within one week of moving outside, she’d caught many more insects which, for a Venus flytrap, is a lot. The general recommendation is one insect per week, total. Not one per trap. Not “as many as she can get before sundown.”
She has no idea.
So I'm a bit worried she's overeating.
You know a trap has a bug in it if it’s sealed and casting dramatic shadows like this:
Like Victorian cameos—only instead of a duchess, each one features a tiny murder scene.
🪦 Digestion Failure?
At first, I thought Maureen’s digestion had flopped. Her original trap reopened after a week, revealing what looked like a completely intact fly, still folded neatly inside. Turns out, that's how a venus flytrap works.
Flytraps don’t chew or mash. They dissolve. They release enzymes that liquefy the insides of the bug, then absorb the nutrients through the trap walls.
What’s left behind is officially referred to as the chitinous exoskeleton. I call it the creepy, crunchy little bug husk.
In proper Venus flytrap care, digestion takes about 5–12 days so she's in line with her peers.
Eventually, she’ll eject the fly husk. Possibly with flair? I have no idea.
Would you like to save this stuff?
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⚠️ Signs of Trouble?
A few of her smallest new traps have blackened tips.
This could be:
- Sun stress (despite a careful hardening-off schedule)
- Traps trying to digest something too big or frequent (not likely in this case)
- Just the plant cycling out weaker traps in favor of new ones (also not likely)
So I'm going to say those black tips are just sun scald.
The rest of the plant looks healthy. Bright green. Firm traps.
Dammit.
🪴 What I’m Doing Next
Well, I guess I have to continue keeping it alive. That's my only option, right? I'll figure out whether to cut those whole traps off or just leave them, or just cut off the black tips. I don't know yet.
In general, I'm going to:
- Keep an eye on the black traps
- Hope to walk past her as she dramatically vomits out her first bug husk
- Research more into how much she should eat based on her size. I may have restrict her portions with a fly cover
- Continuing to water only with rainwater (I'm experimenting with a felt mat)
🎯 What's In Maureen's Trap?
She clearly caught something. I just don’t know what yet. Fly? Ant? Dahlia tuber?
We’ll find out when the trap opens again … in about a week.
Leave your guess in the comments and I’ll reveal what kind of bug it was in the next update. Because this blog is nothing if not a safe space for wildly unqualified bug forensics.
My guess? An ant. I'll call him Adam. You? What's your guess?
Jody
Are you able to set up your owl cam on Maureen so we can see her catch lunch. And then burp it out? And have Sir David Attenborough narrate.
Mary W
Maureen looks more like triplets than a solo. Could that be why she is ravenous? The sun scald seems reasonable based on no actual knowledge of other options - but I would investigate if I were a Karen instead of a Mary that likes to read what others do. Sorry - in more ways than one. Love the name as it does look like a Maureen and not a Sylvia.
Kat - the other 1
Hahaha. Yeah, like an orchid but totally different. 😆
My first mini orchid, give them one ice cube a week or only water just barely (about 1 tbls) once a week.
Nope. Ice is too cold, and I don't have any anyway. Watering carefully once a week was killing it.
Watered twice a week, about 3tsps each time or 2tsps 3x a week, much better! Added two drops of liquid plant food to water once every other week (No! Don't! - they all say), sent up flowers. 😀
Changed into a slightly larger better airated pot with approved of "soil / not soil," wrinkling. Aack!
Now I've got to fix it so I don't loose it and it's little friend I potted it up with. I don't even know what color the other one is yet. Don't die!
Plants are so dramatic! Who knew keeping them could be such an emotional roller coaster? 😄
Sandy
This is all very interesting, as well as a little creepy. I'm paying attention to all of this as I have a grandson who is fascinated with all things "buggy". Maybe I'll just have to buy him his very own Maureen. Keep us posted while I decide. I'm pretty sure he'll think it's very cool!
Karen
Let's see if I can keep it alive for a full month before you venture into purchasing. So far so good though. If I go away this summer I'm going to have to pass her off to someone to baby sit and keep alive for me. Oh God. Maybe I should just take her with me wherever I go. ~ karen!
Donna
I’m hoping that Maureen caught an earwig. I hate those nasty insects. I give her permission to eat as many earwigs as her chops can handle.
I’m also thinking that those black spots are sunburn. In nature aren’t Venus Flytraps found in wet, moist dappled shaded areas? I have no idea as I have never come across a wild one nor have I Googled it!
Good luck. You’ve almost convinced me to buy one.
Karen
It probably happened the first day I let full sun on her. :/ ~ karen!
NanJayTee
Maureen, great name for your plant. My mom's middle name was Maureen. I never knew Venus flytraps were so interesting. I'll check back for updates.
Karen
They are interesting! And fascinating! More so when you aren't the one desperately trying to keep it happy and alive. 😆 ~ karen!
Cara
This is certainly more information about a Venus Fly Trap than I ever thought I'd obtain. My first comment is that your photos make this much more fascinating. Good Job. Secondly, she is a wonder of nature. Thanks for sharing. I will show this to my granddaughter. It's fascinating.
Karen
It's more information I ever thought I'd need about Venus Fly Traps! However, here we are. They are fascinating! I'm glad the photos help make it at least a little bit compelling. ~ karen!