i think i have a vegetarian venus fly trap. i have caught flies 4 times and put them in the trap but it wont eat them! it just reopens the trap the next day with the fly still in it! anyone know why??

It may be that the soil is too dry?  Venus flytraps, like many other carnivorous plants need boggy conditions ;)   Otherwise maybe the fly needs to be still moving ;)  there is a trigger hair in the fold of the flytrap which is what causes it to close, brushing this closes the trap, usually on a live fly and then the fly tries to get out for a day or so before it dies ;)

Or it it just not be hungry yet ;)  has it started growing/throwing out new leaves?  it's early in the growing season yet :)

hi thanks for the reply. yes i keep it wet and yes its throwing out new leaves but the flies were dead so maybe they should be alive!

This site may be of some help http://www.sarracenia.com/faq/faq2000.html  mine always died and now I see why  :(

http://www.expertvillage.com/video/4049_venus-flytrap-feeding.htm

im also having problems with my fly trap its closing really slowly so never catches the flys! thanks for the links dollface! help loads now know what im doing wrong

thanks that explains it- i need to wiggle the hairs more once the fly is inside- will try it

Your welcome :)

Now that I know a lil more think I may buy one again since I have killed like 3 of them in the past  :(

just to let you know my fly trap just caught its first fly all by itself!

Thinking I may go buy one from safeway this weekend if they still have them there :)