Invasion of the Fly Catchers!

The girls and boys are here! (I haven't figured out who's who yet).

But my carnivorous plants arrived yesterday, coincidentally along with their terrarium. The plants were courtesy of Rick at Keehn's Carnivores in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. Rick was brilliant from the start, coaching this neophyte on how to keep these little babies and nurture them.

I had no idea there was such a huge following of carnivorous plants, but it's vast; just Google "carnivorous plants" and you'll get about 650,000 pages.

Dionaea Muscipula

My interest initially began when I watched a National Geographic show and watched a Flytrap catch a fly. As you know, flies are about the fastest things on wings (just try catching one with your hand) but when I saw the Venus Flytrap move, it was impossibly fast. The fly never had a chance!

So I was hooked. I was surprised to learn that a lot of these carnivorous plants live in bogs that have poor nutrition (hence the "fast food") and a lot of them come from North and South Carolina! I thought it was Borneo or Guadalcanal or something.

Some of them, like the Traps, are active, but some, like the Sundew and the pitcher plants, rely on the insect either sliding in and not being able to get out or getting stuck to sticky tendrils.

What's great is that they all get along together! (Except in my terrarium, one of the little Flytraps has another in its embrace and isn't letting go . . . could they be cannibals?)

Anyway, Rick shipped them by Canada Post and they arrived in perfect shape. I set them up in the terrarium as per his careful instructions and they look like they're very happy! The traps have opened up, the sundew has curled up, and everyone looks ready to rrrumble!

Sundew (middle) Purple Pitcher Plant (background) Flytrap (center, right) Butterwort (foreground)

Can't wait till it gets sunny and the BUGS start arriving. These guys look hungry! And when the summer turns to autumn turns to winter, these guys actually go to sleep! No, really, they die if you don't put them in a cold room and don't water them for two months!

You owe it to yourself to email Rick and order yourself up some of these guys! They're very reasonably priced and easy to plant and they look wonderful!

Here's one last one, where you can see the pitcher plant better.

I'm so amped with my little forest of plant predators! If I ever do get a fly in there I'll try and videoptape the little bugger getting eaten. Can't wait!