As a reptile and amphibian keeper, I've had occassion to utilize all sorts of
crawlies for frog-food; early on I learned that sowbugs have a toxic compound
that makes them distasteful to almost all animals ( I believe it is a
cyanide-based compound but I could find no references in my library - all my
insect books don't include isopods )
I think that was the cause of the VFT necrosis and die-back. Perhaps other
growers have similar experiences?
Dravid Gray,
Chairperson pro-tem for the Committee for the Return of Isopods to the Sea
>Hello all. Early this spring just as my largest and oldest VFT was
>sending up a flower stalk it got warm 65%F hopeing to get more seed I
>found some small woodlice "pillbugs" under a railroad tie to feed them.
>Only after the plant started to die did I even think of creosote! I saved
>the plant :-> by cuting off all of the traps+leaves that I had fed but
>?lost the flower stalk. :-( I have learned a valuable lesson with all the
>work I do to give my plants pure soil and water I never considered the
>purity of the insects I feed my plants. Older and hopefuly a little wiser
>Steve Lanham