“Why are my Venus fly traps turning black?” asked my friend Debra. She bought her first Venus fly trap about six months ago and loves it dearly. She placed the trap next to a flower bed and hoped the beautiful bright colors would attract some of the aphids that love to eat aphids!
Well, it didn’t take long for the trap to start attracting brown flies. The bright colors of the aphids didn’t quite capture my attention but when I got home I saw they had taken over! My trap was a total waste because the little bugs were too small to even go into the hole to get inside! So now they’re all dead and gone. But the problem is, why are my venus fly traps turning black?
There are two main reasons. The first is that the moisture levels in the air have suddenly been increased and the moisture is being blown across the plant beds. In this case you can see the problem happening before you see it happening. If you think about it, the plants are getting stressed from all the activity…and guess what?
The second reason is just as simple – the fly trap is not closing tightly. Tightness is the biggest problem when it comes to Venus fly traps. Aphids don’t like to be trapped tight because they can squeeze their bodies through tiny holes. This is what is causing your Venus fly trap to become useless and turn black in color!
When this happens, the first thing to check is that the moisture is returning to normal. Close all your traps in a dry place. Check your humidity gauge and replace the water in the system if need be. Don’t open or close the doors or windows until the problem has been corrected. Also, check your soil for any deficiencies – if there is anything lacking in your garden or lawn, add some! This usually solves the problem.
If you have no success with these initial steps, you have one final option: calling a professional pest control company. They may be able to solve the problem for you. Be prepared however, for them to charge you an amount that is much higher than what you would spend on the fly traps themselves! This is a last resort so don’t try it unless you think it’s the only option.
One final step to solving your Venus fly traps is to make sure you get rid of the problem areas. To do this, you will need to use a power washer. Blast away all the areas around the perimeter of the holes where the aphids have taken up residence. This means they will either be completely destroyed or very lightly damaged so that they cannot reproduce. It is much better to have them stay and try to reproduce in another area of your garden than to have them go completely unchecked into your house!
Finally, a word about black mold and why is my venus fly traps turning black. While this may not sound like a big deal, black mold can be dangerous to you and your family – even when it has not affected you or your family yet. Black mold spores end up in your walls, your floors and your furnishings and can easily spread throughout your home. If black mold starts to appear in your home and you’ve already tried everything else to get rid of it, you should consider calling a professional. The cost of replacing all your expensive electronics and textiles can be very costly and your health isn’t worth it.
