Carnivorous plants are beautiful to look at, but to what extent can they really do that?help against mosquitoes? We take a closer look at the question and find out whether they are really an effective insect repellent for the home and garden.
Why carnivorous plants are only of limited use in the fight against mosquitoes
From mid-July at the latest, the summer season also opens for mosquitoes. TheMosquitoes in the houseand in the garden there is much more than annoying insects. They can also transmit dangerous diseases. Therefore, most people try to kill or drive away the bloodsuckers with home remedies. However, in order for us to really assess the effectiveness of certain home remedies, we need to have prior knowledge of insects.
- Only female mosquitoes bite. Thanks to a special organ, they can smell the carbon dioxide that humans and animals breathe out.
- The female mosquitoes bite before they lay their eggs. Otherwise they feed on nectar and plant sap.
- Dark colors attract insects.
- Mosquitoes are particularly active early in the morning and late in the evening when the air is cool. The full moon also leads to increased mosquito activity.
- It is not true that mosquitoes only lay their eggs in ponds. You need very little still water for this (about 1 tablespoon is sufficient). Even very moist soil is perfect for this purpose.
- The mosquito larvae live in water.
- The mosquitoes transmit diseases such as Zika or Denga and can make people and animals sick.
How good are carnivorous plants at catching insects
The carnivorous plants canFighting mosquitoes and flieshelp if used correctly. This requires prior knowledge and good planning. So, for a carnivorous plant to successfully kill mosquitoes, it should:
- Which can attract mosquitoes. The problem: The mosquitoes only come closer to people and pets when they want to suck blood. And they are attracted to the smell of CO2. The carnivorous plants attract their victims with nectar. So they are much more likely to catch butterflies, bees and other pollinating insects in the garden and in the house than mosquitoes.
- The carnivorous plant is said to be able to kill large numbers of mosquitoes so it effectively eliminates a mosquito infestation. The problem: Most fly eaters extract nutrients from the soil and carry out photosynthesis. In nature, you only catch insects when the soil is poor and cannot provide the necessary nutrients. But for them this is an additional source of food. Kind of like going to a restaurant on the weekend.
- The plants use a lot of energy to form trap leaves. Therefore, catching prey is only worthwhile for them if the insects are large enough. But mosquitoes are very small. So one can assume that most carnivorous plants will not close their trap for a mosquito at all.
- The catch leaves can be used up to 10 times and then dry out. This makes them more susceptible to pests and diseases.
Carnivorous plants against mosquitoes in the apartment: conclusion
You ask yourself: “What helps against mosquitoes in the room?” and “Do carnivorous plants really help against mosquitoes in the home?” The answer is yes. Carnivorous plants can help against mosquitoes in the house. Especially when it comes to individual specimens that came through the window or front door. However, if you suspect that the mosquitoes are breeding somewhere in the house, then you should definitely find the water source. You cannot eliminate such a mosquito infestation with carnivorous plants, but you can control it to some extent. Together with preventive measures and other means, you can completely eliminate mosquitoes from the house.
Not all carnivorous plants help against mosquitoes in the room
If you want to use carnivorous plants to fight mosquitoes at home, there are a few things you should consider. The type of plant plays a crucial role in success. Because some fly catchers prefer large insects and are not effective against mosquitoes.
Depending on the type of trap, the various carnivorous plant species are divided into the following categories: plants with sticky traps, with folding traps, with suction traps and with traps.
Carnivorous houseplants with sticky traps
They are perhaps the most effective against mosquitoes. Their trapping leaves produce a sticky substance that attracts insects with a pleasant scent. The mosquitoes then stick to it. All sundew varieties have the same trapping pattern.
What to plant against mosquitoes?
1. The sundewspecializes in small insects. It has very hairy leaves that not only catch mosquitoes, but alsoAttract fruit flies.
It grows best in a warm, sunny location and requires plenty of water and high humidity in summer. The plant does not need fertilizer as long as you plant it in special substrate for carnivores.
The perfect location: In terrariums, at the window, around the garden pond.
2.The dew leafis a robust and easy-care carnivorous plant. In the garden, the shrub reaches a maximum height of 1.60 m, while the houseplant remains significantly lower. The dew leaf has 20 to 30 cm long blades that have two different types of nozzles. The secretion has a strong scent and often attracts not only mosquitoes and small flies, but also bees.
Carnivorous plants for home with folding traps
The carnivorous plants with folding traps are specialized in catching larger insects such as wasps or large flies. Their trapping leaves have small tactile bristles that serve as motion detectors. They can detect environmental stimuli (rain, wind) and only close when prey touches them.
1. The Venus flytrapis against mosquitoesnot effective. The trap is too big and the energy consumption is too high for a small mosquito.
What to plant against mosquitoes?
2.In contrast to the Venus flytrap, the...Water trap a mosquito-eating aquatic plant.Their prey includes mosquito larvae, water fleas and other small insects.
The perfect location: In terrariums, aquariums and garden ponds.
Carnivorous plants against insects: Mosquito-eating aquatic plant with suction traps
The carnivorous plants, which catch insects using a suction trap, live underwater. This suction trap has small sensing bristles on the outside. It opens quickly to suck in the prey (including mosquito larvae, small mosquitoes, nematodes and water fleas).
What to plant against mosquitoes?
The water hoseis a rootless underwater plant for the garden pond. The plant thrives best in sunny places, about 50 cm below the water level. Only the flowers appear above the surface of the water. In addition to mosquito larvae, their prey includes rotifers.
Carnivore plants with fish traps
The last group is made up of carnivorous plants with traps. They have a trap that is full of fluid and enzymes. The insects are attracted by a pleasant scent, fall into the “stomach” of the plant and are decomposed there. This group includes the pitfall trap, pitcher plant and pitcher plant. Pitcher plants – huge carnivorous plants – are primarily available in specialized garden centers and online shops. But the pitcher plants can also grow very tall.
They are, howevernot effective against mosquitoes.That's because certain mosquitoes are immune to the plant's enzymes and use the still water in their stomachs to lay eggs. The mosquito larvae then feed on the remains of other prey and fly away as young mosquitoes.
Summary:
All free-feeding plants with sticky traps catch many small insects, including mosquitoes. The dew leaf and the sundew are the perfect houseplants for the windowsill. The plants with a folding trap can only be used to a limited extent against mosquitoes. The Venus flytrap specializes in catching larger insects. The water trap is suitable for use outdoors, in garden ponds, but it is rarely found in garden centers. The aquatic plants with a suction trap, on the other hand, are perfect for use in garden ponds. The plants with traps cannot help in the fight against mosquitoes. The insects often even lay their eggs in the fish trap.
Carnivorous plants: keeping them in a glass
All carnivorous plants are exotic. Therefore, they thrive best in full sun, need a lot of warmth even in the winter months and most importantly: high humidity. It should be between 60% and 80%. In summer, most fly eaters thrive on windows without any problems. The cold season can be a real challenge. Especially in winter, keeping them in glass jars, terrariums or aquariums is an option. A fogger can be used there to increase the humidity. Direct sunlight is also very important. A south or west facing window provides the optimal lighting conditions for the plants. If the light is not sufficient, the production of the specific insect traps will stop. Most carnivorous plants do not have great demands on the soil. In nature or in pots, they do not need any fertilizer and can cope with poor soil. This is because they catch insects and the prey provides the necessary nutrients. When growing in a glass, you can use carnover soil, which contains everything necessary for the plants. When it comes to watering, the plants are very demanding. They have a hard time withstanding lime water and can even die if you water them with it or if you fill the fogger with tap water.
Are carnivorous plants also effective against fungus gnats?
Carnivorous plants are also effective against fungus gnats. But you cannot fight the larvae in the soil. Therefore, you can only use plants such as butterwort, pitcher plant or Venus flytrap as aids. We have already given you several ideas on how to do thisHow to get rid of fungus gnat larvae.
The carnivorous plants are not only a real eye-catcher, but also a useful addition to the indoor garden. If cared for well, they prove to be a useful tool for fighting mosquitoes,Flies and fungus gnats.
