Venus Fly Traps are the most popular carnivorous plants for a reason. When people see the seemingly menacing appearance of Venus Fly Traps, they usually feel curious or even cautious, to some extent. Because of their looks, many people wonder as to what will happen if they put their fingers in their traps. Will it hurt? Will it bleed? Will they devour your finger?
In this article, we will discuss what will really happen if you put your finger in a Venus Fly Trap. Also, keep reading to find out whether it’s a good idea to poke your plant and what happens if you continue doing so.
What Happens If You Put Your Finger In A Venus Fly Trap
Despite their threatening appearance, putting your finger inside a venus fly trap will not hurt you in any way.
Venus Fly Traps are not poisonous, and if you put your finger inside its trap, your plant wouldn’t even think of hurting you as they don’t have a brain. Instead, they have these so-called “trigger hairs” that react to any objects that enter the trap. And if you repeatedly put your finger inside within 30 seconds, your cute little fly trap would close swiftly, but it’s still not going to hurt.
As this happens, your fingers may feel a tiny sensation inside the trap as the hair-like projections called “trichomes,” the part responsible for alerting the plant that the traps should shut, brush against your finger. The plant’s digestive juices will also start to be secreted if you manage to let your finger stay still inside the trap -which is quite challenging since these snap traps are undoubtedly small.
But once again, no harm can be done to your finger.
Can A Venus Fly Trap Make You Bleed?
Although their traps look like mouths with sharp pointy teeth, Venus Fly Traps actually have soft snap traps that are designed to contain any prey inside when it closes. It is important to remember that these marginal spikes are not sharp or hard enough to even slightly damage your skin.
As a part of their digestion process, they secrete digestive juices several times. But have no fear since they are only strong enough to break down small insects. But let’s say you find a way to keep your finger motionless inside the trap for 5 to 12 days. Will this finally make your fingers bleed?
The answer is still no. These digestive enzymes will not affect your skin that much, aside from making it a little red due to very mild irritation.
Wondering whether Venus Flytraps are good for gnat infestations? You may be surprised by the answers!
Can A Venus Flytrap Eat A Human Finger?
Venus Fly Traps grow from 5-6 inches, and their traps usually measure up to 1.5 inches. In comparison, the average length of an adult hand is around 6-8 inches. With this being considered, the size of a venus fly trap is too small to even fit a whole human finger. It wouldn’t even have the power to begin “digesting” your finger since this plant’s digestive process only starts once the trap closes firmly. So, without getting the snap traps completely shut with your finger in them, no digestion will take place.
Venus Fly Traps are delicate plants with snap traps filled with teeth-like lining on their outer edge called “marginal spikes.” Despite their threatening and pointy looks, these spikes are not really designed to puncture or cut anything. Instead, they help in capturing the Venus Fly Trap’s insect preys. But, since human fingers are too thick, they wouldn’t even be “captured” inside the trap to begin with.
So, It is virtually impossible for a Venus Fly Trap to eat a human finger; unless you turn into a tiny insect.
Should You Put your Finger Inside a Venus Fly Trap?
Now that we’ve established the fact that you will most certainly not die or even get slightly harmed when you poke your Venus Fly Traps’ snap traps, you may start wondering whether it is a good idea to do it again just for fun. Here are some of the reasons why you should NOT put your finger inside your Venus Fly Trap.
It Can Lead to Plant Infection
When you play with your Venus Fly Trap, poking your finger into its snap traps just for amusement, you put your plant at risk for a bacterial infection. Although your hands may look squeaky, your plant may catch bacteria or develop molds that can cause rotting to your plant’s snap traps.
They Lose A Lot Of Energy
Venus Fly Traps, just like other plants, still rely on the process of photosynthesis to regenerate their energy, despite their unique way of capturing insects for food. When they successfully entrap and digest meals, the process of photosynthesis gets hampered or slowed down as the meals inside the traps will provide the energy. But, if that snap trap closes without anything inside, the plant loses both of their source of energy, which could compromise the health of your plant or even kill it.
You Can Shorten Its Lifespan
The snap traps on your Venus Fly Trap can only close and digest insects and other meals 3-5 times before it gets replaced with new ones. And since not everything that gets inside the trap are meals, it can handle false alarms and reopen up to 10 times within its lifespan. Since every opening and swift closing of the traps take up a lot of energy, you shorten their lifespan whenever you put your finger in them for amusement.
In Conclusion
Putting your finger in a Venus Fly Trap may seem dangerous, but the simple fact is, they are not capable of hurting human fingers, let alone make you bleed. Their soft snap traps surrounded by pointy linings are designed for capturing small insects, and even their digestive juices are only capable of digesting their tiny prey. It is worth noting that when you put your finger in their traps, it is completely safe for you, but not for them.
These frequent “false alarms” that they receive when any non-food things enter their traps can lead to some plant infections, waste their energy, and eventually shorten your plant’s lifespan. So, if you want your plant to live a long life, avoid poking your Venus Fly Trap!
