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Carnivorous Plants/Drosera Capensis (Cape Sundew)

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Expert: - 7/12/2010


Question
I have been growing a cape sundew in my room for a few months, and a few days ago I noticed some aphids on the leaves of the plant. They are killing my sundew, the leaves are now dewless, and the leaves are drying up. I need to know of a way to kill the aphids before they kill my plant. Are there any safe pesticides to use on my sundew to treat the aphids?

Answer
Hello Anne,

Anything with Neem oil or pyrethrines would be good. Ortho systematic pesticides are also safe to use on carnivorous plants. The main thing to remember is to avoid anything with soap based or copper based products in it.

Another safe and effective way to remove aphids would be to submerge the plant totally in a bucket of water for 24 or so hours, take it out for a day, then submerge it again for another 24 hours or more. The submersion will drown the aphids and then a second submersion will make sure that any aphids left over are also drowned. You can then use a magnifying lens afterwards periodically to detect aphids on your plants. If you notice any, use insecticides to kill them before they become a threat. You can also remove minor aphid infestations with a fine paint brush dipped in the dew of your sundew to pick off the aphids, even feeding them to the healthy leaves as revenge.

Good luck removing those pesky aphids,

Christopher

Carnivorous Plants

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Christopher Littrell

Expertise

I am capable of answering questions about the most common carnivorous plants found in cultivation. I have no personal experience with Byblis, Drosophyllum, Aldrovanda, and Heliamphora. I have not cultivated gemmae forming pygmy sundews nor tuberous sundews. For information regarding those aforementioned species, I would suggest contacting other experts. I can answer questions regarding most species of Nepenthes, tropical and temperate Drosera, Mexican Pinguicula, Sarracenias, and Dionaea. I have some limited experience with growing Utricularia, Cephalotus, and Darlingtonia.

Experience

I have grown carnivorous plants off and on for about 27 years. I have made the same mistakes and suffered the same mishaps that many growers make as they attempt to separate the myths from the realities of growing these plants. Currently, I am successfully growing a variety of tropical sundews, a Nepenthes, several Venus Flytraps of varying ages, and Sarracenias. I have been successful in stratifying Sarracenia seeds and providing artificial dormancy requirements for my temperate plants when needed.

Education/Credentials
I hold a Master's degree in Educational Psychology. Over my lifetime, I have constantly read books involving the growing conditions of carnivorous plants. I hope to incorporate the educational aspects involved in psychology with teaching other people how to cultivate carnivorous plants.

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