Help!! Trap sensor no response even manual trigger
 

Hi All,

Is it normal that my VFT can't close even when manually trigger the sensor in the trap. Will this starve my VFT? It this normal to VFT?

:confused: regards,
Steven

Re: Help!! Trap sensor no response even manual trigger
 

Each trap can only open and close for a couple of times, after which the trap will cease to funtion or move. However, it still acts like a normal leave making food from sunlight etc.

So, it is always best not to trigger the traps with your fingers or with anything. It is like giving a child an ice-cream. When he is about to put it in his mouth, you take it away from him.

The plant won't starve to death. However, are all the traps not working of just a few old traps? Lately, it has been raining and the weather is cold. That has an effect on the speed and movement of the traps. When the temperatures is cold and there is lack of sunlight, the traps will not work properly or move very slowly. It could also be that the plant is going into dormancy.

A picture will be great so that we can all diagnose the problem better.

Re: Help!! Trap sensor no response even manual trigger
 

Hi

Well David mention pratically everything....A normal vft trap will normall function about half a dozen of times generally.......And after that they either wilt off or just stay there collecting sunlight.Its not a need for CPs to actually even get insect all the time...They will still have the food through photosyntesis...When a VFT goes for dormancy they're traps will work very slowly or never at all.......I've also experience that if even a small part of my VFT leaf is blacken particularly on the middle part of the leaf or trap the trap will not work anymore.

Ken

Re: Help!! Trap sensor no response even manual trigger
 

If you leave a trap too long without catching anything, that trap will become useless and won't move at all. Normally, the trap will bend itself outwards. You can tell by the look of the trigger hair. I notice that once the trigger hair become black and bent, the trap will no longer function. On the other hand, lack of light also causes slow or no movement of the trap at all.

Cheers

Re: Help!! Trap sensor no response even manual trigger
 

Well when my VFT eat too much the traps fold out and won't react. But recently some new traps are not functioning. Dormancy or pest?

Re: Help!! Trap sensor no response even manual trigger
 

Hi Steven, VFTs won't starve to death, that's for sure :laugh:

The trap don't close basically due to a few reasons:
1. The trap had been triggered for several times. Itchy hands will exhaust the trap.
2. The trap already too old to work normally.
3. During dormancy.
4. You have to touch the same hair for at least twice OR touch two different hairs at once (almost at the same time) to trigger the trap.

Give your VFTs plenty of sunlight, at least 8 hours if you can, they love sunlight. Like what David said, a photo of the plant will help to rectify the matter. :laugh:

Re: Help!! Trap sensor no response even manual trigger
 

I'll posted the picture as soon i captured in my camera. i try using my camera on my phone, the picture not very clear. so i need to use the digital camera.

Thank you all for the useful tips and feedback.

Re: Help!! Trap sensor no response even manual trigger
 

Argh!!!!Help!!!!!!The new trap on my VFT is not closing too!!!I put it in my balcony.Sunny at least for 6 hour's.

Re: Help!! Trap sensor no response even manual trigger
 

I think most probably your plant go into dormancy. A photo of the plant will help to rectify the problem.

Re: Help!! Trap sensor no response even manual trigger
 

But only one trap!And it just came out of dormancy.Ok,it turned black.But it's kind of weird,I don't think it capture any bugs.Maybe it was my brother poking it?

Re: Help!! Trap sensor no response even manual trigger
 

Yes, that's the problem. Many guests visited my family during CNY and they all are amazed by the VFTs and kept poking on them :crying:
I have to "sacrify" to allow them to do it (but not too much :bored:) just to fulfill their curiousity.

Re: Help!! Trap sensor no response even manual trigger
 

Yikes!At least my Sarra is beautiful and attract people to see "her".

Re: Help!! Trap sensor no response even manual trigger
 

Oh, haha! Nobody visited my house, so I am lucky that my VFTs are safe and sound. :smile:

Cheers

Re: Help!! Trap sensor no response even manual trigger
 

Hi guys

Well my cousin did come to my house and i was trying to share to him the world of CPs and well of course people always like movement in plants compared to the none moving pitcher plants so he i showed him how a VFT worked and he was amazed by how fast iit catches my hand.......Well i never liked to even show people how the trap closes but for the sake of more hobbyst i did it...Also gave him a rhizome division of a S mitchelliana....

Ken

Re: Help!! Trap sensor no response even manual trigger
 

:glare: From my recently experience
it is better off for others to touch VFT than some itchy hands, stole my neps (i put outside my corridor) while I was away for CNY.

They took away (uproot) my red neps (pitchering) thorelli only.

Lucky my lowii x truncata & ventricosa x tm have no pitcher yet, or else....

All because the nurseries sold neps as pitcher for money! The nurseries sold nep (truncata) for $233, it grows like giant. common hybrid sold for 88 to 100!! Instead of others buying it, stealing it will be easier.

sorry off topic. just remove it.... I have no where to let go my anger.

Re: Help!! Trap sensor no response even manual trigger
 

Jeff, you can put a hex on that nepenthes thief! That's what I'd do:mad:

Re: Help!! Trap sensor no response even manual trigger
 

So sorry to hear that, Jeff. I know that's not the first time happened to you. That's really a bad experience. We are angry too. :mad::mad::mad:
Hope you are more relief now.

Re: Help!! Trap sensor no response even manual trigger
 

My kids like plant movements, sometimes when they bug me to feed VFT I give in and feed, but no touching, you have to be strict no touching, except when you give food and only as demo. When my kids like to see plant movement I tell them go touch the shy plant, and that is the reason why I keep them (Mimosa) for them to enjoy touching.

Jeff I would like to ask you, they stole your nepenthes because they were selling pitcher plants as Money Catchers? for good luck?
Wow! The idea is cool, if that is true then we should catch a lot of money then, us CPers. But bad that freaking theives steal your's. They didn't even imagine that if they steal the money catchers it is bad luck to them. Then again maybe that is their nature.

If this happen to you often, maybe you should not leave your plants outside anymore, or (maybe a bit expensive) design a small cage for them when you do leave them outside, something you can lock.

TTFN
Arvin

Re: Help!! Trap sensor no response even manual trigger
 

All my guests loved my nepenthes collection and VFTs. Luckily my neps were never stolen before.

Re: Help!! Trap sensor no response even manual trigger
 

Hi Arvin,

According to what Jeff had told me last time, in Singapore there is no extra structure you can build or add-in at the corridor, not even to hang anything like shade cloth, pots, racks etc. Even anything that jutting out of the window sill is not allowed. That's why/how Jeff lost his plants last time. :bored:

Oops, we are off topic, GSCHEW84 aka Steven, have you got your answer?
Don't worry, you won't starve your VFT, VFT won't die even without insect/food for months, it will still get the energy from photosynthesis.

Re: Help!! Trap sensor no response even manual trigger
 

sorry for the off topic.
Just burning anger in me. But no choice.... Ren Ming...

About my experience with VFT, I will teach my guests about VFT and explain to they, how nurseries fail to make VFT grow well due to their growing condition and itchy fingers from customers.

Then add on excuses, if they didnt catch anything by closing their traps, they will die. Scare them. Plus I am a Vegetarian. I tell them, now my VFT is veg. Even my Nep. Hahaha... but that was the past. :glare:

Re: Help!! Trap sensor no response even manual trigger
 

Jeff, aren't you the one who's been trying to get your CP to turn vegetarian? :unsure:

Re: Help!! Trap sensor no response even manual trigger
 

Hahaha, the son of my mum's friend said that VFTs are dangerous!!!!!!Hahahaah.......cough...And he thought that VFTs poke the insect's to death!!At least he didn't touched it.Anyone tried to force close a trap.I mean like pushing it?I think my bro did it so it got hurt and don't close.Phew.....only one ,though.