Seasonal Change

• Venus fly traps are hardy perennials and require cool seasons in order to develop properly. Venus fly traps enter a dormant period over winter. Dormant Venus fly traps remain closed for extended periods and may also become discolored. The discoloration and wilted appearance is a result of the plant conserving energy over winter when there are few insects around. Venus fly traps will rejuvenate in the spring when days become longer, temperatures increase and insects begin to hatch.
  
  

Indoor Venus Fly Traps

• Venus fly traps can be grown indoors all year. However, plants that are kept indoors and are not allowed to go dormant for part of the year have a shorter lifespan and will usually only live for one to two years. Plants that mature indoors will tend to keep their traps closed toward the end of their lifespan to conserve energy and extend their longevity.
  
  

Fatigue

• Venus fly traps attract insects by producing a sweet-smelling nectar. Venus fly traps have three trigger hairs on the inside of each half of the trap. When the insect lands on the surface of the trap to investigate the smell, it trips the triggers and the leaves close in less than half a second, trapping the insect inside. The plant only closes when the triggers are tripped twice in a row, which prevents Venus fly traps from wasting energy if a twig or leaf happens to fall on the plant. Because of its impressive, dynamic nature, many people enjoy artificially stimulating Venus fly traps by triggering the plant to close artificially. According to the Wayne's Word gardening website, Venus fly traps grow fatigued after successive trappings and may temporarily lose the ability to re-open.
  
  

Care

• To keep your Venus fly traps active and healthy, place them in a location where they receive ample amounts of light through the day with at least one to two hours of direct sunlight. Like other carnivorous plants, Venus fly traps do not survive solely by capturing insects. Healthy photosynthesis and humidity levels are needed to develop functional traps. Water daily to maintain adequate humidity levels for the plant. Use distilled or bottled water to prevent making the soil too alkaline or adding minerals from tap water.