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Venus Flytrap Deformed Growth: Flower Stalk Aftermath + Possible Mites/Mealybugs

Sick Flytrap
Venus Flytrap with deformities

Two Overlapping Issues

Post-flower weirdness: Cutting a flower stalk often triggers a burst of odd, curled, rapidly growing leaves (undifferentiated cells). Normal, self-corrects in weeks.
Insect damage: Aphids, thrips, spider mites, mealybugs (check soil surface) cause similar deformities.

Recommended Action

Preventive systemic spray: Acephate (Orthene 75SP) or imidacloprid. 3–4×/year (spring, summer, fall).
If spider mites confirmed: Add dedicated miticide (Avid, Pentac) — 3–5 sprays 4–5 days apart (eggs hatch in waves).
Sources: Acephate 75SP

Forums for Ongoing Help

Follow-Up: Miticide Cost

Avid is expensive (~$109/8oz) but one bottle = lifetime supply for hobbyists. Neem oil = unproven for mites. Mites reproduce too fast for home remedies.

Carnivorous Plants: Rescuing a Sick Phalaenopsis: Repotting from Soggy Roots; Phalaenopsis Spike Browning: Genetics, Not Neglect; Vegetative Apomixis: When a Flytrap Flower Stalk Grows a Plantlet; Venus Flytrap Dormancy in Tropical Climates; Venus Flytrap Recovery After Neglect: Skip Dormancy, Grow on Windowsill; Darlingtonia californica Sudden Decline: Systemic Fungicide/Insecticide Treatment; Propagating and Repotting Venus Flytraps: Leaf Pullings, Divisions, and Soil; Sudden Decline of a 40-Year-Old Ti Plant (Cordyline); Diagnosing Blackening Leaves on Dracaena Varieties; Venus Flytrap Care: Growing Carnivorous Plants

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