One TikToker just discovered the hidden benefit of raising carnivorous butterwort plants in her house: They're the natural enemy of mosquitoes.
Rosanne Becker (@rosannebecker), self-described "carnivorous plant mom," posted a video in May in which she shows off five potted butterwort plants. The plants have rounded green-and-purple leaves covered in sticky hairs — and as Becker shows in the video, those hairs get covered in small bugs.
"These plants totally won me over when they showed me just how good they are at catching fruit flies and fungus gnats," Becker says, while zooming in to show some of the tiny prey stuck to the butterworts' leaves. "But when they started catching the mosquitoes that get into the house? Oh, now they own my heart."
@rosannebecker Replying to @Rosanne Becker Identifying and collecting venus flytrap seeds. #CarnivorousPlant #VenusFlytrap #plantsoftiktok #planttok #planttiktok ♬ original sound - Rosanne Becker
Plant-based pest control is a money-saving, healthy, and eco-friendly way to minimize mosquito bites. According to Gardener's Path, once they're established, eating bugs is healthy for these plants, providing them with nutrition that's missing from the soil in their native environments.
Meanwhile, natural pest control users can avoid toxic pesticides that are bad for them and the environment.
Commenters were excited about the discovery. "I need 1,000 of them," said one user.
Another TikToker asked Becker if these plants are cat-safe. Becker replied, "Yes," and another user elaborated. "Just looked up if they are safe for cats and dogs. Yes!"
However, the plants do have drawbacks.
"How sturdy are they?" asked a commenter. "I need something that will absolutely not die, thrives on neglect, and is independent."
Becker replied, "Then this isn't the plant for you. They're kinda high maintenance."
Gardener's Path backs up that claim; according to its webpage, butterworts need specific potting soil, a constant supply of water, bright but indirect light, high humidity, a constant temperature, and periodic feeding with bugs or trips outside to let them feast.
For easier pest control with all the same pesticide-free benefits, gardeners can choose from this list of mosquito-repellant plants, many of which are beautiful, useful, and sweet-smelling.
An even simpler approach is to use Mosquito Dunks, a safe and pesticide-free product that stops mosquito larvae from maturing so they never grow up to suck blood.
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