Did you know that many carnivorous plants actually use insects as a source of nutrition? Some even use the entire animal (including legs) as food. In fact, they specialize in eating just one kind of vegetable or plant. So why don’t more people know about this? There are several good reasons.
One of the first reasons is that insects are not something most people want to eat. Most people have seen a few creepy-crawlies, like spiders, crawling around the back yard. They may have seen a few bugs crawling around in an oven, but these aren’t usually what people imagine when they think of a vampire. People also have visions of hungry animals feasting on the plants they eat. This probably doesn’t help people understand carnivorous plant nutrition, either.
Even if you have eaten meat, and maybe even had some vegetables that you ate that were partially digested, you probably would not have liked the taste. And even if you are vegetarian, you would not want to ingest all of the parts. Insects are small enough that they do not provide much of a meal, and the parts are often hard to digest.
Another reason people don’t understand about carnivorous plants is that they are not classified as vegetables. Many people think that vegetables must be consumed in their whole form, but in truth, they can be consumed in pieces. For example, many people know that the majority of nuts and seeds must be ground up before they are eaten. But not all insects are edible.
And just because carnivorous plants have predators doesn’t mean that their prey doesn’t exist. There are many insects out there that will kill a plant. Even insects within the same plant family can have completely different requirements for what they need to live, grow and die in that plant. Insects in the order Phytochemicals make up a big part of how plants are fed, as well as many other types of insects.
So, why do carnivorous plants use insects as a source of food? Well, insects are more than willing to eat anything, so the insects serve as a great meal. Plus, they tend to be tastier than some plant foods, which means that many insects serve as a form of dessert as well. And the fact that many insects can actually help in controlling pests and diseases that might attack plants also adds to the benefits of carnivorous plants.
However, there are plenty of concerns with carnivorous plants that should be taken into consideration before deciding to eat any particular type of plant. First of all, carnivorous plants have ten times the amount of calcium and magnesium that non-caloric plants have. This makes carnivorous plants very unhealthy and can lead to a variety of calcium deficiency related issues, including osteoporosis.
Another concern with carnivorous plants is that they actually have a higher water consumption rate than non-carnivorous plants. As a result, they actually end up using more water in the long run. Plants that only use insects as a source of food tend to lose moisture through evaporation much more quickly, which can eventually cause these plants to wilt and die.
Some people argue that carnivorous plants do not have to eat insects at all. This argument falls apart when you realize that insects serve multiple functions for them, most notably as food. Insects serve as vital nutrients to plant life, and without them plants would not survive. Plus, plants can use other sources of food, such as algae, when insects are not available. In fact, some plants even use insects as a source of protein.
Even if carnivorous plants are eaten by other insects, they can still be beneficial. Many insects actually help control pests on a plant, as well as being a valuable part of the ecosystem. Carnivorous plants actually help control some garden pest populations, which is good for the environment. Additionally, some kinds of plants actually serve as a good snack for some insects.
In the end, it really does depend on the type of plant in question. If you live in an area that doesn’t have many insects, carnivorous plants may not be the right source of nutrition for you. On the other hand, plants that can benefit from insect eating include some fruits and vegetables. Just make sure that you are getting enough protein from your diet, and that you have plants that will take to the new food readily provided. Also, be sure to water your carnivorous plants well, as they need this to thrive.