Come into my parlor

OK, that was actually a spider who said that to a fly but it could have been a Venus fly trap. It totally could have.

I always thought it would be very cool to have a carnivorous plant. I mean, how excellent is that? It's a plant, it's entertainment, it keeps down the insect population in your home. Triple winnah. But apparently, the Venus fly trap requires more care than your average houseplant. And seeing as how I have never managed to keep a single plant alive ever (I'm not kidding. Thumb=pitch black), it really wouldn't be a good idea for me to take on a plant that's temperamental and might bite off my finger if I made it mad.

That's why the pretend Venus Fly Trap from Discovery Channel Store is a good idea. It looks and acts like the real thing, but it's battery-operated and made of durable plastic. No remembering to water it or keep it the proper temperature or give it just the right exposure to light. Just open up a little trap door, put in some bait, and you're done. Check back later to see if you've captured any insects -- the trap door is part of a clear enclosure that can temporarily house your critters.

Disappointingly, my kids and I did not actually catch the trap in the act of trapping. Despite careful observation, it didn't perform on command for us, which was a bummer. But it was still a thrill to return to our "pet" and see its leaves snapped shut and something flitting about its chamber. It's lake fly season here and we nabbed quite a few with our trap, baited with a small piece of strawberry. We are unreasonably excited about seeing what else we'll catch when there are more flying bugs about. Bigger, meatier ones. YUM!

Thanks, Parent Bloggers Network, from two young scientists (ages 3 and 6) and one (happily not bug-squeamish) mother.