Q/A #123 - Do Sarracenia Capture Bees?

QUESTION:
While I wait for my order, I've been reading your digital download about caring for these plants. I can't remember where I read it but it listed yellow jackets as one of the bugs they eat. Does that mean that bees will get trapped in there too? What about butterflies and other beneficial bugs? I've got a bumble bee nest in my garden and don't want to kill them but REALLY want to get rid of the mosquitoes and flies.
(Submitted in June 2020.)

RESPONSE BY JEFF DALLAS:
Unfortunately, some Sarracenia do catch bees. It's the brightly colored ones that catch bees such as Sarracenia leucophylla and it's hybrids. But, we mostly see it happen in late summer when drones are kicked out of the hive. We also don't see bees being a huge part of the plants "diet". In our location, it is mostly flies, yellow jackets, and box elder bugs.

If you want to reduce the number of bees captured, stick with the pure green varieties of Sarracenia - S. alata, S. rubra, and S. flava. They do catch some ladybugs, unfortunately, and certain types of moths. Butterflies are rarely caught because their wings don't fit into the pitchers. Flies are the most common victim, but carnivorous plants rarely catch mosquitos. Carnivorous plants use sugar as their lure, and mosquitoes are attracted to the smell of animals.

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