You generally don’t need to feed a Venus flytrap in winter at all, because it should be in (or moving into) dormancy and barely growing.

Quick Scoop

In winter, a healthy Venus flytrap is like a hibernating bear: slow, sleepy, and not very hungry. During dormancy the plant’s leaves die back and growth almost stops, so it uses very little energy and can safely go months without catching prey.

Should you feed it in winter?

  • If your plant is outside or in a cool bright spot and going dormant: do not feed it; just let it rest.
  • If it’s kept warm indoors and not really dormant (constant growth, under lights): you can feed very sparingly, maybe one small insect or bloodworm piece in a single trap every 3–4 weeks at most.

A simple rule: the less it’s growing, the less (or not at all) you should feed.

What you can feed (if it’s still actively growing)

If your “winter” conditions are warm and bright enough that the plant is still putting out new traps, suitable foods are the same as in summer, just used less often:

  • Small live insects it could catch on its own (flies, small spiders, tiny crickets).
  • Rehydrated dried bloodworms from a pet or aquarium store; they are a common stand‑in for insects.
  • Small pieces of freeze‑dried mealworms or tiny dried crickets, cut so they are no more than about one‑third the length of the trap.

Whatever you choose, gently trigger the trap’s hairs so it closes and seals, otherwise the trap may reopen and the food can mold.

What you should avoid

  • Human food (meat, cheese, etc.): it rots in the trap and can kill it.
  • Food larger than one‑third the trap size; if it can’t seal, it often blackens and dies.
  • Frequent feeding when the plant is short‑leaved, pale, or clearly dormant.
  • Fertilizer in the soil; Venus flytraps evolved for nutrient‑poor bogs and regular potting fertilizers can burn the roots.

Winter priorities (more important than feeding)

In winter, the real “care checklist” is about environment, not diet:

  1. Cool temps for dormancy
    • Many growers aim for roughly 0–10 °C (32–50 °F) for outdoor or cold‑garage dormancy, depending on climate.
  1. Light, but less intense
    • A bright window, greenhouse, or outdoor winter sun in mild climates is usually enough; no need for intense summer‑like light while it is resting.
  1. Moist, not soaked, soil
    • Keep the medium damp rather than standing in deep water; this helps prevent rot while the roots are less active.
  1. Pure water only
    • Use rainwater, distilled, or reverse‑osmosis water; minerals from normal tap water can slowly harm the plant.

An example: many hobbyists in cold regions overwinter their Venus flytraps in an unheated but not‑freezing garage window, watering lightly every week or two, and they don’t feed at all until spring growth returns.

TL;DR: In true winter dormancy, don’t feed a Venus flytrap; focus on cool temperatures, damp but not soggy soil, and decent light. Only if it’s kept warm and actively growing indoors should you occasionally offer a tiny insect or rehydrated bloodworm, very sparingly.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.