EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC BY RAISING YOUR OWN BUTTERFLIES

With the disappearance of so much Butterly habitat and significant reduction in native food plants (which are also the  Butterly's only nurseries) helping butterflies with small gardens and even tending your own herd of caterpillars can result in greatly increased numbers of butterflies reaching maturity over today's almost endangered levels. You can make a huge difference through your individual efforts and be rewarded each year when more and more visitors flutter back to your garden. Want something to do with your kids and grandkids both interesting and fun for the entire summer? Help our friends the butterflies.      .    

Predators

BIRDS, WASPS, SPIDERS AND A VAST NUMBER OF OTHER GARDEN RESIDENTS FIND BUTTERFLIES, FROM EGG TO CATERPILLAR, a delicious addition to their daily menu.There is data that less than 5% of monarch reach the final stage of life as a caterpillar due to predators. Even the hardened cocoon or chrysalis can end up as food for mice, squirrels raccoons and skunks. Parastoids (small flies and wasps) are insects which frequently lay eggs in the young caterpillar. The larva hatch inside and then dine on their hosts. We lost many monarchs to this predator last year so will be catching caterpillars at the earliest possible stage and placing them on food plants inside netted enclosures to curb this problem. Every local monarch we can help to reach maturity is a big win in the effort to restore populations and assure future generations see summer skies filled with dazzling butterflies. 

Feeding the kids

Caterpillars at every stage have voracious appetites. We have witnessed single caterpillars stripping entire branches of fennel or full branches of milkweed in less than a day. With this in mind, it is best to plant their favorite food in abundance both as food for the caterpillars that remain in the wild and as cuttings for those caterpillars you move to enclosures. The good news is that once established, plants like fennel and milkweed grow (and regrow) rapidly and require only water and sun to add lasting beauty and food to your own butterfly garden. There are typically 4 generations of monarchs per season, we have 12-14 swamp weed plants (Red or tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica is the hands down favorite) that tend to grow new leaves in time for each generation.  new cuttings will need to be replaced in  the enclosure almost daily depending upon size and number of caterpillars. 

a butterfly nursery

a proper enclosure and several simple water containers are required for rising butterflies. Homemade configurations of lumber or wire and screens work fine as do the inexpensive, wire framed and net wrapped butterfly enclosures available through on-line vendors. (a collection of vendors is provided via the "Important Stuff" link above.) Old pill bottles with lid (rinsed clean) with a 1/4" drilled or pierced hole in the top make  wonderful, resealable water containers for plant cuttings within the butterfly enclosure. We use a standard red brick, filling it's holes with the pill bottles, to hold them and anchor the enclosure. Expect to refill water daily in the height of summer. Remember to also put branches or structure in the unit. Most frequently cocoons will be formed hanging from the top or sides of the enclosure. it is very important to keep the enclosure clean especially between broods. disease can be passed if the enclosure is not thoroughly cleaned frequently.       .

butterfly enclosures*

Small format enclosures

large format enclosures

* it is not the position of Butterfly grandma to recommend type, vendor or construction method for your own enclosures. these are links useful to begin the search for your choice of enclosure and vendor..

Build it yourself enclosures

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