How to Start a Butterfly House

Keeping butterflies live in a butterfly house can be much more satisfying than pinning them. Some collectors keep butterflies at home, others partner with sponsors to create "community" butterfly houses in public parks. If you want to maintain live butterflies in a small-scale environment, here are some things you should consider.

Instructions

1. Find caterpillars or butterflies. If raising the captive butterflies from caterpillars, you must prevent the caterpillar from escaping and lavish attention on the larvae.

2. Include food sources. Caterpillars feast on the leaves of various plants. Some experts recommend feeding the adult butterfly with a sugar and water solution that is changed daily or artificial diets available from suppliers.

3. Consider how much space you'll need. When the butterflies hatch, they will need room to fly. Keeping them confined in a small space can be harmful to them.

4. Consider ventilation. The butterflies will also need air at every stage. Make sure there is access to air and light in your butterfly house.

5. You should release the grown butterflies after several days. It is hard to breed them in captivity and keeping butterflies contained for too long poses a risk to their health. Don't wait for your butterflies to start families in your butterfly house: it's best to release them and find others.

Tips & Warnings

• Butterflies can be kept longer in a larger "butterfly garden/house" type facility, but they will still need to be fed.

• Some experts suggest luring butterflies into an open garden area during the summer as a way to "keep" butterflies without restricting them.

Resources

• Website of an established butterfly facility.
• Another butterfly house website.