How to Create an Indoor Butterfly Habitat
After raising caterpillars, you have the choice of releasing the butterflies or keeping them as pets. You should never release butterflies if they are not a native species in your area. Introduced species often cause conservation problems by competing with native species, or from the caterpillars consuming native plants. It is also not a good idea to release butterflies that are native but are also a pest. Instead, create a suitable habitat for them indoors so you can enjoy the insects, without them causing problems. Butterflies will survive in the containers used for the caterpillars, but providing a larger space lets them exhibit natural behavior and is more aesthetically pleasing for you.
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Things You'll Need
- Saw
- Scrap wood
- Screws and screwdriver or nails and hammer
- Muslin
- Sheet of transparent plastic
- Hook and loop fastener
- Glue
- Cardboard
- Twigs
- Sugar
- Pan
- Cotton balls
Instructions
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1
Saw lengths of scrap wood to the desired length, width and height of your planned butterfly cage. A cube of between 2 to 4 feet works well. Fix the pieces of wood together with screws or nails.
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2
Cut four pieces of muslin to fit all the sides except the bottom and the front of the cube.
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3
Glue hook and loop fastener to three edges of the top of the cube and to three edges of the corresponding piece of muslin. Allow the glue to dry.
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4
Cut the sheet of transparent plastic plexiglass or similar material to fit the front of the cube and glue into position.
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5
Fix the pieces of muslin to the cube. Glue the top piece at the fastener-free edge. This is the lid. Leave the arrangement to dry for several days, even if the glue is a fast-drying one. This is because glues can still give off fumes toxic to butterflies for a while after use.
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6
Lay a large sheet of cardboard larger than the cube where you want the butterfly habitat to be. This should be somewhere that gets natural daylight but not continuous direct sunlight.
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7
Put the cube over the cardboard and add decorations such as twigs, which provide perching places. Add the leaves from the plant the caterpillars ate, if you want the butterflies to breed. They will lay their eggs on these leaves.
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8
Mix 1 part plain white sugar with 4 parts water in a pan. Heat gently on the stove and stir continuously until the sugar dissolves. Soak cotton balls in the mixture and place them in a dish. Put the dish in the cube and introduce the butterflies. Make up a fresh sugar solution and change the balls every day to prevent bacteria buildup.
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Tips & Warnings
Large fish tanks make good butterfly habitats. Replace the lid with a piece of muslin secured down with a large elastic band to provide extra ventilation.
You can also keep butterflies in a conservatory, provided there is no way for them to escape. A muslin curtain over doors prevents them flying out when you enter.
Research the species of butterfly to determine its specific needs, especially with regards to food. Some species prefer slices of fruit, mud or dung to the nectar substitute.
References
- Photo Credit Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
