How to Operate a Butterfly House
Butterfly houses make an attractive decor element in your garden, but ensuring that butterflies move in isn't a matter of "if you build it, they will come." Designing your garden with butterflies in mind will attract these lovely, ephemeral creatures to take shelter in the house you offer them.
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Things You'll Need
- Butterfly house
- Butterfly-attracting plants
- Water source
- Rock or wood pile
Instructions
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Create a garden that welcomes butterflies. If you want a full life-cycle of butterflies, you will will need two kinds of plants: those that produce a high volume of nectar for adults and forage plants on which the larvae can dine. The specific flora to plant in a butterfly garden varies for different regions. The resources listed will help you get started in choosing the right plants for butterflies in your area. Be sure to plant your butterfly garden in a sunny location, ideally near a fruit tree as butterflies love to dine on rotting fruit. Plant your butterfly garden in the fall for best results.
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2
Banish pesticides from your butterfly garden. Even organic insecticides are fatal to the caterpillars that could one day grace your garden with the beautiful wings of their adult form.
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3
Buy or make your butterfly house. Butterflies will be drawn to a house with images of flowers and/or one with vibrant hues of yellow, pink, red and orange, similar to nectar-rich flowers. Again, the resources and references section of this article can help you shop for a butterfly house or find plans to build one.
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Add water. Butterflies don't need a lot of water; if you don't already have a birdbath or small fountain, simply set out a small saucer for them to visit.
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Provide a secure place for caterpillars to overwinter in chrysalis form. Piles of rocks or wood offer security from predators.
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