Archive for the 'Butterfly House' Category
They sure make some very pretty ones, whimsical and artsy types to use in the garden for accents or focal points. But do butterflies really use butterfly houses? I can’t answer that question, but never have I actually seen it happen. Protection from the elements and from predators are the reasoning behind it, and it makes perfect sense, but…who really knows?
I can say there are tons of butterflies in my yard now, hovering around the usual lantana and butterfly bush. The mature abelia with its tiny pink flowers seems to be a favorite as well. The big attraction for the flying jewels has got to be the leaf misters. There are two of them in the yard, one is simply staked in the ground with an old plant stake, and the other sits off the front porch attached to a deck bracket. Our butterflies absolutely love the gentle mist they produce. Flying through them all day in the extreme Georgia heat must be a relief for them. Lots of Swallowtails, we’re even seeing more Monarchs this year.
And by the way, how did they get their name “butterflies”? Butter doesn’t fly – so what gives? I think someone messed up and should have called them flutterflies!
Milkweed is a great, natural butterfly feeder, and so are nectar feeders. The sugar water recipe is the same as hummingbirds’ but butterflies will not use these feeders. Nectar feeders may be open, or have a sponge in them to absorb the liquid. A small dish works well, set on a porch rail, or hung from a shepherd’s hook or branch. Over-ripened fruit is adored by butterflies too, just be sure it does not mold.
Sadly, natural butterfly habitats are being decimated by the elimination of weeds and native grasses from yards, and chemical pesticides. Create a butterfly habitat in your garden with these simple tips:
Water: Butterflies will not drink from an open water source. They consume liquids by puddling, getting moisture from wet sand or soil, or shallow puddles. A leaf mister is a wonderful accessory to attract butterflies as the puddling process is constant.
Shelter: Mature, woody plants near your nectar producing flowers will provide butterflies with shelter during bad weather and at night. You may also want to consider a butterfly house.
Host plants: The host plants are ones that provide a site for butterflies to lay eggs and a food source for the emerging caterpillar. You may need to keep heavy mulch on these plants. Some host plants include: Thistle, Milkweed, Wild Cherry, Grasses, Nettle, Violet, Poplar, and Willow.
Food Sources for Nectar: Include Shrubs and annual flowers like; Azaleas, Lilac, Viburnums, Privets, Impatients, Marigolds, Alyssum, Cosmos, Verbena and Zinnias. Perennials include: Bee Balm, Butterfly Weed, Phlox, Seedum, Goldenrod, Coneflower, Thistle and more.
Start creating your butterfly-friendly habitat this spring and enjoy these flying flowers’ who will grace your yard!
Do they really use butterfly houses?
According to the Butterfly School, yes! And they even have simple, detailed directions to make your own butterfly houses. There’s tons of great information on the site pertaining to all things butterflies and moths. Copy and paste this address to check it out: http://www.butterflyschool.org
One great way to attract butterflies to your houses is to add their nectar inside. Using a small dish, with a new sponge or pot scrubber to absorb the liquid, place it in the bottom of the house. This acts as a fantastic attractant for these flying flowers! And…the nectar is a simple solution of sugar and water. The same mixture used for hummingbirds. One part sugar to four parts water. Never use any substitutes for the sugar, plain, table sugar is best.
Here’s to spring and the butterflies!
Time-lapse close up of Monarch caterpillar pupating and later the butterfly braking out of its chrysalis. Notice how the wings expand as the belly fluids are pumped into them. Save a Monarch, grow a Milkweed! Add a butterfly house for shelter from weather and predators too.
They’ve earned the nickname “flying flowers” as the grace and beauty of butterflies in the garden is marvelous. If you enjoy seeing butterflies, there are steps you can take for maximum attraction next spring. Creating Habitat that butterflies find alluring is actually pretty simple. A great article on “How to Make a Butterfly Garden” from the University of Kentucky’s Entomology Department, can be found here: http://www.ca.uky.edu/ENTOMOLOGY/entfacts/ef006.asp Copy and paste this address in your browser’s address bar.
Food: Nectar is always an option, but butterflies adore over-ripe fruit. Oranges, bananas, melons, and grapes are just a few of the fruits the enjoy. Place fruit on a staked feeder dish, on the porch railing, or anywhere near the flower garden, raised where it may be seen. Be sure to remove if molded.
Water: Butterflies absolutely adore the gentle spray from Leaf Misters. You’ll see them flit back and forth through the fine mist daily once you’ve attracted them to your yard
Shelter: By providing butterfly houses, you’re offering shelter from both the elements and predators. Giving butterflies a sfe haven to rest helps attract them to your yard.
When writing these posts, it seems they end being about the backyard birding products I either use and/or sell on the site. I’m not sure why, because I can write about anything that suits me. So here’s a post on mouse who made my butterfly house his home…and it’s true too!
Living in the Atlanta, Georgia area for the past 25 years, 7 of them were spent in Peachtree City. It’s a really unique place, where the city is connected by golf cart paths, and most intersections have 4-way stops instead of traffic lights. There are special covenants for businesses, and no neon signs…imagine that? One common denominator of each home I ever lived in, was that wildlife habitat was always created, nurtured, and cared for everyday. It was, and still is part of my being.
Someone had given me a butterfly house because I thought they were cool and summer brought many of theses fabulous, flying flowers to my gardens. Placing the house on the ground was not the best idea, over time it started to rot at the bottom. While picking it up for inspection and probable removal one day, there was a tiny deer mouse inside. I guess he liked the environment and felt comfortable in his little house, he didn’t know it was supposed to be for butterflies! Needless to say, the house likely never saw any butterflies, but did provide habitat for other critters!
Do Butterflies Really Use Butterfly Houses?
Also called hibernation boxes, they make wonderful accents in any environment. Available in redwood and cedar, from basic to decorative designs, butterfly houses add a certain charm to any flower garden. But…you have to wonder, do butterflies really use them? I don’t have one in my own garden, so I can’t speak from experience here, but opinions do vary on the subject. Some say they will use them for protection from predators, and for roosting during inclement weather. Others will say not at all, and that a mud puddle is a nicer gesture for butterflies!
Of course flowers that produce nectar will always attract butterflies, and they just adore the gentle spray of leaf misters…this IS from experience! Several Butterfly Bushes, lots of Lantana, and Native Salvia, along with 2 leaf misters give us the daily pleasure of viewing these “flying flowers” daily during warmer months just north of Atlanta.
If you do opt for a butterfly house in your garden, the recommended height is about four feet above ground, and it’s best to have a southern exposure in the wintertime as well.
Adore butterflies?
If you enjoy vibrant butterflies and plant flowers in hopes of attracting them, you may want to try a butterfly shelter as well. Butterfly houses are available in cedar and redwood, from basic designs, to more decorative garden displays.
This hanging butterfly house is hand crafted of durable redwood. It features 2 etched glass panels that allow for easy viewing of resting butterflies. This large habitat makes for a lovely accent in any flower garden, and is constructed to last for years of use and enjoyment.
