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THE BUTTERFLY ESTATES |
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| GENERAL INFORMATION |
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| SPECIAL EVENTS |
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| EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL |
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| THINGS TO DO |
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In addition to having lots of flowers they like, one of the best ways to attract butterflies to your yard or deck is to provide attractive feeders with appealing food.
Butterflies are abundant in the summer and early fall, so this is the time to provide a feeder. Making butterfly food is easy – you either mix up simple nectar or use rotting fruit. To attract the most butterflies, it is a good idea to put out both types of feeders, as some butterflies prefer nectar while others like fruit.
Butterfly Nectar
To make butterfly nectar, mix 4 parts water with 1 part organic cane sugar and boil for a few minutes until the sugar dissolves. Cool the nectar thoroughly before adding it to the feeder. Large batches can be made and stored in the fridge for 3-4 weeks. This nectar recipe can also be used for hummingbird feeders.
Nectar Sponge Feeders for Butterflies
To make a nectar sponge feeder, decorate a glass jar by gluing brightly colored silk or plastic artificial flowers to it or painting bright colors on the outside of it. Waterproof electrical tape in a color that butterflies like (such as red) can be used to attach artificial flowers. This tape is available in most hardware stores.
Next, punch a small hole in the jar lid by placing it on a piece of wood and hammering a large nail through its center. Remove the lid, fill the jar with butterfly nectar, and stuff a piece of cotton or a clean sponge into the hole on the inside of the lid. The sponge or cotton should be a tight fit – trim as necessary.
Screw the lid back on tightly, and use wire or twine to hang it upside down (so that the hole faces the ground) in an open, sunny area, ideally near colorful flowers. Butterflies will suck the nectar through the cotton or sponge.
Clean the butterfly feeder regularly (at least once a week and preferably every three days). Use very hot water and a light mild detergent solution to prevent mould from forming. Rinse very thoroughly with pure water before refilling with nectar.
Plate Feeders for Butterflies
Plate feeders can be purchased or made at home using a thin plastic plate or the lid from a large ice cream tub or Tupperware container through which you can punch holes to hang it with wire or twine. Alternatively, you can use a ceramic or metal plate and hang it using a macramé-style hanger.
A plate feeder is a great way to make use of fruit that has gone off. Add slices of fruit that is overripe or spoiling. Butterflies are particularly fond of oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, peaches, nectarines apples and bananas, especially bananas that have been stored in the freezer and then thawed so that they become black and mushy.
Once you have added the fruit, hang the feeder and wait for visiting butterflies to discover it. You can increase the likelihood that butterflies will find your feeder by attaching large, brightly colored plastic or silk flowers to its edges or to the string or wire that you use to hang it, and by hanging it near large, aromatic real flowers.
Clean the feeder regularly, and replace fruit when it dries out or becomes mouldy. You can keep it moist for longer by adding fruit juice. Butterfly feeders may attract other types of bugs, so you may not want to hang them right next to your windows or doors.
Butterfly Puddles
To make butterfly puddles, bury a bucket, bowl or other container to its brim and fill nearly to the top with sand or gravel. Fill the remaining space with a sweet drink or stale beer. Beer may also draw slugs, but this will keep slugs away from the rest of the garden, which is an added bonus. |
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