Can you raise butterflies

I've really been doing this for a very long time We don't want to discourage people from doing it. But we'd like to have people do it in the best possible way. While tagging a tiny butterfly may sound daunting, Taylor says it is not.

It's a tag that weighs about a fiftieth of the mass of the butterfly and every tag has a different code. Monarch Watch enters all the tag information into a database, which allows them to trace a recovered butterfly back to where it began its migration. When people send Monarch Watch a datasheet, the organization can use the data for every tagged butterfly as a way of tracking a particular migration, to see whether it is early or late, et cetera.

We use breathable mesh cages that keep caterpillars in, and deadly predators out. Most alternatives have holes that baby monarch caterpillars can easily escape from.

Supply List for Raising Monarch Butterflies. Your other option is to keep two raising cages on hand. In its two week life span, one caterpillar can consume an entire milkweed plant. Do yourself a favor and have plenty of milkweed available before you begin. A patch of milkweed should consist of mature plants for feeding hungry monarch caterpillars. Find Milkweed for your Butterfly Garden. Large potted plants give hitchhiking predators too many hiding places.

Individual leaves dry out too quickly…but milkweed cuttings make the perfect monarch meal. Use egg cartons, styrofoam lids, sturdy plastic cups, or floral tube holders to keep the tubes upright:.

Know your emergency options including nearby parks, neighbors, and nurseries that carry pesticide-free milkweed plants. The sap from milkweed is toxic and can cause corneal damaged if rubbed into your eyes. Always wash your hands after handling milkweed. If you want to avoid diseases and parasites bring in monarch eggs instead of caterpillars. You can also greatly decrease the risk of tachinid parisitoids by bringing in small instar monarch caterpillars. Set a goal and once you reach it…stop looking for eggs!

Lucky for us, monarchs have one-track minds, and only lay eggs on milkweed plants. Where should you look to find eggs on milkweed? The first two options in this post make good hatcheries:.

Butterflies migrate in the colder months and travel to warmer places. Your garden could attract butterflies back to your home in the spring if you offer plenty of their host plants and nectar-producing flowers. How to Raise Butterflies at Home.

By Roxanna Coldiron May 14, Save Pin More. Monarch Butterfly. Comments Add Comment. Back to story Comment on this project. Tell us what you think