Butterfly Houses & Feeders

Written by Lee Dobbins

Friday, 12 December 2008

by LeeDobbins

It is possible to make your own butterfly houses and feeders from objects around your home. Butterflies prefer specific foods and you can make these available in your garden. Butterflies like sunny warm spots, but if you are in a hot climate then shady areas are preferred. You can plan your garden to include specific butterfly attracting plants and flowers.

The best type of butterfly food is over ripe. Butterflies like very sweet food, think of how sweet nectar is. If you have any over ripe fruit in your fridge, don't throw it out but give it to the butterflies. Fruit trees are great butterfly feeding areas, as the fallen fruit is great food for them. They best type of fruit is rotten even moldy, over ripe fruit.

You can use a ceramic or glass pie plate, dish with a slopping rim, or terra cotta or plastic plant saucer as a butterfly feeder that holds fruit. The plate needs to be suspended and you can easily use a flowerpot hanger. The fruit feeder should be hung from a shady tree where you can view it easily. Add slices of overripe fruit and add a little fruit juice or water if the fruit becomes dry.

Butterflies also enjoy nectar and you can create your own nectar feeder. You need a glass jar with lid, absorbent cotton, twine and any decorations you wish to add. You will punch holes in the jar lid and stiff the holes with absorbent cotton. Fill the jar with nectar; you can make your won with sugar and water. Then you screw the lid back on tightly and hang the jar upside down. Use good absorbent material that stays moist but doesn't drip.

Butterfly houses are designed to keep birds out and protect the butterflies from the wind and weather. Butterfly houses resemble birdhouses except for they have long, thin slots that let the butterfly in. The inside of the house is typically covered in tree bark. When the weather gets cool at night the butterfly will look for shelter and use your house.

The inside of the butterfly house will be covered with bark and you may even place some twigs inside so the butterflies can rest. To help attract butterflies you can place a feeder next to the butterfly house. Make sure you put the butterfly house in a good spot so you can enjoy the butterflies.

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To learn more about plants that attract butterflies and which ones you should plant in your garden, visit http://www.homebutterflygarden.com.

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