Here is a link to a site that I really like that will answer a lot of your questions. I think the creator posts here too, but I cannot recall their name just now. It is specific to Monarchs, but there are links to info on other butterflies on the site as well.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.mymonarchguide.com/2007/05/raising-caterpillars.html

Yes, Tdogmom (Sherry) does post here. She's a very busy lady, but she loves helping others raise butterflies. You can't go wrong following her directions.

BTW, welcome!

Thanks! I'll check it out.

I found two very fat caterpillars this weekend, and my gut told me to keep them and watch them. But reality quickly said "you have no idea what you are doing. Let nature do it's thing." So I put them both on a birch tree. I felt like I should have put them on a willow tree, but I don't have one close.

I tried to identify the caterpillars, who were starting to spin something in my nylon grill cover. ?? I think they were some type of moths. Wish I'd gotten a picture. They were big and fat and green all over, with...a brown hairy face.

Anyway, I didn't think my grill cover was a good place for them to be, so I put them on the birch tree and one had wrapped leaves around itself by evening. I can see a white cocoon inside. I couldn't ever find the other after I put it there.

Thanks again for the link. I always learn so much on this forum board!

Hi suzy,
I can only speak for myself in regards to why I raise the butterflies. I am obviously a great butterfly admirer. In the sping of 2008, I decided to devote myself to learning as much as I could about them. I wanted to be able to "assist" them in whatever way that I was able. I leaned to identify the different species and also about their preferred nectar and host plants. I began to add as many of the plants as possible to my yard. The more I added, the more species of butterflies I attracted. I was hooked. Metamorphosis is a miraculous process. For me, it is a privilege and an honor to observe that process. Naturally, I am interested in observing as many species as possible as they move though the process. So, that is part of the reason that I bring them in. The other reason is simply to provide an opportunity for the species numbers to increase in my area. Eggs, caterpillars, and chrysalides are taken as food by many different species of wild creatures. If the eggs and cats are enclosed, they won't be eaten in the wild and will have a chance to become what they were meant to be. In the case of the migrating Monarch, this can be the difference between survival and dying out of the species. So essentially, I "raise" them in hopes that I am helping them somehow. As a bonus, I get the privilege of watching them grow and change and fly freely amongst the flowers in my gardens, adding splendid beauty and wonder for me to behold. It seriously feeds my soul, and I am truly blessed. Hope that helps!~~Angie

That helps a LOT, Angie! Thank you. I can see myself getting to that point.

I've been reading over that link you posted, Molanic, and it has great information! Perfect for a newbie like me!

If spiders are a predator for caterpillars, how do you get rid of them without using a pesticide, which is bad for the caterpillars/butterflies?

For instance, I had thrip on my mandevilla this year, which the local nursery told me to spray with "Eight". (It worked, btw.) What else would I have used, that wouldn't have harmed the butterflies?

Hi, Suzy and welcome to the forum!

Number 1 in steps to create a butterfly garden, for me, is First Do No Harm. By that, I mean we have to give up all those chemicals and pesticides because using them means we will likely injure - at the least - or kill the caterpillars that will eventually become a butterfly.

Number 2, for me, is realizing that I am not the "end all, be all" of Butterfly Mamas. In maintaining a pesticide-free, organic garden, there are other critters in the food chain, like birds, spiders, praying mantids, spined soldier bugs, wasps, and many others, that prey upon the eggs and larvae of butterflies. I am able to gather and raise a few from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly, but I can't save them all. I do what I can, of course, but even we intelligent critters have limitations.

No. 3 - for me, is reading, tons and tons and tons of material thru books, the fabulous Internet, and this forum. I suggest getting a good field guide, and there is also a book by Judy Burris and Wayne Burris, a sister and brother team from Kentucky, titled "The Life Cycles of Butterflies". It is beautifully laid out and very helpful when first beginning to butterfly garden and to raise butterflies, if you're interested. Also, CalSherry's website, mentioned above, is another great source. There are many, many more, and I believe there is a lot of information on this forum in the FAQ part of it.

No. 4 - for me, and it is great you're becoming interested and planning your garden for next year now, so you'll have plenty of time to get ready, is to start planning which butterflies you want to attract to your garden. Knowing which butterflies frequent your area, is the first step in planning the species you are likely to attract and want to attract. I'm sure you get Eastern Black Swallowtails and Monarchs in Missouri, but a good source to find out is to check out the website I will link for you at the end of this reply.

No. 5 - for me was deciding whether I wanted to obtain plants or grow them from seed. Many of the plants that we grow as either larval host plants or nectar plants, cannot be obtained in local nurseries, so we either grow them from seed or order them as small plants from online sources. Once again, we have a nice list of those sources in our FAQs section. But, I will mention a few - Prairie Moon, Everwilde Farms, Missouri Wildflowers. I also pick up packets of annuals, like Zinnias and Cosmos that bloom all summer as nectar sources for the butterflies. Also, you'll find a lot of folks on the forum who love to share.

No. 6 - for me - was deciding I wanted to hand raise the caterpillars. Some of us here like to collect the eggs and begin protecting the larvae from the start. Others, like me, prefer to collect the caterpillars in early stages.

Decide what kind of container you want to use. There are zip close mesh hampers sold by many places such as Educational Science, specifically to raise butterflies in, but some people find them in the big box stores that are identical and a lot cheaper. Some of us use whatever we have on hand, like large glass or clear plastic containers. Whatever you use, make sure you can easily access it to change out food and clean up after the messy little things - they do poop a lot! BTW, caterpillar poop is called "frass".

No. 7 - pay it forward, by sharing your experiences and participating in the forum because it is a great group of people here!

Oh, and good luck and keep on asking questions!

Susan

Here is a link that might be useful: Butterflies and Moths of Missouri

I recently did a presentation on raising Monarchs and creating butterfly habitats/gardens at a local garden club. One lady asked me why I raise Monarchs and I answered, "Because I can, because I want to, and because I truly enjoy it!"

I used to grow Roses and Dahlias. They were my specialty. Then I took a 180 turn in gardening. I dropped all the pesticides when we moved 10 years ago and now I grow Goldenrods, Buddleias, Milkweeds, etc. Oh, yes, there are a few Roses and Dahlias still in the gardens, but now there's also butterflies. :O)

Why do I raise butterflys? Like so many others, because I can. To me there is nothing more gracefull than a butterfly. My sister came down to visit from Colorado and got me thinking about butterflies. So I went out and bought a few plants and made up my butterfly garden in a small corner of the back yard.

You ask about why we bring them in or protect thm from the eliments. Certainly it is is not to keep them captive, but to be a small helping hand in the contiuation of them. My Lord tels me that: 'as I am with the least of his creations, so shall He be with me in His kingdom'. Can you imagine anything less worthy of human compassion? When you watch the catterpillars gorge themselves on the plants day after day, you become attached to them and check on their progress on a regular basis. When one of them disappears you actually morn the loss of it and start thinking about how you can protect the ones that remain. When the time is right, the eclosing process begins, and once again you watch and hope they will be OK. Still not safe from thier preditors, you begin to think of other ways to protect the pupated caterpillars from harm. With the help of this forum, you find out how to move them to an even more secure place so the magic transformation can take place from catterpillar to butterfly. When that happens you carefully transport them outside in the bright sunshine and stand gaurd over them until their wings dry and you watch them take off on their first flight. As you watch, they fly around the area and then, on occasion, fly back to take one last look at you and you feel a special glow and you know you have done something special. No not a great thing compared to many other things in the world, but a moment you will remember and cherish for the rest of your life. Part of you flys off with the butterfly as they take their rightfull place in the world. That warm and tender feeling will never leave you....

Five years ago I remember posting a picture of a butterfly on another forum and asking what kind of butterfly it was - didn't even recognize that it was a Monarch - pretty clueless huh? Since then, I've developed 3 large gardens chock full of flowers, grow many native plants and host plants for butterflies, have raised Monarchs for 2 years and BSTs for 1, and am a registered Monarch Waystation!

I don't know whether or not raising a few butterflies helps the survival of these species in any meaningful way. But watching those cute little caterpillars grow into gorgeous butterflies is an awesome natural process. I looked forward every morning to tending the cats or watching butterflies eclose. Similar to raising plants from seed, it cultivates an intimate knowledge of the life of these species and it's fascinating!

Wow, those were some amazing responses. Thank you!!

Susan, the "mind set" you wrote about is especially appropriate for me. I have a small animal rescue, and I have to constantly remind myself that "I can't save everyone". I was struggling with leaving nature to take it's course and be balanced. But I see, now, that I don't necessarily upset the balance by giving a caterpillar or cocoon a little shelter.

I have a couple of dwarf nano blue butterfly bushes that we put in this year, as well as an orange butterfly weed that really did well. In fact, it has quite a few seed pods that I'm watching for signs of splitting. I guess I should back up...we have a new house, so I started with an empty slate this last spring. I am careful not to overwhelm myself with watering, so I have forced myself to take small projects at a time. We live in the country, and have a nice wooded area directly behind our house, and quite a few trees fairly close to the house. Native trees, mostly, but we do have a small tree orchard because we have a tree spade and have moved trees (for a living) in the past. So there are some maples and pin oaks that I will be moving close to the house this fall, after the sap drops.

When the concrete guys came back in late July to put in some outdoor steps at our new home, their concrete sidewalk left me a fairly large rectangle of space that I decided would make a great place for a butterfly garden. So that is the space I am focused on for spring. It's probably 10' x 20'. I'm not good at dimensions, so that could be off.

Anyway, I'm fairly convinced that natives and perennials are what I want to focus on. I'm a new gardener, but my mom is a master gardener, so she says she will guide me. However, I know I have to be the one to take care of it daily, and I believe I will have better luck with native plants. Perennials are a good choice for me, as well, because I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars replanting every spring.

I did order several Tangerine Beauty Cross Vines that I plan on putting in the butterfly garden. Along with a couple of spots of butterfly weed from my seed pods. Other than that, I haven't planned any other plants. I had good luck with my butterfly bushes.

I'm just talking to myself now, sorry!

Thanks again for the responses. I have a better picture in my mind now, of the goal.

Welcome Suzy and Congrats on your new home! Since you're out in the country, it shouldn't be much trouble to attract butterflies to your yard. I bring a few caterpillars inside to raise but try not to get carried away. Really I try. : )
If you have lots of room, the Missouri Department of Conservation offers very low cost bare-root native trees and shrubs for people that live in Missouri. The order form will be available in mid November, then the seedlings are delivered in late winter/early spring. At the bottom of the order form, they will have some mixed bundles. You can get some host plants that way. I think they still offer spicebush (lindera benzoin) which is a host plant for spicebush swallowtails. Only Missouri residents can order from them.

Planting natives and perennials is a great idea. Don't rule out zinnias though for attracting butterflies. They're annuals but easy to start from seed and bloom a long time. I had good luck with 'Scarlet Flame' this summer and liked having a big area planted with a single color instead of mixed. I think the swallowtails liked it
too.

I wish my mom was a Master Gardener like yours. I bet she has lots of plants to share for your new home. How fun it will be to share with her as well.

Thanks, Christie! I have actually ordered from the MDC, but didn't think about it this year. That's a great idea.

I won't completely shut out the annuals, and I've now heard "zinnias" a few times, so I might have to try them. I'll look for the 'Scarlet Flame'.

I had Lantana in pots this year, which did great. I have a mandevilla, which the hummingbirds loved until it got thrip, which kept the blooms from opening. Then they were just frustrated, flying and trying to stick their little beak in a bloom that wouldn't open. Not sure what natural remedy I would use to get rid of the thrip.

It's great having such a knowledgeable mom, but my growing talents are very limited, so she has to give me the easy stuff, when I KNOW she'd love to put some exotic things in my yard!

I have been amazed by the different birds and butterflies that have visited. The natural habitat certainly draws them, so we will be trying to give them as many benefits that we can. Such a joy to sit in the sunroom and watch the wildlife.

I am a big fan of natives, but also love to grow lots of annuals, for their color and long blooming season, and the butterflies and bees love them too. Only wish I had more sun in the yard I would grow a lot more of them! Zinnias and Tithonia were favorites in the garden this year. I watched Monarchs try to land on the Tithonia, only to be chased off by the bumblebees time and again. The poor Monarch would try to find a "safe" spot where they could get some nectar without being accosted, or they would just give up and go over to the Zinnias.

For the Zinnias, the butterflies seem to prefer the tall single and semi-double types like Cut & come again, California Giants, and State Fair. Hummers love them too.

Have you posted photos of your sunroom Suzy? I've been going over ideas in my head for my dream sunroom for at least five years now. Someday I'm going to make it happen. Already have it in my plans to put butterfly and hummingbird plants just outside the windows where they can be seen from inside.

I haven't posted pics, but I will! I absolutely love the sunroom. It faces North and West. I have flowers outside the North, and a very small deck (with a BUNCH of birdfeeders) outside to the West. It's such a great place to sit and be quiet. My husband and I are now empty nesters, and we find ourselves sitting out there a lot.

One thing I really love is that the outside walls are 6", so the window ledges are deep. Of course, the cats like that, too! There are 7 windows, 35" x 79", which was a balance of size and cost. The room is about 12' x 16', and has a full glass door that faces South, leading to the deck, so there is easy access filling my bird feeders. The size allows us to have plenty of seating, and an extra place to put a table during holidays, but it's still small enough to be cozy.

Our house is rustic, so when you look at the pictures, understand that the stone/log walls fit with the rest of the house. LOL The 9' ceiling is beadboard slats, which gives it the feel of a cozy porch.

My in-laws also have a sunroom, but it's pretty big. It's at least 16' x 25', and they have a loveseat, chairs, table for 4, tv, etc. It has become the gathering place during holidays. Theirs juts out from their home (it was added to the North end of their livingroom), and has glass walls on the East, North, and West, with a sliding glass door on the East. The squirrels come right up to the glass door to get pecans out of a feeder, which is so cool!

Here is a link that might be useful: sunroom

Wow Suzy. Your sunroom and your house are just lovely! Looks like you need a few more Hummer feeders, hey? I have that same problem at my house, and a wonderful problem it is!~~Angie

Aww now I want a sunroom even more. That's very inviting Suzy. I love how you used stone on the inside walls. Looks like you have a beautiful view too.

Thank you. I'm glad you like it. I would definitely encourage anyone to add a sunroom. We spent 8 years planning this house, and it originally had a much smaller sunroom. I'm glad we made it bigger, because most of our guests are drawn there.

One huge thing that's missing from that room is plants. I'm so nervous about keeping plants alive that I haven't tried anything yet! I believe I'll have the light to grow most common plants, but I don't have the knowledge. The last plant I had was a Norfolk Island Pine, which I was proud to keep alive for more than a year...until I left it right next to a heat vent when winter came. I've got radiant floor heat in this house, so at least I won't fry my plants that way!

BTW, back on topic...I got my butterfly pavillion in, put both polyphemus moth cocoons in there, and now they are on my balcony to wait for spring. That is just so cool.

Welcome! Well, I am humbled that people are still utilizing my very first attempt at a 'website' with My Monarch Guide! That particular site was developed when my then-Kindergarten class was a finalist in an Animal Planet/Discovery Channel contest and I knew we needed some way to get the message across to MORE people about the plight of the Monarch butterfly. :) Since then, I have learned to become MUCH more website savvy (or so I hope!) and now have new, more streamlined websites.

Interestingly enough, today was my very FIRST YES meeting (Young Entomologists' Society) at the middle school level. I moved back to teaching math last year and, with the change in grade level, didn't have a 'club' last year but decided to go official this school year. My classroom during lunch was SO packed the assistant principal came in to see just why so many kids kept crossing the line (there's a strict code at my school) to get into my classroom. Good thing the Fire Dept. didn't get involved as I probably had at least 60 kids in my room! I talked and shared pictures of 'bug babies' today and the kids were enthralled.

So, why do I do this and why do I 'raise butterflies?' Good question. I didn't start out do do anything! My dog, Tifanny got me going. She has since passed on (cancer took her from me), but her legacy lives on in my call name.

I've learned that raising butterflies has provided ME with a link to the environment (I now am co-leader for our school's environment club!) and a much better understanding of gardening in general. What, in the past, was just a passing interest has broadened my SCIENTIFIC knowledge and background; to the point where kids think I am a fount of knowledge (ha!). I share how I only know so much and that I am always learning, too!

Learning about butterflies and raising them has provided me with the opportunity to grow professionally; I teach butterfly science courses through a local university now. My husband, who raises exotic Plumeria (Frangipani) has been able to propagate new hybrids thanks to my butterflies (much to the shock and disbelief of the Plumeria community; now, the community has changed its beliefs about butterflies!!). Garden 'bugs' are seen with a different eye…instead of being an 'eeeeuw!' I now see them with a different lens and am more apt to grab a container to SAVE the little beast instead of a shoe to smash 'em.

How the little insects transform our lives and the impact that each creature has in the world makes a difference, which we don't often pay attention to. My raising butterflies has opened up MY eyes and so, I continue to raise them, hoping that by my doing so, and my sharing this with others, that I can provide people with an eye-opening experience as well.

CalSherry aka tdogmom

Here is a link that might be useful: Learn about Monarchs

Beautiful words Sherry. I do find that most people who wander into my yard and see the butterflies and rearing tents do want to know more. My kids are teen boys now. I have one 8th grader and one 10th grader. Not too long ago, I had two of my son's 10th grade friends on my porch oooohing and ahhhing over the different caterpillars I was able to share with them! It's so terrific to see them be so interested. It doesn't surpise me that you had such a great turnout. May need to move those YES meetings into the cafeteria or gym!

Sherry, that is just awesome! Love the website.

The world definitely needs more people like you!

Thanks...I actually had to cancel my very first meeting because we had a terrible rainstorm come in. I had reserved our "P.A.R." (Performing Arts Room) for the meeting because several weeks ago, we had a special club expo where the kids were given an opportunity to sign up for clubs and I had this overwhelming number sign up to join this club! I actually had to limit sign ups because I had around 180 kids sign up and I knew there was NO possible way that many would fit in my classroom (a room with 39 desks). I had figured that there was just an over-abundance of enthusiastic kids signing up during the expo so there was little chance that many would actually attend a meeting BUT, just in case, reserving the larger room for the first meeting would be the smart thing to do. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate and we needed the P.A.R. during lunch...so, my meeting had to be re-scheduled.

(then, the P.A.R. was taken so I ended up simply deciding to use my own classroom...MISTAKE!)

I didn't make a huge announcement about this particular meeting and wasn't too sure just how many kids would actually show up so was quite surprised at the turnout. I didn't do a head count but am certain there was at least 60 if not closer to 70 kids in my room as every desk was filled and there were many on the floor around the perimeter. Little walking room was available and one 8th grader said, "Ms. Skipper, I think you need to have your meeting in the PAR." Yep, I think so!

Who would have thought that there would be such an interest in bugs? Generally, you'd think that middle schoolers (and we're talking 12-, 13-, and 14-year olds here!!!) aren't keen on things like bugs: spiders, butterflies, aphids, and the like. These kids were just so absorbed in my short presentation done via my iPod Touch and Optoma Pico Projector (I pay for all my own equipment and currently am trying to get some new computers for my classroom via Donors Choose).

I was just astounded, to be honest. I know that Kindergartners love this kind of stuff and SOME of my kids from last year were really into it and had asked me if I'd start a club which is why I did. BUT, to have THIS much of a response? YIKES! I bet the AP was blown away as well (I will have to ask him!) and will have to definitely re-locate our meeting in two weeks. I am thrilled that this many kids have shown an interest because it gives me hope that we CAN make a difference in our environment and in the future, overall. It takes little steps to make a big difference and with each little step, the difference can slowly grow.

Ahh...

Wonderfully inspiring stuff there Sherry! Sometimes, those crazy middle schoolers will surprise us. The great thing is that because there are so many really interesting insects,you'll never run out of material!! I had a mantis ootheca inside a container this past spring. When that thing began to hatch, I got on the phone and beckoned all of the neighbor kids to come and watch with me! They were fascinated, and it opened up an opportunity for me to teach them a little about the mantids. It sure isn't something they would likely witness again. :o) Angie

This may be a stupid question but what's a butterfly pavillion?

Sherry - You're amazing! I think one of the biggest differences with the age kids that you're teaching now is that you may have more of an impact on the careers they choose later. Young people often have a natural interest in changing the world and making it better. Who knows what they'll accomplish when they grow up!

Suzi - My dream sunroom really needs to be an extra dining area. When we built our house, we didn't have any kids yet and didn't see a need for a formal dining room. We just have room for a table and chairs at the end of our kitchen. It's a tight fit for all of us so we just end up eating in front of the tv in the family room. So that's my excuse for "needing" a sunroom. : ) I would want a lot of plants too but it's uncanny how I kill houseplants. I do much better outside. lol Sometimes you can get cheap houseplants from the grocery isle, like sprouting an avocado pit, or a chunk of sweet potato. You could try growing a lemon tree from seed. Those are supposed to make good houseplants. Our grocery store had giant avocados, about six inches long and I wondered if they might also have huge leaves so I sprouted a couple of those in water. (I was bored) I haven't killed them yet so they must be easy. The Houseplants Forum could probably give you some more ideas for cheap stuff to practice on. The link below lists papaya and those have cool looking leaves. I may try that one this winter too.

Here is a link that might be useful: Houseplants from the Kitchen

I have a feeling her butterfly pavilion may be a special screened room. :) I have several different butterfly pavilions and they are basically screened pop-ups that I put the pupae in OR have outdoors where the adults can fly and mate within.

Hi, I'm a noob when it comes to butterfly gardening. I really want to attract butterflies to our garden. I searched online on how to attract these insects and I found this blog post:

http://finscar.blogspot.com/2011/06/invite-butterflies.html

The post includes plants that a certain butterfly species feed on. I'm not sure about the post. I don't want to go buying plants that would turn out useless. Could anyone please verify if the plants mentioned would really attract butterflies?

Thank you.

I was doing some searching and found a webpage that allows people to see some of "The Life Cycles of Butterflies" by Burris and Richards. Thought I would post it up so those folks who still have not bought it might get convinced they need a copy.

Was trying to find a previous thread where the book had been mentioned. Thought this looked like an excellent thread to bring back. I miss Cal Sherry's input.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Life Cycles of Butterflies

Geo25
It depends on your region; where are you located?
You can't go wrong starting any butterfly garden c local or Tropical Milkweed, Fennel and local spp of Pussytoes (Antennaria).
You can always google butterflies in your state and get a list of all native species of butterflies and their food sources. A listing of native and naturalized nectar sources for your region is also available. Just enter Butterflies of (Your state) and see what pops up.
You can get a wealth of info on regional moths too.
You can also set up Butterfly feeding stations by offering overripe fruit, esp bananas and mangoes.