I've had the same experience as you. Last year I could look out at anytime and see six to seven butterflies on one bush, this year not so much. I see a couple of butterflies a day. The late frost hit us pretty hard, I can still see the dead leaves on the hickory trees and crepe myrtles. Adele

Well I think Mother Nature is being kind to me by sending all the butterflies to my house. I think She thought since I had all the JB's in the state of NC, that she would compensate by sending me all the butterflies to balance everything out.

I need to learn more about butterflies because I have probably 25 -30 in my yard right now. I'm sure it's not unusual, but I have at least 3 different sets of mates, because they chase each other around and stay with one another all day. The entire family loves seeing them and my girls have named all of them, Betsy, as in Betsy Butterfly.

My parents were visiting and my mom brought me a magazine and there was an article about the top 10 plants for attracting butterflies, and in the area where I see the most butterflies, I have planted verbena, zinnias and lantana and just like the article said, the butterflies love them. They also attract hummingbirds and I know I have at least 2 of them in my yard too. And best of all because I know the population is so decimated, but I have glorious bees too. I'm assuming they're honey bees, but not knowing enough about bees, they could be any variety. But I do have a lot of them and I'm always talking to them when I'm out in my yard. (My neighbors, if they can hear me, must think I'm nuts!) I tell them to go pollinate and make honey and to keep on surviving, just please don't sting me.

Of course, I've taken to talking to my plants and asking them to flower and thrive too, so maybe I am nuts. I rationalize this behaviour to myself by hoping that the only reason I talk to my plants, is because I know they won't talk back to me as my little cherubs do . . .

I've got a fair amount of butterflies around and the honeybees are really working my large thyme patch. This morning as I was looking around I yanked a bloom off a dinner plate hibiscus because it was laying on the ground and when I got it in my hand there was a definite buzz going on. Startled and not know just what I'd grabbed I threw it down and a bumble came out of it. It was funny the way it got so indignant about being handled in such a rough manner and a little unsteady after being slammed to the ground.... gave me an earful and then flew off to find another blossom. One thing I have not seen any of this year is the hummingbird moths. Maybe it's just too early for them?

I've got a fair number of butterflies now, as well as honeybees, native bees, hummingbird moths and sphinx moths.

Lots of butterflies, bees etc here. I have a milkweed that has gotten huge and there are literally 20 bees on it at a time and one or two butterflies. I've been taking photo's. I need to post some.

I've got plenty of bees but too few butterflies in spite of an effort to plant for them. The late frost didn't hit Greensboro too badly so I've been wondering.

No butterflies here either this year other than one lonely swallowtail on my butterfly bush' the other day... very odd from last year when I had many.... wonder if it was the late frost?