Feb 19 2010
Attracting Butterflies
We all enjoy watching butterflies, they bring such beauty to the world. Many people don’t understand how to get butterflies into their garden. Below are 5 easy steps for attracting butterflies to your garden.
1) Plant Favorite Butterfly nectar plants. Different species of butterflies prefer different
kinds of nectar, in both colors and tastes. A large choice of food plants will bring the biggest variety of butterflies. Try to time the blooming periods for wild and cultivated plants.
Plant large groups of the same plants, as they will be easier for butterflies to see than a single flowering plant.
2)Make mud puddles!
Butterflies are attracted to mud puddles. Males of several species will gather at small rain pools. You can create a permanent mud puddle by burying a small bucket to the rim, filling it with gravel dirt, and sand, and then pouring in liquids such as stale beer, sweet drinks, or water. Overripe fruit, that has been allowed to sit for a few days is also a very attractive substance to butterflies.
3)Plant butterfly host plants.
Another way to attract adult butterflies to your yard is to offer host plants for the females to lay their eggs on. Some females are pickier about which host to lay their eggs on than others. There are a variety of plants that butterflies will use, just be sure to have some in your butterfly garden,
4)Plant Zinnias.
Zinnias are frequently recommended for butterfly gardens as nectar sources for adult butterflies. They will attract butterflies like nothing else! The Zinnia variety called “Lilliput” has been shown to attract more butterflies than the other varieties. So if you only have room for one butterfly plant count on this one.
5) Use pesticides sparingly!
Be especially careful when you use pesticides around the garden, read the label and follow the instructions closely. Try to take good care of your plants so that you will not need pesticides. Remember, you are supposed to be attracting butterflies, not killing them.
Butterfly gardening can be as simple or complex as you want to make it, depending on the amount of time and money you wish to devote to it. However, to be successful at attracting butterflies, you must look at the world through the eyes of a butterfly. If you can provide for the basic needs of a butterfly you will be able to attract more of them to your yard and garden.
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