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Catch a Butterfly Explosion and Family Day of Fun!
If you’re in the Atlanta area, you may want to check out a new nature trail opening this Saturday on Briarcliff Road. Complete with family activities, the highlight (we think) happens to be a butterfly release.
It’s not some cheesy release of a bunch of live butterflies either. Each family will have the opportunity to see the chrysalis which has been stored in a dormant state. Ready to emerge from their cocoons, the butterflies will be released throughout the 3-hour event to a newly designed habitat created just for them.
With nectar plants in place, (host plants to come in fall) butterfly feeders and fruit offerings, it should prove interesting to see where the winged wonders are attracted first?
And why would we want to mention this event? First, because it sounds pretty cool… for young and old alike! It’s absolutely free, and because some of the habitats’ features came from thebirdhousechick! Short pedestal bird baths are being used for plates offering over-ripe fruit, along with some staked glass butterfly feeders for nectar, both hand made in the USA.
It’s a family day of free fun and learning…
check out the details below!
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Butterfly Houses may offer protection from weather
Butterflies’ migration spans thousands of miles, and although they can survive cold weather, these winged wonders will die if they get wet when temperatures drop. Providing butterfly houses may just help the Monarch’s population. Although they don’t hibernate during the warm summer season, creating a butterfly-friendly habitat will help them flourish and thrive.Because butterflies will not drink from an open water source, things like leaf misters and puddlers in your yard are most helpful for a fresh water source during extreme heat. Having both the host plant for their metamorphosis and nectar plants for food will encourage population growth too.
Check out this interesting video from Defenders of Wildlife and Discovery on the Monarch Butterfly.
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butterfly houses and more will entice them to your place
Although I can’t say for sure that butterflies actually use butterfly houses, there sure are some beauties to adorn your garden. This pole-mounted butterfly house features rich redwood with hand-etched glass panels. I can say with certainty that butterflies absolutely adore the gentle spray from leaf misters! We use two during the summer months and see daily activity throughout the season.Over ripened fruit is also a butterfly favorite. Bananas, melon, pears and oranges that are just a tad past their prime are a sweet treat for these winged wonders. The fruit also attracts fruit flies and these provide butterflies with additional protein. Molded fruit is not advised, so it must be monitored to assure this doesn’t happen. Set fruit out on a plate, on a deck or porch rail, even an up-turned pot will work. But the butterfly garden must be part of the equation too.
Native plants to provide nectar are necessary in creating a butterfly garden. Wild Columbine, Rose Verbena, Button Bush, Blue Lobelia, Cardinal Flower, Asters, and Milkweed are a few favorites. Besides nectar plants, host plants are needed for the metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly. These plants will likely be “munched” in the process, but they’ll come back again next year, and you’re providing critical butterfly habitat by letting them go. Some of the more popular host plants include Parsley, Dill, Fennel, Carrot and Milkweed. Trees include Wild Cherry, Willow, Plum and Poplar.Adding a place to “warm in the sun” is also quite attractive to butterflies. You can easily arrange heat-absorbing rocks in a sunny area, add some sand and salts and keep the area moist to further entice butterflies. It’s recommended to first line the area with plastic to keep the salts from leaking into the soil. Definitely stop using any pesticides, chemicals or fertilizers in the area as well, most people tend to overlook this important factor when creating a butterfly habitat.
So… although I can’t say for sure that butterflies use butterfly houses… these are some good ideas on creating an enticing butterfly habitat at your home.
Birding Tips, Information & News
