How to Raise Butterflies

You look out the window and relax with the beautiful butterflies. Miraculously, a caterpillar with just over two centimeters in length, who may have gnawed at the proud roses in your garden, can transform into such a beautiful creature. While engrossed in watching, you wish: “If only this moment could last forever”. And then, ureka: “I can feed them myself!”.

Table of Contents

Catching the caterpillar

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Prepare a well vented culture box. Caterpillar boxes are available at pet stores, specialty stores, or online. You can also create your own from items you already have at home. Ideally, this box should be made from wire mesh so that the worms can cling. An aquarium or 4-quart pitcher is also a viable option, as long as it has a mesh cover, or you can use a piece of cheesecloth and secure it with a rubber band at the top of the jar.

However, do not use perforated lids – they are not breathable enough, and sharp edges around the air vents can injure delicate caterpillars.
If the ground is where caterpillars will pupate, place a 5cm layer of soil and grass in the bottom of each box. Otherwise, a single layer of newspaper or paper towels will suffice.

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Find caterpillars on trees. Instead of eradicating them, you should identify (see Warnings) and bring home the worms, creating conditions for them to develop into butterflies. Butterfly season ranges from late spring to summer, depending on your local geography. If you don’t know where caterpillars are common, consult your local field guide to determine which plants are the butterfly’s favorite “hosts”. This could be Peterson’s Caterpillars First Guide to Caterpillars, Caterpillars of Eastern Forests, or other internet resources. Make sure you don’t catch rare species, as it could be illegal. Different types of butterflies prefer different hosts. Some common hosts include:

Earring Tree – Butterfly Queen
An Instant Incense – Swallow Tail Butterfly
Paw-Paw – Striped Tiger Butterfly or Oriental Phoenix Butterfly
Design – Butterfly Drawing
Parsley, dill – Black Phoenix Butterfly
Cherry – Moth, Day Butterfly, Butterfly Limenitis Artemis
If it’s not caterpillar season or you simply don’t have time to hunt, you can consider buying from suppliers. We will discuss this at the end of the article.

Make a home for caterpillars

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Lure the worm to stick to the rod. Use a twig (should be of the same type as the host plant) or similar. Handle very gently because worms can die when dropped, even if it is only very low.

Don’t shake hands for three reasons: it’s harder to move them into a new home (they stick to surfaces and can hurt when you try to remove them), bacteria on your hands can cause caterpillars infections and some poisonous moth species (see Warnings).
Place the rod with the worm in the box. This rod is very important because it will be the resting place of the pupae.

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Return to the tree or shrub where the caterpillar was found. Cut a small branch with a few leaves. Almost certainly, that is also the host plant (the caterpillar’s food). Make sure you know your caterpillar’s favorite food before trying to feed it. Some species, such as the Monarch Butterfly, will eat only one plant (earring). Others feed on one of several plants. However, they will often starve to death rather than eat strange foods.

However, if you’re unsure, consult a field book or go out and get leaves from a host plant: even caterpillars love to have a variety of options. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Caterpillar Care

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Check for caterpillars every day. Clean up their excreta – larval droppings , and any mold growth. Resist the urge to cuddle them, especially when the caterpillars are dormant or discolored, as they may be starting to transform. Provide fresh food and observe the worm’s transformation. Soon, they will become pupae (butterflies) or cocoons (sir).

Do not touch the pupae. At this time, they do not need water and food, but only need to be misted occasionally to have a moist environment.
Caterpillars excrete a lot . Maybe you should put some newspapers inside to catch and easily clean up the larval droppings. This is very important: if the larval droppings are left in the habitat, the caterpillars can get sick and die. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

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Monitor worm behavior. If you start to notice the caterpillars change color or appear to be lethargic, they are most likely preparing to molt or pupate. During this period, they are very vulnerable. Therefore, do not touch or disturb their habitat. You’ll also notice them start to scroll.

In other cases, the caterpillars will probably get sick. If one animal dies, take it out of the box immediately so as not to affect the health of others.

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Make sure the pupae are hung in a spacious place. Make sure the pupa is hung in a large place in the box so that when it comes out of the shell, the butterfly has enough room to spread its wings without bumping the bottom or sides of the box. They need enough space for their wings to dry, develop fully, and from there, fly when they leave the body. Otherwise, there is a chance that the butterfly will fall and not survive.

If necessary, gently move the branch or attached pupae to facilitate their escape. Be really, really gentle. Move slowly. You don’t want to drop and harm this soon-to-be butterfly!
If the pupa falls off, attach the tip to a piece of paper with cooled hot glue and wait for the glue to harden, then pin the piece of paper to the cardboard or cork and place it in the box.

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Please be patient. The time it takes for a butterfly or moth to get out of the body varies, depending on which species it is. If you are observant and can clearly identify the color and other markings on the caterpillar, try looking up information online or in books. Some butterflies, such as the Monarch, take 9-14 days to change from pupa to butterfly. Others will remain pupated throughout the winter and emerge from the body in the spring.

The only thing to do at this stage is to moisten the culture box as usual. They do not need water or food, just a stable environment is enough.
You will be interested to observe the discoloration of the pupae. As this transition becomes apparent, the time is near. It can happen in the blink of an eye, and so, if you want to see it, stay put and don’t go anywhere. It will hang for a few hours and let its wings spread and fully form.
If the pupa turns black, it may be dead. Try bending the pupae: if the pup ever stays in the same position, it’s most likely dead. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Butterfly care

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Ready to provide food for the butterfly that has just escaped the body. The butterfly won’t eat for several hours, because at this point it needs to pump fluid into the folded wings and wait for them to dry. After being released, butterflies will stay in the garden if you give them flowers with nectar. Occasionally, they will also drink from a hummingbird’s food container. Some butterflies also like to eat ripe fruit. Make sure your garden is prepared.

Don’t be discouraged if it’s you and not the butterfly in the end. He has a very butterfly-like appearance and, despite being less colorful, the pattern on him is likely to be complex and wondrous. Even his uncle with many shades of a single color is beautiful to behold in heaven.

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Observe butterflies for a few hours. When the butterfly’s wings are dry, you can put your finger under the butterfly’s feet, and often they will jump on your finger. Step outside and place a butterfly on a flower for great pictures. If you do your research, you probably already know that butterfly’s life cycle: some live just one day. So keep this in mind when considering freeing it.

Butterflies need freedom to truly thrive. The only possible way to stop butterflies is to have a large garden where they can stay. In addition, many species are migratory: if you want them to live, let them be free to go when they want to.

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Watch the butterfly fly freely. Some species live only a few days, some stay only a few days and then start migrating, some stay a few weeks. Either way, be happy that you have successfully raised butterflies and then look forward to the next batches.

Don’t worry about feeding if it’s a Luna Moth, a Cecropia Moth or a Ppyphemus Moth. These strange creatures have no digestive system. ^{[5] X Research Sources}

Discover other ways to find caterpillars

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Consider catching an adult butterfly. Most female butterflies caught in the wild have mated and can lay eggs. ^{[6] X Research Source} If caught, you can lure butterflies to lay eggs.

For butterflies, place them in a cage with a bottle of water and a host plant placed near a light source (sunlight is best). This will encourage the butterfly to lay eggs. You may also want to leave them in a cool, dark place for a few days so the butterflies can get used to their new environment. ^{[7] X Research Sources}
He is much easier to raise than butterflies. If you catch an adult moth, you just put him in a large paper bag, fold it and leave it for a few days. Most likely he will lay eggs inside. Tear off the bag, move and place the eggs in a more suitable container without touching them. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

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Find the monarch butterfly farm. Because monarch butterflies are so popular, people have set up farms to supply monarch caterpillars, such as Monarch Watch. ^{[9] X Research Source} They can deliver small creatures to you without harming them.

The only downside to this approach is that you will still have to find food – milkweed, for them. If it is not available in your area, you will have to order or plant to be able to successfully raise the Monarch Butterfly.

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Buy caterpillars from suppliers. Maybe you can’t find caterpillars from your garden, or it’s simply not the right time of year (it depends on your geographic location) – the main “moth supplier” exists. because of those problems. Most companies have a wide variety to choose from, and you totally know what you’re going to get. Butterflies are probably the easiest to keep because you just need to use the growing medium for them.

However, this will not be as attractive as finding and determining what foods they really love. If possible, take a moment to thoroughly inspect the garden. Try all possibilities before heading to the caterpillar farm.

Advice

Caterpillars do not need a water supply. They absorb all the necessary water through fresh leaves.
When collecting Monarchs, search the milkweed, cut off the branches they are eating, and put them in a feeding box to avoid hurting them.
Try out a variety of caterpillars found in the area and discover which magical butterflies will be released. In the US, look for caterpillars that look like bird droppings and have oversized antennae – they will grow into beautiful dark blue butterflies.
Look for caterpillars in many different places, not just in your backyard. Go to the park or use an excuse to find butterflies for a great family picnic.
Butterflies and moths are cold-blooded animals – they need the sun to keep their bodies warm, and they use flowers with nectar for food.
Your caterpillar may be dead, but don’t be discouraged: raising caterpillars takes practice, experimentation with a variety of foods, and the ability to create the right environment. Do your due diligence on the species you want to keep to see what’s best for them. Don’t forget to remove all dead caterpillars from the box if you suspect they have died of an infection so as not to affect the others.
Every 1-3 days, remove the caterpillars and fresh leaves, remove the dried leaves and clean up the larvae. Rinse the cage, leaving a few drops of water as a source of water for the caterpillars. If the caterpillar excretes too often, it will not have enough food and you should consider changing the leaves.
Moths that don’t have a digestive system don’t need to migrate or find food, so you can keep them for as long as you like. Maybe you should let them enjoy some freedom in their short lives, though.
If you are catching butterflies in a jar, make sure the jar has small holes for the butterfly to breathe.

Warning

Beware of “hot-tempered” worms – when touched, they can release poison as a defense mechanism. If in eyes, this poison can lead to serious injury.
If you buy caterpillars, remember that in many places only licensed companies have the legal right to keep them.
Do not collect or disturb endangered or protected moths and butterflies.
Beware of extremely colorful caterpillars with sharp spines – they can be poisonous. Once you have accumulated a certain amount of experience, you can try raising this type of caterpillar because they often develop into beautiful large butterflies. However, be very careful when doing that.
Always try to collect caterpillars locally instead of elsewhere or buy from a butterfly company. Introducing exotic butterflies or any other alien life into the area can adversely affect native species as well as the entire ecosystem, as these “invaders” may outgrow existing species. Have. Many countries and localities also have very strict regulations on this issue.
Many species of English butterflies only eat nettles. Therefore, be careful not to get pricked by the spikes when collecting them!

Things you need

Breeding box (anything from a fish tank lined with wire mesh to a large plastic box or flower pot)
Flowering plants (the ones your caterpillars like)
About 5 cm of soil (if pupating on the ground)
Newspaper or tissue class

Steps