Many gardens attract butterflies, making them a common sight, but some species struggle to exist as they battle habitat loss. What this means is that attracting butterflies to your garden is one way of contributing to earth preservation efforts.
A butterfly-friendly garden can give butterflies a place to go amidst all the habitat loss. In return, they will beautify your garden and do their part in keeping the ecosystem running. If you’ve decided that your garden needs butterflies, here are six simple steps to make it more attractive to them.
Attracting Butterflies to Your Garden in Six Simple Steps
Step 1: Think Twice About using chemicals
Butterflies start out as eggs before becoming caterpillars that feed on plants. They are not exactly welcome because of the damage they do due to their voracious appetites, so they are often eliminated with insecticide or worse.
As such, the first thing to do to lure butterflies to your garden is to resist the urge to use pesticides. Those caterpillars need to live long enough to become the beautiful butterflies we all know and love.
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Step 2: Plant the Right Things
We have established how important caterpillars are to getting butterflies to laze around your gardens. Caterpillars can be picky eaters. Some species, like the yellowish sedge-skipper, eat only one plant. Caterpillars mainly feed on sedges, native grasses, and mistletoes, but the specific plants vary according to the caterpillar.
Female butterflies lay their eggs on the same plants the caterpillars eat. So, if you want to attract a specific butterfly, you’ll need to find out its favorite plant. Also, remember that butterflies drink, not eat, so plants that look good to them should have what they can drink.
Good options include tall scurf-pea (Cullen australasicum), goodenias (Goodenia species), and fanflowers (Scaevola species). Note that the plants butterflies feed on are not usually the same as the ones they lay their eggs on or that their caterpillars eat.
Step 3: Choose Plants that Flower Year-Round
Experts advise planting different species that flower at different times of the year, focusing on spring to autumn. It is also a good idea to include plants that flower for a long time, such as the Christmas bush (Bursaria spinosa). This way, the butterflies get more nectar options all year round.
Step 4: Provide Shelter
Butterflies can’t fly in strong winds or heavy rainfall because of their delicate makeup. You can attract them to your garden by providing shelter from the elements. You can achieve this by planting native species of different heights for them to take cover around.
Step 5: Create Space on the Bare Ground
Clear a patch of bare ground, ensure it is in a spot that gets wet, and take care of their water needs. That’s right, a water dish is unnecessary.
Step 6: Add rocks
These insects rely on the warmth of the sun for several things. It helps increase their body temperature because their bodies can’t regulate themselves. It also helps them fly. This is why leaving some rocks in a sunny spot will attract them; they can warm up and rest there.
How Do You Get Butterflies on Your Hands?
There are various ways to attract butterflies to your hand. Good examples include using sugar water, offering fruits, and dressing colorfully and brightly.
Sugar water and fruits attract them because they love sweet things, while bright and colorful clothing draws them in because it reminds them of flowers. To successfully get a butterfly to perch on your hand, you must also master the art of staying still. You will also have better chances on sunny days, as they are more active on such days.
Does Sugar Attract Butterflies?
Sugar can attract them. However, according to experts, it is not the most effective method. Butterflies are more attracted to natural nectar from flowers.
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What Plant Attracts Butterflies the Most?
Some plants that attract various species of butterflies include the vibrant Lantanas, brightly colored Zinnias, mint and sage, sunflowers, and the sometimes invasive butterfly bush.
Is There a Scent That Attracts Butterflies?
Butterflies have a strong affinity for nectar, and its smell is known to attract them. Flowers that provide lots of nectar are a constant stop for these insects. Some, like the oregano plant, even attract the caterpillars of certain butterflies.
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