In the animal kingdom, there are species that are highly valued by man and, precisely because of that fact, many of them are in danger of extinction today. For example, the mandrill, polar eyes, lemurs, common chimpanzee, panda bear, tigers, vultures and many more.
Every year, dozens of animals are in danger of disappearing permanently, one of them, strange as it may seem, is the monarch butterfly. This type of butterfly feeds on milkweed. This is a toxic plant that makes them poisonous to some of their predators.
However, man has been responsible for spreading herbicides, which destroy hundreds of hectares of this food source every year. By running out of food, their chance of survival is exponentially reduced.
Butterflies are fragile animals, but at the same time, very strong. Every year, monarch butterflies make a spectacular migratory journey stretching from Canada and the northern part of the United States to Mexico and California. In this way, they are responsible for covering all the forests with their beautiful colors.
Actually, there is nothing nicer than seeing butterflies in a garden. Not only does it transmit a pleasant feeling of well-being, but it also transmits peace, because it makes us feel closer to nature.
Would you like to see butterflies in your garden more often? Is there a way to attract them? How can you do it? If you find this idea attractive and ingenious, we encourage you to continue reading this short article.
In it you will find everything you need to know to beautify your garden with the presence of these fascinating animals, one of the most valued by all due to their colors, sizes and designs on their wings. Let’s see right now some simple tricks to attract them.
Instructions for attracting butterflies to my garden
If you want to decorate your garden with them or enjoy observing them while you work in it, you must carefully follow the following instructions:
- Identify which butterfly species are native to the area where you live. Butterfly species vary greatly in diet, size and migration. By knowing which ones inhabit your community, you can coordinate your efforts to successfully attract them.
- Coordinate the colors of your garden. Adult butterflies appreciate vibrant colors, such as red, orange, yellow, pink, and purple. You can plant in your garden varieties of flowers of these colors. Try to have a smooth upper part or be small tubular in shape, as they are preferred by butterflies, such as sunflower.
- Plant them in strategic places. In general, the sources of nectar that butterflies usually frequent are where there is a lot of sunlight from morning to mid-afternoon.
- Adult butterflies do not like to feed under the shade. Therefore, select different varieties of flowers that have a lot of sunlight and plant them in the places where they reach them best. This way you will see how the butterflies land on them to feed.
- Avoid chemicals and insecticides. This includes those that are qualified as ecological, since both butterflies and larvae are very sensitive to their influence. Also, keep an eye out for any silvers you buy at garden centers, as they may have been treated with pesticides or other substances toxic to butterflies and other pollinating insects.
Now that you know some basic instructions for getting butterflies into your garden, what else do you need to know to achieve this?
What do you need to attract butterflies to my garden?
To enjoy the presence of butterflies you will need to do the following:
- Offer them protection. Butterflies have many natural predators. Therefore, it is vital that you provide them with places where they can hide. These places can be: a small tree, a bush, etc. At the same time, you will make your garden look much more welcoming.
- Feed them in abundance. Just as humans enjoy certain foods, butterflies also have their particular preferences. Remember that there is no single plant that attracts all types of butterflies.
- However, you can research which are the preferred plants of the native species of butterfly that inhabits your locality. In this way, they will not be able to resist the temptation and will succumb to it.
- Install feeders. These are small structures much like those used to feed hummingbirds.
- They provide nectar and have small grooves that allow them to enter the butterflies to protect themselves from predators and the elements of nature, such as gusts of wind and rain. In addition, they are a very nice decorative object for your garden.
- Build them an airstrip. You’ve probably noticed the fact that butterflies usually perch on smaller flowers, branches, and twigs. While there, they enjoy the sunlight, although the sun provides orientation and the necessary shelter to their wings so that they can fly.
To build such an airstrip for them, you just have to scatter a few smooth stones throughout your garden. Especially in those areas where you notice that there is more sunlight. These will be excellent places for butterflies to perch and rest from their flight.
If you do these things, you can be sure that you will see butterflies in your garden much more often than before. But what other recommendations should you take into account? Let’s look at a few more.
Tips for attracting butterflies to my garden
Don’t feel self-conscious if you think your garden is too small for butterflies to be in it. There are actually different ways to maximize it. For example, you can place pots of different sizes, colors, textures and materials and plant in them different types of floral and fruit plants.
If you do not have too much floor space, you can also take advantage of the roof of the patio of your house to place your favorite plants in hanging pots. In reality, the possibilities are endless, you just have to let your imagination run wild.
Butterflies need to have food at their disposal from the beginning of spring to the end of summer. It is important to note that many varieties of butterflies will feed on the sugar found inside fruit that has fallen off the tree.
For that reason, the best thing you can do is not pick it up. Pears, apples and rotten berries are among the most popular in the butterfly world.
In general, they have a hard time feeding on those fruits that are still too hard. Therefore, the best thing you can do for them is to leave them on a pile of fertilizer and let it mature enough. Actually, the more mature they are, the better it will be for the butterfly.
Since butterflies can’t exist without caterpillars, you need to support their proliferation by letting your garden get a little out of control around the edges. Since the larvae like to feed on thistles, nettles, mongrel herbs, as well as ivy, you’ll need to allow some less popular wildflowers to grow. Such a sacrifice will make you enjoy a greater number of butterflies.
Remember that the best way to attract butterflies to your garden is by observing your surroundings. Doing this will give you the opportunity to notice if you have plants that are of your preference. You could even plant those that they use to deposit their eggs.
Also, if you become familiar with the butterflies that are in your region, you will be able to know what their habits are and favor their arrival by conserving and helping in their mission to pollinate. You will also be able to determine what their arrival months are to optimize their visit to your garden, which is of great importance for the environment and for society in general.