how to make a butterfly house out of a shoebox

How do you make a butterfly house?

Your butterfly house should be placed in a sunny location in the garden away from prevailing winds. It should be mounted on a pole or tree about 4 feet off the ground. Inside the house, place a couple slabs of tree bark in a vertical position. This is to provide the butterflies more shelter and something to cling to.

How easy is it to make a butterfly house?

Make the Sides. Cut 2 pieces of wood to length for the sides.
Attach the Back. Cut 1 piece of wood to length for the back. ...
Attach the Bottom. Cut 1 piece of wood to length for the bottom. ...
Attach the Front. Cut 1 piece of wood to length for the front. ...
Attach the Roof. ...
Attach the Magnetic Catch. ...
Finish the DIY Butterfly House.

How do you make a butterfly house for kids?

How to Make an Easy Butterfly House for Kids

Cut a piece of muslin the same size as the front and sides of a large, lidded cardboard box.
Cut out panels from the front and sides of the box. ...
Attach the muslin firmly into position on the outside of the box with duct tape.
Place a twig in the box as a perch for the butterflies.

How do you attract butterflies to a butterfly house?

Paint the butterfly house in bright colors. Butterflies are attracted to purple, red, yellows and pink. ...
Plant flowers that attract butterflies. ...
Place your flowerbed in a sunny location. ...
Provide a water source. ...
Plant host plants, the plants on which butterflies lay their eggs (see Resources).

Can I keep a butterfly as a pet?

Caterpillars make great pets, both for children and for adults. Butterflies are also terrific pets as long as their special needs regarding flying space and food are met.

What do you put inside a butterfly house?

Long strips of bark are placed inside the box. Supposedly the rough interior walls and bark provide perches for hibernating butterflies. Sometimes rotten bananas and other fruits are placed inside the box to lure butterflies inside. The boxes are normally erected in or near flower gardens a few feet above the ground.

Can butterflies survive indoors?

Among the butterflies, it is only the Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock that regularly overwinter inside houses. ... However, come Christmas, when the central heating is cranked up, such butterflies may be awoken prematurely by high indoor temperatures.

Should you paint a butterfly house?

If you are building a butterfly house of your own, make sure that you paint it in bright colors. You can also purchase a prebuilt butterfly house as well; if it doesn't come in bright colors, you can always paint it when you get home. Butterflies tend to be attracted to colors such as red, yellow, pink, and purple.

Where do you place a butterfly house?

Place your butterfly house in a sunny but sheltered spot so that it is protected from the wind. It should be around four to six feet above the ground and near nectar-rich flowers which will act as a good food source for visiting butterflies.

What does a butterfly house look like?

Much like birdhouses, butterfly houses come in many shapes and sizes, from a simple wooden box with a slanted roof to elaborate architectural miniatures of beach cottages, log cabins, churches, and garden sheds. Unlike a birdhouse, a butterfly house has long, narrow slots rather than a round hole.

What is a butterfly house called?

A butterfly house, conservatory, or lepidopterarium is a facility which is specifically intended for the breeding and display of butterflies with an emphasis on education.

What is a butterfly farm?

Butterfly farming. Yup, raising butterflies and selling them to zoos and museums, or to release at weddings and funerals, is a real business -- with growing demand. ... The Euchee Butterfly Farm raises about 20,000 butterflies a year, but that's still not enough to keep up with demand.

What will attract butterflies?

Plant type and color is important - Adult butterflies are attracted to red, yellow, orange, pink and purple blossoms that are flat-topped or clustered and have short flower tubes. Plant good nectar sources in the sun - Your key butterfly nectar source plants should receive full sun from mid-morning to mid-afternoon.

What can I put out to attract butterflies?

10 Tips for Attracting Butterflies to Your Backyard

Choose a Sunny Site. ...
Protect Your Butterflies From the Wind. ...
Provide Nectar Sources From Early Spring to Late Fall. ...
Plant a Diversity of Flowers. ...
Plant Flowers in Masses. ...
Provide Host Plants for Caterpillars. ...
Make Puddles. ...
Keep Bird Feeders and Birdbaths Away From Your Butterfly Habitat.

What foods attract butterflies?

Butterflies are particularly fond of oranges, grapefruits, cantelope, strawberries, peaches, nectarines, kiwi, apples, watermelon, and bananas, especially mushy bananas that have been stored in the freezer and then thawed. Some species love a “brew” of rotting fruit, molasses, beer, and brown sugar.

Do butterflies die when you touch them?

A: No, but butterflies should still be handled carefully, said Matthew Reetz, executive director of the Madison Audubon Society, which organizes monarch butterfly tagging. The idea that just touching a butterfly's wings will cause it to die is an old wives' tale, Reetz said.

What to do with a dying butterfly?

A quick and easy method to euthanize butterfly eggs, caterpillars, chrysalises, and adults is simply to place them in the freezer overnight. Within a couple of minutes, they are normally already dead. They can be placed in a paper or plastic bag, sealed shut, and laid in the freezer.

Do butterflies need water?

Water is essential to a butterfly, and any way it can be offered is good. Ponds, fountains, misters, or birdbaths will supply what rain and morning dew cannot. Here are a few ways to give visiting butterflies a place to stop and sip.

Where do butterflies sleep?

Where do butterflies spend the night? At night, or during inclement weather, most butterflies perch on the underside of a leaf, crawl deep between blades of grass or into a crevice in rocks, or find some other shelter, and sleep.

Do butterfly feeders really work?

Your feeder will attract species that feed on food sources such as tree sap, dung, carrion, rotting matter, and of course overripe fruit—the primary “bait” you will place in your feeder. Typically butterflies approaching a feeder make a number of false landings nearby before stopping to feed.