Butterfly garden: how to care for a butterfly at home

Good day to all dear readers of the blog LEARN

Do you know that you can grow a butterfly from a caterpillar at home ? How this happens is not important, I think only a few people have delved into this issue. Of course, I am included in these units, because I had such life experience. I was able to grow a butterfly at home from a caterpillar.

Let me point out right away that this is very easy and not troublesome, the main thing is patience. So, if you want to surprise your kids with something, you can organize it, according to my story. Believe me, it is an amazing sight to see live how a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. You yourself will like it!

Necessary conditions of detention

Creating a homemade butterfly farm is a good gift for a child who will be able to watch the birth and formation of living creatures. A real tropical fairy tale unfolds before his eyes, because many types of butterflies have a colorful color.

In addition to a gift for a child, an insectarium (or, as it is also called, a “butterfly garden”) is an opportunity to build your own business by breeding these insects. Butterflies can be sold for holiday events, and the initial investment can pay off fairly quickly.

But the first thing you need to know is how to care for a butterfly at home? In order for them to feel comfortable, the humidity inside the insectarium must be maintained at 70-90% at a temperature of 24 to 26 degrees.

To tie the dolls you will need sticks (the distance between them is 15 cm). Maintaining distance is necessary so that nothing prevents butterflies from spreading their wings at birth.

Preventive measures

It is difficult to protect yourself from the larvae that you can bring from the store any day, but certain measures will help avoid problems. It is better to store bulk products in tightly closed jars rather than in plastic bags - this way worms will not be able to crawl from container to container. You should not make large reserves. As often as possible, sort out the dishes and bags in the kitchen cabinets, wash the shelves, and lay out bunches of herbs. For example, in a Provence-style kitchen, bundles of dried lavender would be very appropriate and in a prominent place. Protect yourself and the worms on the ceiling won't bother you.

Special containers for storing bulk products - transparent, tightly closed

No one is immune from the appearance of food moths, so be vigilant when choosing products, keep the kitchen clean and quickly respond to the first signs of infestation.

Which types to choose?

Keeping an insectarium at home involves breeding exotic species of butterflies. Especially if your goal is potential earnings.

The following types are suitable:

Sailboat Polit - has an attractive contrasting color, length 8-10 cm.
“Moon butterfly” - wings of a characteristic dark blue color, length is 8-10 cm.
Graphium Agamemnon is a very active species, well suited for use at festive events.
Kotzebue's sailboat is black with bright red splashes. Length – up to 10 cm.
Danaid Chrysippus is a yellow-orange butterfly, 6-8 cm long.
“Orange butterfly” - has an orange-white color, length is up to 10 cm.
Caligo Atreus is brown or black with bright splashes of yellow and blue. The length ranges from 14 to 18 cm.
Peacock-eye Atlas - different color options are possible: yellow, red, brown, etc. It can reach 26 cm in length.

Ultrasonic repellers

Modern technologies make it possible to use ultrasonic repellers to combat rodents. It is worth installing them in problem areas, turning them on for a certain time, and the mice will escape through the holes that came. This will not solve the problem completely, because sooner or later rodents will. Work can be carried out on wooden floors after eliminating mice using ultrasound. To do this, above the floors, be it the second floor or the attic, you need to calculate all the holes and seal them.

How long do they live?

The transformation of a pupa into a butterfly is quite an exciting process. The head will appear first, then the legs and body. Immediately after birth, she will be motionless, but there is no need to worry - she is just waiting for her wings to dry.

Many breeders are concerned about how long do butterflies live at home? Their lifespan depends on the specific species, as well as the conditions of detention. On average, it ranges from 2 days to 2 weeks. Moreover, in an ordinary apartment their life expectancy is often higher than in natural habitats, where butterflies are threatened by predators.

Let's find out more about them

food moth

Unless you look at this insect under a microscope, it is difficult to distinguish it from an ordinary clothing moth. And its larvae are very similar to maggots - fly larvae. White worms with dark heads several millimeters long. Each moth lives only a few days, a maximum of two weeks, but even in such a short time it manages to hatch a huge number of larvae, which ruin our lives.

What to feed butterflies?

The basis of nutrition of these insects in nature is pollen and nectar of flowers. You can easily prepare it at home by mixing water, sugar and honey (10 parts water and 1 part sugar and honey).

But their diet is not limited to this. For example, they happily consume the juice of slightly rotten fruits: bananas, pears, oranges, melons, apples. Should be fed 2 times a day.

Some species of these insects require sodium to survive. Often butterflies land on the whitened trunks of fruit trees and sweating people - this is how they get the salt they need.

Methods for removing parasites

You already know where the larvae come from, what they eat, and why they climb onto the kitchen ceiling. It's time to find out how to deal with them and what methods of control are considered the most effective.

Physical destruction. The easiest and most affordable way. All products in which white worms were found must be immediately discarded. Even if only one larva was noticed in rice or millet, we advise you to throw out this cereal as well. The question arises: where did the moth come from in the cereal, which was stored in an airtight jar? We answer - you are faced with a situation where already contaminated cereal was poured into a container. Such a vessel is thoroughly washed with warm water and sterilized (scalded with boiling water).
Careful attention to legumes. Be especially careful when handling nuts, dried fruits and legume pods. Insects are very cunning and can hide inside fruits.
Cleaning. You will also need to thoroughly wash all the cabinets, sort through the products in them, and get rid of any suspicious ones. We wash with vinegar and laundry soap - moths cannot stand their smell.
Freezing. Well, food moths are definitely not friendly with the cold. If the butterfly infestation occurs in waves (you get rid of them, but the insects appear again after a month), try storing their favorite foods in the refrigerator. By the way, if it’s winter outside, such a place could be a cold storage room, a basement or even a balcony.
Insecticides in the form of aerosols. Modern science does not stand still. Dozens of substances appear that are real poison for white larvae and gray butterflies. Thanks to them, you can forget about worms on the ceiling in the kitchen once and for all. Of course, they cannot be considered 100% safe for humans - especially if there are small children in the house. However, if you observe the “ceiling” stage of development of the gray moth, this is already a real epidemic. Most likely, you will have to use an insecticide - once is fine. Among the most popular and effective drugs are “Armol”, “Antimol” and “Kombat”. Butterflies quickly adapt to such means, so it is difficult to name the most powerful one. Moth traps also work well. Flying insects also need to be destroyed to stop the breeding cycle.
Nature will help. Our ancestors also noticed that insects fear some plants like fire. In addition, this method is considered absolutely harmless to humans, therefore it also has a right to exist. What natural components are we talking about? First of all, these are wormwood and mint, as well as lavender and geranium. To repel the pest for a long time, place branches with the plant in the closet, on the windowsill and other places and wait a week.

Among the folk methods of fighting moths, you can find the following recommendation: place garlic cloves on shelves. This method is ineffective. There are known cases when voracious worms climbed inside and happily feasted on the plant.

No one is safe from the appearance of white worms. We advise you to be especially careful when choosing products and to maintain order and cleanliness in the kitchen. And when the first signs of infection appear, immediately begin the fight.

Is it possible to grow a caterpillar at home?

The full life cycle of butterflies is quite difficult to reproduce at home. In nature, females and males find each other by the pheromones released with the smell, and quite a long courtship takes place between them. Even if you catch a male and a female and place them in your apartment, this does not guarantee that they will mate.

In addition, females of a certain species lay eggs on different types of plants that the caterpillar will feed on. For example, a peacock's eye chooses raspberry leaves, hops, etc.

Therefore, the real way is to find the butterfly caterpillar and take it home along with the plant leaf. Next, it is placed in a special insectarium or a separate container. Keep in mind that caterpillars are quite voracious, so you need to stock up on a sufficient amount of fresh leaves.

After the last molt, the caterpillar pupates, becoming motionless. She can spend up to three weeks in this cocoon state. Then the cocoon breaks through, i.e. in essence, the “birth” of a new butterfly occurs.

Breeding these insects can become an exciting hobby for you, or a source of additional income, if you approach the organization of their habitat correctly. To create comfortable conditions for butterflies, you will need a special insectarium, which can be ordered from. We take into account all the client's wishes regarding sizes and other parameters.

Ways to get rid of pests

The appearance of small black and brown bugs in the kitchen may have occurred without your participation, but getting rid of them requires direct participation.

There are several methods of struggle:

The cardinal thing is to get rid of all contaminated products, as well as “clean” ones, because there may be white worms there.
The thermal method is only suitable for food where parasites have not been found. The product can be placed in an oven at a temperature of 50 degrees or more if this does not harm it. In winter, when the temperature drops below -20, the products can be taken outside for three days. This will help get rid of pests in the kitchen.

Having destroyed parasites in food, you should not relax. They can remain on the furniture, so it requires special treatment.

We process furniture:

A vacuum cleaner can clean all surfaces in the kitchen. However, there is one big disadvantage: if you have a cloth bag in the vacuum cleaner, you will have to process it too.
Treating furniture with boric acid. Boric acid is in general circulation. You can buy it at the pharmacy: the cost ranges from 100 rubles.
Treat hard-to-reach places with dichlorvos.

Don't forget about the containers where the food was stored. They also require processing, the most effective method is thermal (pour boiling water or steam, leave in the oven for a long time).

And a little more about prevention

The following tips will help you avoid the recurrence of moths:

Try not to let food sit for more than 2-4 months and, of course, do not store supplies that have passed their expiration date.
Store foods you rarely use in the refrigerator.
Buy dry foods in small quantities so you can eat them within a couple of months.
Buy groceries only from reputable manufacturers and, if possible, check the quality of the goods in the store. To be sure, freeze freshly purchased cereals, cereals, flour, nuts, dried fruits and other products for 3-4 days (in dry form).
Animal food, such as bird seeds or fishing bait, should not be stored in the kitchen.

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Folk recipes

Mechanical method. The simplest and at the same time difficult way is to simply remove the caterpillars from the bush. This method works if there are not too many individuals. However, the difficulty lies in the fact that it is not always possible to find the pests themselves, or to find them, but not all of them. In any case, this method works in conjunction with others.
Soap solution. It helps not only against caterpillars, but also against other pests. The leaves and stem of geranium are wiped with soapy water or sprayed.
Apples. The apple should be cut into slices and placed overnight on the ground around the plant. In the morning you will see pests feasting on apple pieces.

Paper. You need to lay white paper under the plant and shake it, green caterpillars get on the leaf, then you can simply destroy them. But this method is not reliable enough, because not all individuals can fall.
Hot shower. Pests cannot tolerate hot showers, so you can wash the geranium leaves with hot water. The insects will be washed away, but it will not harm the plant.

First meeting

The first three caterpillars were soon joined by another one, which I found in a garden bed with carrots.

Who are they, my beautiful strangers?

With the help of the Atlas of Butterflies and Caterpillars, I determined that this is a Swallowtail caterpillar.

Phylum Arthropod

Class Insects

Butterfly Squad

Family Sailboats

Genus Sailboats (tail carriers or true cavaliers)

Swallowtail view

Butterflies are insects with two pairs of scaly wings and a sucking mouthparts curled into a spiral. Butterfly scales are flattened, modified chitinous hairs. Butterfly larvae are caterpillars. In addition to three pairs of jointed legs, they have false legs (body outgrowths). The mouthparts of caterpillars are gnawing.

Sailfish are diurnal species. These are large butterflies with brightly colored wings, often with a metallic sheen. Often there are outgrowths on the hind wings. Most swallowtail species live in the tropics. This family includes the most beautiful and rare butterflies of our fauna, which are subject to strict protection.

Tail bearers or true cavaliers are large butterflies, the hind wings have tails, the main color of the wings is yellow, the pattern is black. The caterpillars are thick and fleshy, not covered with hairs or bristles. The pupae at the anterior end have two short, knotty points. The species overwinter as pupae.

Swallowtail - sulfur-yellow color; fore wings with black spots and veins, with a wide black border and yellow moon-shaped spots along it. The hind wings are equipped with tails, have a black border with blue and yellow spots and a reddish-brown eye in the rear corner of the wing. It is found throughout Europe and Central Asia in May-June, then in August, on field roads, forest edges and mountain meadows. The caterpillar is green, with black transverse stripes and red dots; found on wild dill, carrots, parsley and other umbelliferous plants; it can be found at the beginning and again at the end of summer. The pupa is green or brown.

Where does it come from

Food moths can fly to you from the nearest window, through the ventilation duct of an apartment building, or from the balcony of a neighbor’s kitchen.

But more often we ourselves bring it from the store with cereals, nuts, dried fruits, flour and other purchases. Especially if we fall for promotions and discounts. As a rule, cereals and flour are sold cheaper because their shelf life is coming to an end. This means that the likelihood of voracious food moths appearing in them increases. Retail chains transfer these risks to the buyer.

Even if you diligently look through the packaging of cereals, you may not notice tiny sticky lumps in which food moths are already emerging. At home, you simply place the bag on the kitchen shelf and forget about it.

That's all the eggs need. In a calm environment, they will turn into worm larvae, pupate, and now you are catching a food moth butterfly around the kitchen. It is the larvae, which take about two months to mature, that feed on your supplies. During this time they will have time to spoil and devour everything they can get their hands on.

Useful advice

Brought a package of cereal from the store that you have doubts about, pour it onto a baking sheet and fry for about half a minute in an oven preheated to 150-180 degrees. Neither the cereal nor the flour will have time to bake, but the larvae, if they were there, will definitely die.

Do caterpillars eat leaves and meat of small insects?

Caterpillars find food by smell and taste. Most of these creatures feed in one place until the entire tree or bush is eaten. If all the food is gone and there is no food left nearby, the larva pupates underfed. A small butterfly will later emerge from it.

Caterpillars not only feed on flowers, leaves and wood; some eat meat. Cases of predation can be considered an exception to the rule rather than a pattern. Predation occurs during cohabitation and when there is a lack of food. Weak and sick individuals become food. Some herbivorous representatives attack other caterpillars in the presence of plant food (narrow-winged moth, raspberry moth).

Blueberry individuals sometimes eat aphids. The larvae, found in Hawaii, eat insects. They use silk thread traps to catch snails.

Why is this necessary?

Many people breed butterflies for sale; in the last few years, it has become popular to give boxes of these graceful and beautiful creatures. Of course, when such a box is opened, all the butterflies will fly away, but the recipient of such an original souvenir will experience a lot of pleasant emotions. 20-30 butterflies can cost about 1-1.5 thousand rubles.

Another goal is a hobby. If such insects simply touch you, and you want to surround yourself with them, then why not make your dream come true? Just enjoy the process and the results and don't think about profit.

Let beautiful butterflies delight you or those around you and give positive emotions!