“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.” - Proverb
What do you do when you find a butterfly that looks healthy, but tired and can't fly? Some butterflies, like the Monarch butterfly we found on our porch travel as far as 2.500 miles to get from the milkweed plant where they are born to Mexico, where they overwinter.
Nectar for butterflies
You can help a butterfly in distress by offering it fresh fruit like bananas apples or oranges. You can also add a sugar water solution. To make a sugar water solution for butterflies mix 3 teaspoons of white sugar to 1 cup of water.
Saltlick Puddles for Butterflies
Butterflies don't only need flowers and nectar, like all living things they also need minerals. The males especially will gather minerals to help nurture butterfly larvae. But, how do you make one?
You will need:
A bird bath or large saucer
Sand
Red salt or natural sea salt (about 2 teaspoons) can be added to the sand or a wet sponge
Organic compost or manure (about 2 Tablespoons)
Wood or other object for butterflies to perch on
Small saucer
Fresh fruit like bannanas, applies, or oranges
For a video on how to build your butterfly puddle check out how Walter Reeves built one for the Children's Garden of the Atlanta Botanical Gardens
Declining Populations
“Monarch (Danaus plexippus) populations have been rapidly declining in North America since 1997. From 1999 through 2012 in the Midwestern United States, there was a 64 percent decrease in the amount of milkweed available and an 88 percent decline in the number of monarchs present.” -Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Find out more about Monarchs at https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/education/pages/monarchgen.aspx
Start a Butterfly garden
“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.” - Proverb
If you live in the midwest, like we do, here are a few of our favorite plants to get your butterfly garden started.
Blue Aster
Field Thistle
Foxglove
Goldenrod
Milkweed
Purple Coneflowers
Purple Prairie Clover
for more information about native pollinator plants visit https://www.gardenia.net/guide/great-pollinator-plants-for-illinois
Get Inspired
You are not alone! Programs like the Pollinator Garden Project can help get you started. The goal is for schools, girl scout troops, and other groups to plant and maintain 10' x 10' gardens to create habitats for migrating monarch butterflies. Pollinator gardens will create a habitat that will attract not only monarchs, but bees, hummingbirds
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