Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardening: I'm SO excited!!!, 1 by konkreteblond

konkreteblond wrote:
I've used watermelon Gatorade for quite a few butterflies that I've had to feed indoors. I had a whole batch of them eclose inside one winter and had the same problem with lack of flowers. I was able to find some Dianthus and lantana and got some to use those, but the majority used the Gatorade.

The problem is that sometimes they aren't real smart and you have to show them how to eat it. You might have a hard time if you are letting it fly around the house tho. I have cats, so mine have always had to stay inside a net cage.

This is what I do: I put the Gatorade on a cotton ball or pad and put it on a little plate. Catch the butterfly, which can be hard with BST's because they are usually pretty flighty. Have you ever tagged a Monarch? That's how you hold them to feed them too. Hold them by holding their top wings together, with your thumb and pointer finger on each wing, close to the middle of their body. Oh, this is hard to describe. I hope you can understand this...maybe I can find a pic. Ok...see the pic of the Monarch..see the tag? right above is where you should hold it, where you are holding both wings down at the same time, on each side. (Don't worry if you have a tiny amount of color from their scales on your finger, just don't rub and rub a hole in their wing) http://www.guthriecenter.com/gccb/monarchs.html

Once you have hold of them, take a toothpick and slowly unroll their probiscus and let the end touch the cottonball. They will usually taste it quickly and then sit still and start stabbing around the pad themselves.

If none of this is possible, just let it out as soon as it warms up and let it be. You helped it make it thru the process, which might never have happened, so all is good. (sorry if this doesn't make sense!)

Paige