butterfly "house"

Hello all: I had planned on building a butterfly nursery, but scratched that idea.
I am now using our screened in Lanai as a butterfly house. Pots of milkweed, loads of cats. I have lost track of how many butterflies I have release, close to 50 i think. This morning I had 5 new butterflies drying their wings, and 4 on the top part of the screen cage that were from yesterday. I tried a butterfly net attached to a telescoping light bulb changing pole to catch them... but they would have none of it. I then tied some flowers (penta, marigold, jatropa, fire bush) to the pole and coaxed them onto the flowers... it worked great... and they are out playing in our garden. Picture if of my grand daughter releasing a butterfly for me.

She is adorable!! Sounds like you are hooked for sure now!
Maybe you need to put the chrysalis in a cage where you can transport them outside when they emerge so you aren't fishing for them. lol!
My DH made an "emerging" cage from PVC and I covered it with the fine mesh fabric. I put a carboard type bottom in and covered it with paper towels. I sewed a zipper in one side for access and also did a drawstring on the top. I got so many chrysalis last year that I took strips of styrofoam covered them with material and hot glued the webbing to that and wedged them between the bars. When they emerge and dry they crawl to the top and hang. When everyone was out that were coming for the day were ready...I would take it outside undo the drawstring and release them. Here is a picture that shows a corner, it was really simple and quick to make.

I love it.. can I see a full photo? I might have to do something..
I wonder what the neighbors thought if they saw me with my flowers tied on a pole, LOL.

LOL!! You could say you were using your new "flower duster". You might start a new trend.
Here is the cage but the zipper is turned to the back. I had tule as the netting but it snagged and I was also told it wasn't a fine enough mesh to keep out the predator wasps, etc. What I use now is the strechy mesh fabric like swimsuits are lined with. Works great. To make the "bag" to slide the frame into was a snap since it streches. I have gathered the bottom under the floorboard, and then a drawstring at the top.
Ignore the blue tape....this was early design phase and BST chrysalis that I had made a pocket in the foam for. The previous picture is what I do now, even with the BST.
BTW, you can buy the 3-way corner pieces and all the parts at a hardware store plumbing isle. Just make a cube shape. I had the clips already and find they help to keep the fabric in place when I am opening the top but it is not a necessity.

This message was edited Jul 4, 2009 6:13 PM

thank you Sheila: I "harvested" 6 more cats from outside Lanai today, and I like your "emerging" box.. I busted my butt trying to coaxe them onto the flowers on the pole- thank goodness there was no video camera rolling - almost ended up in the pool a couple of times- not that I would have minded it was already 90 at 9:30 am. So it looks like I'm going to Homedepo & joannes tomorrow... after some weeding & transplanting & cooling off in the pool........ :)

I hope the neighbors stop the fireworks soon - my dogs don't like it much and I'm pooped.

I'll post pictures of my version of your EB. Gosh .. so much to do ... so little time

cleaning, cooking, laundry, crafts ( I'm taking apart a quilt and re-quilting it), need to groom & bathe our 3 schnauzers, never ending gardening here in florida , my new fav playing with butterflies, oh... and work..

Full days sounds like! I used to work, but DH and I retired last year. We often say we are so busy now, we don't know how we had time to work. All the things that we put off doing the last few years, or planned to do when we "had time". Trust me you don't have all that time after retirement unless you don't have hobbies and aren't active. It just evaporates!

Ruth, so glad that you have introduced your granddaughter to butterfly conservation. She's sure to have a better appreciation of the nature.


Quite ingenious Sheila!!! I use reptariums that have black mesh - same concept of using plastic tubing and clips - but I really do like that brighter white mesh. It makes seeing what's inside so much easier.

~ Cat

Thanks Cat.

cat nursery is done... I'm tickled pink that it came out as well as it did. I had help from my little brother (52 LOL and Hubby 57) . I will post pics when camera is home - at work today. Harvested 8 cats today .. from miniscule to fat and sassy.

I'm exited to see if they use the nursery as planned.

I made it 24w x 48 h x 12" deep. With a zipper across the front down the left side.
I have a planter box of milkweed in the bottom for the bigish cats I find.
moved two Chrysalids into it.. I'm really happy with it.. and hope the cats/bfs are too.

I am sure your hard work will pay off. At least you won't have to go pole fishing in the Lanai after the others have emerged. LOL!

here are a couple of pictures.

I hot glued one edge of the zippers to the pvc on the front.. for easy accesss and the netting to not move

here is one of the bigger cats in the nursery. :)

I got the long zipper (60") off a comforter bag - fabric was on sale for 1.50 a yard.
Pvc 10' for 72 cents, coupleres were 28 cents each.

oops forgot picture

The cage looks fantastic Ruth! You have a great opening to work with, that is a definate plus.
I hate to rain on your parade but.... speaking from experience of loosing cats....
I don't recommend the large live plants, due to the frass dropping in it then the cats having to crawl over it to get up the sides. If you have one with a viral infection they all may get it. Having to water the plant means you may drown a little first or second instar by accident, or they may get behind that large planter and not be able to find the way back up.
If you want to use the live plants make them no larger than 6" and cover the dirt so they don't get in it. And then switch out the plants as they defoliate them; checking for cats then watering.
I personally would put a layer of paper towels down and just lay leaves in the bottom, or do sprigs in the wet floral foam covered with foil or plastic. You could also do a large butter tub with water, make a few holes in a lid, and stick sprigs in it.
Regardless what you decide, you have done a great job on the cage and it will make you proud you did it too! Now you won't have to get a crick in your neck trying to release butterflies anymore!

Ruth,

You did a great job making that cage!!! I have to agree with Sheila though. Be careful with potted plants - spiders and other predatory insects can hide out under the rim or in the soil too.

Even when I take fresh cuttings to put into cages I have to double and triple check - too often have brought in a spider that was hiding out on a leaf. Grrrrrr!

That cage will work great as a chrysalis/release stage cage. Lots of room for emerging butterflies to stretch their wings!!!

Again...awesome job!!!

~ Cat

Yes on the cuttings, rinse them. I have brought in two tiny green praying mantis on parsley this last few weeks. I am sure they are the reason my BST population dropped. When they have young it can be in the 100s.

Thank you for your kind comments about the cage.
And......Thank you for the advice about the plants - I will switch that out tonight when the rain stops.
Going to hit michaels for floral foam... and will wrap tight with press and seal..and I have to figure out how to make a floor.

The poly stuff that looks corrigated like cardboard works great for that. You can remove it if necessary. Won't get wet. Just put down a couple layers of paper towels for easy frass clean up.

You know ..."Frass Happens!"

I sometimes use those tin foil disposable pie pans and trays...or those plastic terra cot pot trays. Just be careful when you add water to your potted plants - if it seeps out of the bottom it could form a shallow pool of water - caterpillars can fall off the leaves and drown. Sigh...am speaking from bad experience.

Yep...like Sheila says - Frass Happens!!!

~ Cat

http://davesgarden.com/community/blogs/t/TexasPuddyPrint/12644/

This message was edited Jul 26, 2009 3:51 PM

I figured you would pick up on that and put the picture up! LOL! That was a fun thread chatting as you created that. LOL!