but have no clue how to go about it, can anyone help to get me started?
Thanks
Mimi
I would love to try and raise some butterflies
There is long thread where everyone posted pics of their cat houses, that would be a good start. Go thru the pics and see what kind of cat house you think you can make- some look soo easy. Then find a cat, and throw some food in with it. I haven't actually done it myself, but from looking thru this forum, I got that much, looks way too easy, try not to overthink it :-)
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/643281/
this is the thread for the pics of cat houses.
Mimi, the first thing you need to do is research what butterflies are in your area. Those are the ones you are going to see in your own yard or around town and the only ones you will be able to attract and/or raise. Don't waste your time trying to attract something you would love to see but it only lives in FL. Go to the library and just check out books at first. "Butterflies thru Binoculars" or "Butterflies of North America" by Jeffrey Glassberg are great for ID'ing in your area.
First you need nectar plants to attract them to your yard. One thing I love about the butterflies is that they love cheap flowers just as much, if not more, than something more exotic. Zinnias are the cheapest and easiest thing to grow and they never fail to attract.
If you want them to lay eggs then you have to supply them with host plants and plant them amongst the nectar plants. Each species has a host plant (family) that they use and they do not use anything else. (ex: Monarchs use milkweed and will not use fennel) Start with the easiest to grow host plants first.
These are just the first basic steps. While you are researching and reading about them you can start thinking about what type of cage you are wanting to use. That thread has a lot of personal experience that can save you some trouble.
Good luck!
Paige