Hi all --
I have a question about butterfly hibernation boxes. I have a book called _Creating a Butterfly Garden_ by Marcus Schenck, and he advises making a box with a minimum dimension of "3 feet tall by 6 inches wide by 6 inches deep"! The slits are to be 2 feet long by 3/4 inches wide. Uh, this sounded very large to me.
I have a friend who has one from the Audubon Society or something, and hers looks like it might be 12" tall x 4 inches deep x maybe 6 inches wide. I didn't measure it. The slits, though, were about 3 inches tall and 1/4" wide.
My first question, is, do I need it? My second question is, do I need one 3 feet tall? I can have her run out and measure hers if it would be okay. I'm not sure she has any butterflies using it, though, so that's why I wondered if hers was mostly to be pretty instead of used. Mr. Clean will be making mine, so he can make it to any dimensions I want.
For those reading who might try this at home, the back (on the inside) is made of tree bark so the butterflies have something to hang on to. I forget all the ones that might winter over, but I think Buckeye, Comma and Question Mark were in there, and maybe Painted Lady. The brushfoots. Oooooooh, Can you tell I've been studying?
Suzy
Butterfly Boxes
Suzy - It sounds like a butterfly "house" to me. Whether or not any butterflies would use it, I have no idea. I have a small house in my yard and the only creatures that use it are the anoles. It's mainly for decoration, but it is well built and very sturdy. It is not nearly as big as the one you were instructed to build. When it comes to shelter for butterflies in the wild, I trust they know what to do and where to find cover. I have heard of butterflies finding shelter in large piles of firewood. A number of my friends who happen to have fireplaces here in my area find butterflies and moths in their wood piles every year. So perhaps they would use your hibernation box.
That's an interesting topic that I don't believe we have really covered here much. Thanks for bringing it up Suzy!
" I have a small house in my yard and the only creatures that use it are the anoles. "
Ditto!
Yeah I would be concerned about the butterfly house being an ambush for a BF than a haven for them... I heard a lot of mixed things about them. Would rather not ..
I believe I will buy this hardy orange for them to hide in. Here is a pic of the one I'm thinking about ordering.. Very gnarley bush.
Hardy Orange
Poncirus trifoliata
Close up of the gnarley thorns..
Ooh, I love that! I want one!
Maggie
Jim has these in stock, Debi took these pics of their stock of them yesterday. They are $12.00 each + $17.00 postage. http://NearlyNativeNursery.com
That's 29 bucks, but for a hardy it might be worth a shot. I have been pleased with all the orders from them.
It's growing on me too maggie, lol.
Deb - That's one crazy looking plant! LOL!
Hey yeah it is, LOL!
That's why I would put it in the corner behind the shed.... Surrounded by Nicotianna and lower Nasturtiums..(I found seeds for red ones and a jewel mix). Of course I will have mulch paths to navigate through there, etc,, That one belongs in the corner though...fur sure!
Also I am curious if the GST will use the Hardy Orange as a host.. I have Rue in front that is still flourishing even with our freezing weather. Amazing how it likes where it is!
o/
I've never heard of anyone actually having butterflies use those houses. They fly around, land and eat, but they don't go snooping around. They'd have to actually be curious, which I've never found one to be, and daring enough to crawl into the opening. I just can't see them ever using it. Ant, bees, wasps, lizards, spiders, assassin bugs...yes, I can see ALL of them using it instead.
From what I have discovered about butterfly houses, they are more for the gardener than the butterflies! I built 2 to specs 2 years ago, and nary a one came near them- they are falling apart now and I will soon toss them- Same with the butterfly nectar feeders- the only thing that came to them was bees and ants!
Yeah, I saw one of those butterfly feeders on Backyard Habitat the other day and thought "they'd never use that". They would use the fruit on the top but not come and drink nectar from inside like a hummer even if it shaped like a big flower. The guy on this show made some silly comment that the feeder was shaped like a flower to attract the butterflies. Huh? Yeah, the butterflies are going to see this large plastic hanging thing and know it's shaped like a flower! LOL!
I'd love to have a house in my garden just for looks tho. JoP, you should fix them up a little, paint and seal them and just decorate with them.
I use my butterfly house as a kind of decorative "sign" in my yard to let human visitors know that my garden is a Butterfly Garden. Most people figure that out when they see it. And of course, all the butterflies in the garden is the other clue to the purpose of my flower beds. :-)
Yup, I agree! They attract anoles and spiders that can hide in them and then jump whatever flies into them. They should be called butterfly stands. I repainted mine and it sits in the house with some of my painted birdhouses.
Butterfly stands! LOL! I have such spring fever that just talking about these makes me want to go to Hobby Lobby and look for yard decorations!
I'm hearing you Paige... got things sprouted. Others will soon, I know just how ya feel. Thinking of decorations too.