Mud Hole recipe

Heyguys. I know someone came on one of these threads, don't know which one, and gave their recipe for their mud hole they kept for their BF's. She had rocks, sand, and some kind of liquid mixture. I was going to make one, yup just one more thing for my butterflies to ignore, and I got everything for it but cannot remember the liquid recipe. Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks

Leslie

I think it was Frostweed.....I vaguely remember something like that, maybe dmail her if she doesn't post soon.

Thanks Flygirl. I appreciate it.

Leslie

Leslie, did you find it?

I did flygirl. Thanks. I dmailed frostweed and she was happy to give it to me. Thanks so much for your help. I fixed it this afternoon. So we will wait and see if I have any takers.

Leslie

Well, now, lostintexas, you have all the lurkers wondering....so won't you please post it for us (once again!)

Be glad to Tabasco. I thought there was a certain liquid you are supposed to use but Frostweed said she just got a tray type thing, placed in compost manure and sand, placed rocks on it for them to stand on I guess and fill it with water, drain off excess water and that is it. I was really thinking there was something like salt and another ingredient for the liquid but she just said water. So that it is. Doesn't sound too appetizing does it? Cow manure, sand, rock and water. Anyways, I fixed mine up. It is pretty but have not seen any takers on it yet.

Hope that helped Tabasco.

Leslie

LOL well, that is a rather plain recipe-- I have read about molasses, and gatorade and white wine and mashed bananas and keep it for a week in a trash can and all kinds of stuff.

Today I put out a piece of Israeli melon (overripe) with some hummingbird nectar and molasses sprinkled on it...the butterflies started dive bombing me as I came out the door...

Wow getting dive bombed by the BF's. That is exciting. The only thing to have ever dive bombed me are those dang blue jays when they think you are getting too close to their babies. I swear the blue jay is responsible for at least 55% of squirrel deaths at least around here. They chase them across the streed and then the squirrel gets run over. Those birds are mean. Beautiful but mean. Don't know why they cannot be more like the cardinal. Beautiful and peaceful with a beautiful twerp. So Tobasco what is the secret for keeping flies off a concoction like yours? Everytime I put anything out that closely resembles some kind of fruit or overrip anything I get more flies than anything and we don't need more flies. Is there a secret or do you just take the good with the bad?

Leslie

I think you take the good with the bad. You'll probably have more flies than butterflies but oh well.

I put out a rotten banana concoction last week and it was full of flies, no bfs at all. I forgot to bring it in that night so something bigger ate it all....mice, rats or raccoons, or a little of all.

So, I am trying the mud recipe and hope it attracts just the bfs.

Blue Jays are mean! But beautiful.
One time I was walking in the back and they started dive bombing me, scared the .... out of me. Then I saw one of their babies had fallen out of the nest and I didn't think it was still alive. So I had to figure out how to get it and bury it. I tried the hose over my shoulder hoping they would think it was a snake lol It didn't work, by that time they had gotten some of their friends together and there were more of them! Eventually I figured out to go at night when they couldn't see me and that worked. Boy, are they noisy too, when there's a bunch of them!

One concoction is water, salt and fish emulsion, but I have had no takers from it. Another is a mash with beer, bananas and something else, but again, no interest from the butterflies.

I know flygirl. That is what I am talking about. Those things have dive bombed my cats, me. I mean I can appreciate being a protective parent but really. I personally don't know anyone who goes out purposely to take baby Blue Jays but I guess they have their predators also. They just scare me. And then they come and eat out of my feeder anytime they please and then are so mean. But that is nothing compared to the squirrels. I have one feeder that I put bird seed on but it is the expensive kind with the nuts and berries in it. I put it up there just for the squirrels. I know some think I am crazy. One squirrel is there every day when I am putting it up. He actually gripes at me because I am taking so long. I mean this guy is like two inches from me telling me to hurry up. Then when I get the food up there and he starts eating he keeps turning around and griping at me the whole time. Cracks me up but talk about unappreciative.

And TropicalKaren. Yours is actually the one I was looking for, water, salt and fish emulsion. I could not remember that one. But I guess if it does not work I won't worry about it. I cannot believe the butterfly brew has not worked for you. Everyone says that works great. I am not going to try that one though as I am not good with explosives. lol. Well so far still no takers that I have seen on my mud hole. At least it is not ugly and the flies really don't like it. I was really curious about the flies because I set out a plate of fruit one day thinking I was all that and I was going to get every butterfly in the world. My brother-in-law was around and said he heard a buzzing like a train going through the back yard and could not figure out what it was. Then he saw my fruit plate full of flies and almost had a cow. He told me all he does is try to keep the flys out of the back yard and out of the house and I had brought them in by the thousands. I laughed so hard but I did throw away the fruit plate and have not tried it since. Every picture I see on here there are never any flies so I was just wondering.

Leslie

Well, I know what you mean about the fly situation, but they aren't too bad here. I read somewhere that the Hummingbirds like the flies and we have a lot of those, so maybe that's what keeps them in check.

To tell the truth, though, I don't put out the melon/mash/brew often because it isn't that popular with the bf s. I am always tempted to try it again and again, though, just to see if it works. I get enough butterflies as it is (knock on wood). I did read in an Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources booklet that the mash was mostly good here in the spring for the frittilaries (I think). I did get a gold finch drinking out of a mud puddle today, though, and he was cute.

I do put on the sprinklers in the evening on these very hot days for the butterflies and hummingbirds. They seem to really like it.

I can do without the bluejays. I don't think ours are as evil (?) as the western scrub jays, but still intimidating and sometimes deadly to the cute songbirds.

I would pass on the concoctions too if I had fly and pest problems.

Good luck.

Thanks Tabasco. I am afraid I will have to pass on them I guess.

You mention your blue bird. As I have said we have the blue jays here. But I know there is a "blue bird" somewhere because I see birdhouses for them all the time. Why they sell them here I don't know because all we get are the blue jays. But the blue birds are very pretty and I would actually prefer those.

So a gold finch was drinking out of your mud puddle today? How cute is that. I have finally gotten some finches in my yard but I usually only get the red variety not the yellow. And as for turning on my sprinklers at night, we here in Abilene have been on watering restrictions for like 6 years. So we can only water twice a week with sprinklers. Having said that I would love to water down the little guys but would get a pretty hefty fine for doing when it is not my night to water. I tell ya the odds are stacked against me here. lol.

Leslie

Hi, again, lost-- sorry to hear about water restrictions. We had them when we lived in CA, too. Here, I just try to be careful with water use and only water what needs to be watered. I don't use the 'automatic' settings on the irrigation...

I put out another 'mixture' for the BFs today just to see how much action it gets....mainly over-ripe apricots, sugar water (nectar), molasses, and then for good measure I sprinkled a little sea salt on it. Placed it all on some bricks in a bird bath and put a little water in the bird bath too... We'll see...

Lots of other butterflies out there, though.

I looked up the TX monarch migration map since my brother from Austin was asking about it. I am not sure where Abilene is but it sounds like TX gets its monarchs in the fall.... http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/texas_nature_trackers/monarch/migration/

Do you have good luck attracting them?





This message was edited Aug 11, 2007 8:00 AM

Abilene is smack dab between Lubbock and Dallas/Ft. Worth. And we get an awesome migration through here. We even have a set up at the local zoo and they really get a lot to where the trees are covered and you cannot even see the trees. I think last year was the most I had ever seen. I just sit in the backyard and watch them go by. It is cool because you can be watching a spot in the sky watching one pass and keep watching the same spot and withing seconds another one comes into view. It is just constant. Some stopped and stayed awhile last year but I did not have the set up I have this year. This year I have the milkweed out for them and some nectar plants so hopefully they will stay a little longer. Even if they don't it is just a thrill to watch them come through. I am very, very fortunate to be in the migration path. So even if I only get four butterflies the rest of the year I can look forward to October. So I would assume your brother gets a lot too? And plants grow so well in Austin that I bet they stick around there a good while. Wish you could be a part of that event as it is one for the ages.

Leslie

Forgot to ask you to let me know how your concoction goes with the little guys. Sounds good enough for me to eat so they should like it. But I would be really interested to know if they do so I can try it. Thanks.

Leslie

This message was edited Aug 9, 2007 8:38 PM

Leslie, you make me SO envious, I'd LOVE to see all those monarchs passing thru in the fall, that sounds so darned wonderful!!!!!! You're so LUCKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The closest I've ever come to seeing a good sized flock of them was up in Maine, on a little lovely island called Monhegan; we were hiking around and came upon a cloud of them all over the asters, it was enchanting!!! But nothing like what you see there!!!! Maybe you can give us reports this October, and share photos (please??). I am SO envious!!

All of these brews sound interesting, I would like to try them but I'm a little disappointed in the rotting banana incentive: doesn't seem to excite my butterflies! The first day I saw a red banded hairstreak on it, which was great, and then that evening a fig beetle enjoyed it, but nothing since then. For all my trouble, the biggest reaction was from DH: "I'm buying bananas for butterflies now???" I can just imagine telling him he has to share his beer with them! But beer mixed with molasses, how could they resist that?

I will be thrilled to share my experiences come October with you guys. For once I will have something exciting to talk about. Hopefully I might be able to manage the digital camera by then also.

And Thea I am surprised about your banana mixture because when you first placed it out you had several BF's on it. Then nothing, huh? So disappointing. Finicky little bugs. We try so hard to please them and they just string us along. LOL. Oh well, we know you are having much luck with the dill, aren't you girl?

Leslie

lost-- well, get busy learning your digital cam because we will all want to see some pics of your monarch migration! LOL I have only read about such things on the internet and have tried to find out if anything like that happens around here with no luck.

You will be all set for their arrival then, with your new garden. Should be lots of fun!

My brother and his family aren't really into butterfly gardens, but since his visit they are more interested. He told me about the monarchs that cover trees on the golf course near their home--sounded spectacular, too.

I sent him this Texas utterfly article http://texasnature.blogspot.com/2003/10/october-is-butterfly-month-in-south.html

Great article Tabasco. Glad to see you are getting your brother interested in the BF's. And Wow I did not know Texas was the larges butterfly state. Could not tell from my backyard LOL. But luckily we are right on the way to Mexico for the Monarchs. I promiseyou guys I will be practicing with my camera. It is just not a very good camera. My cell phone camera takes better pictures. Then I need to practice how to download to this site. I know there is a test page I found just for that which I think is great. Yall are getting me all excited about October not that I am not usually excited anyways because that is the month that is actually starts to cool down around here. (not a hot weather person). I just cannot believe that I get to experience something that others do not. I really don't guess I ever realized this was not happening all over. So it is all pretty cool to me since I don't have any other exciting stuff happening in my yard. The migrating Monarchs are a wonder to behold and should get their place in the wonders of the world if you ask me but no one ever does. So I promise you girls and guys I will be working frantically to get set up to where I can share some pics and stories with you when the time comes since I have gotten to enjoy all of your stories so much this summer.

And I guess back to the topic of this thread, you reckon they will like my mud hole? Doubt it. No one else has. But hopefully, and I mean hopefully, I will have some plants for them to enjoy this year. That would make me very happy indeed.

Leslie

Well, you know what they say: Build it and they will come!

Or something like that!

I haven't seen any real 'puddling' in my garden, either. Once I saw some swallowtails on the wet (cement) driveway...

About the camera and picture taking...no matter how bad my pictures are, I find that Picasa (a free download from Google) can fix them up to a decent standard. It's easy too. Here's the website if you are interested...

http://picasa.google.com/features/index.html

Thanks so much Tabasco. Will check it out.

Leslie