How to grow butterflies at home?

We got a question from Tatiana: “How can you grow a butterfly at home? How long does she live in captivity? "

Cats, dogs, parrots, reptiles, fish, even spiders and cockroaches ... All these pets at home are no longer a rarity. But you want something new, unusual and beautiful! And butterflies will give you just such feelings. Because today you can admire them not only in nature, but also at home.

How to grow a butterfly at home

In fact, caring for a butterfly is not difficult. The main thing that is required from the owner of future beauty is patience. As you know, butterflies go through several stages in their development:

• eggs;
• caterpillars;
• pupae;
• butterflies.

There are several ways to start breeding butterflies.

Also read: How is the preparation of standard roses for winter

You should know that the pupae of moths turn into a mature individual in the ground: for them it will be necessary to cover the bottom with a layer of soil.

• Before the pupation process itself, the behavior of caterpillars changes: they stop eating, begin to behave restlessly.
• When the caterpillar hangs from the branch, you will notice how it begins to wind a cocoon around itself. When she is completely in the cocoon, you can start counting. You will soon have real live butterflies!
• Having got out of the chrysalis, the butterfly will hang on a branch for some time to spread its wings. If there are no branches nearby, and the butterfly does not spread its wings on them, it will not be able to fly.
• Feeding an adult butterfly is very simple: they eat honey or sugar (mixed with a little water), fresh fruit, and even fruit with rotten foulness.

Captive breeding

A couple of days after the "birth" of butterflies can be mated. But for mating you will need several generations of butterflies, because males hatch a little earlier than females (by a few days). Remember that on the fourth day of life, butterflies will no longer be able to reproduce.

For the mating itself, you will need a room, from three meters in height, for the free movement of butterflies, an insectarium. In the room, you need to create a high temperature - 28-30 degrees Celsius. Take care of sufficient humidity as well.

In addition to food for the butterflies themselves, there should be a fodder plant in the insectarium (many butterflies do not mate if it is not around).

You may also be interested in the article in which we talked about how to make a butterfly feeder. In addition, in this material we talked in more detail about what butterflies eat and how you can make a nutrient mixture for them.

How many butterflies live

At home, butterflies live longer - from one to three weeks. In nature, however, only a few days.

How to care for butterflies (video)

As you can imagine, butterflies at home are an excellent outlet for natures who appreciate beauty. You will get only pleasure and pleasant sensations from butterflies.

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Butterflies have always been exotic representatives, which cannot be said about reptiles, aquarium inhabitants and predatory animals, which are increasingly being brought in apartments as pets. Most people like moths for their wing shape, varied colors, beauty, sophistication and lightness.Breeding butterflies at home does not imply any difficulties, since they are not demanding in their care.

In order to contemplate this beauty at home, you just need patience.
To become the owner of such pets, you can do this: grow it yourself, or buy butterflies at a farm and nursery. To witness all the life cycles of such pets, you should give preference to the first option, but when choosing the second method, all these steps will be skipped.

The beginning of the process

Butterflies are representatives of insects that go through holometamorphosis, that is, a full cycle of transformation, therefore, breeding butterflies implies that they go through all 4 stages:

• The first stage is the appearance of an egg;
• The second stage is the birth of a caterpillar from an egg;
• The third stage is the formation of the pupa;
• The fourth stage is the emergence of a butterfly from the pupa.

Before you start breeding butterflies, you need to find the right specimens. The task is quite difficult, since finding caterpillar eggs is not so easy due to their small size, which may well mean half a millimeter. To be able to get the eggs you want, you should track the butterfly as it can lay eggs in as little as 1 or 2 seconds. And, therefore, even slightly touching a leaf, a butterfly can leave its offspring there. However, finding a ready-made doll is also quite likely.

A fairly large number of representatives of these insects can be located in dry leaves, ground, between boards and other places. To grow a caterpillar butterfly at home, you must also take into account the season. Since if you find pupae in their natural environment during the end of the autumn period, they should certainly be placed in the refrigerator for a couple of days. From such pupae, which catch the eye in nature, not only butterflies, but also hymenoptera insects can appear, therefore, you need to be careful and careful when choosing such specimens.

Caterpillars

The main difference between the caterpillar, which will later become a butterfly, is the presence of three pairs of front legs. The tracks should not be handled as they can be injured. Therefore, in order to carry out the transfer of the caterpillar to the place you need, you need to rip off the sheet on which it is located, and then move it with a cotton swab.
To witness the whole transformation of such a pet, you can place it in some kind of transparent container or a three-liter jar. However, if you are going to grow domestic butterflies on a more professional level, you should purchase an aquarium that will act as an insectarium.

The bottom of the dwelling of future butterflies can be covered with a small amount of napkins, and you also need to supply the caterpillar with fodder leaves necessary for nutrition. The leaves on which the caterpillar was found are best suited, and they should be changed quite often to avoid drying and decay. To keep vegetation fresh for a longer period, you need to moisten the wipes with a spray bottle.
To avoid escaping, the glass container should be covered with a lid, having previously made holes in it.

When the caterpillar grows to its maximum size, it stops feeding, is freed from excess fluid with the help of liquid excrement, and can also change its color - such actions indicate readiness for pupation.

Rebirth

The appearance of a butterfly from a caterpillar, as well as breeding butterflies at home in general, is a rather fascinating process. The caterpillar produces something like a sticky web, from which it creates a cocoon for itself. Cocoons can be of various types, for example, transparent and soft, or opaque, hard and elastic. The type of its cocoon directly depends on the type of butterfly, for example, moths tend to create their cocoon directly on the ground.On average, pupation lasts only 2 or 3 days. The next step is to take into account which species you are growing, since the pupa of different species can hatch after different times.

For example, wintering pupae - they must be kept in the cold for at least a month, and possibly more. For pupae, you need to create a certain temperature regime, namely 26-28 °, and humidity from 60 to 90%. This will ensure the normal development of the butterfly, as well as keep it from drying out. Therefore, it is extremely important to moisturize the container.

During the appearance of a butterfly, its first action will be to hang upside down, this process allows it to spread its wings and last for several hours. To provide such conditions, you need to place gnarled branches or a strip of toilet paper in the container. If the butterfly does not have the opportunity to hang, thus, its wings will not expand, and, therefore, the insect will not be able to fly.

The best treat for domestic butterflies will be honey or sugar diluted in water. Such pets are tame and do not fear human presence. The main condition is to behave carefully so as not to harm the insect.

Tropical species

Breeding butterflies at home is also possible using tropical species. These species differ from the local ones in a wide variety of colors and color saturation. To grow such representatives, you must first purchase their pupae. Today, purchases can be made via the Internet. The price of butterflies directly depends on their size and type. To acquire tropical species, whose wingspan reaches 12-15 cm, you will need to pay about 3-10 dollars, but pupae of butterflies with wings 8-12 cm will cost 2 dollars. The best place to grow domestic butterflies is a greenhouse or winter garden. But it is also quite possible to use an insectarium, you just need to maintain the required temperature and humidity. Butterfly pupae should be placed in it, and after a few weeks you can admire a wonderful spectacle.

Having figured out how to grow a butterfly at home, you can become not only the owner of exotic inhabitants, but also get an additional source of profit.

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5 parts: Catch the caterpillar Set up a home for the caterpillar Take care of the caterpillar Take care of the butterfly Alternative ways to find caterpillars

Look out the window and see beautiful butterflies fluttering past you. Surprisingly, such beauty emerged from a small garden caterpillar just a couple of centimeters long, which at one time, perhaps, ate the leaves of your favorite roses. Perhaps, when you look at a butterfly, you dreamily think: "Oh, if only you could ...", and then the thought comes to your mind to grow them yourself!

Part 1 Catch the caterpillar

1. Prepare a well-ventilated container.

   Track containers can be found at a pet store or ordered online, or you can make them yourself, for example, from wire mesh (so that the caterpillar can catch on to something). An aquarium or some small jug will also work great, the main thing is to tighten the top with gauze or fine mesh.

   • Do not use a can lid with holes because they do not provide adequate ventilation, and the sharp edges around these holes can injure sensitive tracks.
   • Place some dirt and grass at the bottom of each container if you think the caterpillar might pupate underground. If not, you can put paper towels or a newspaper on it.
2. Look for caterpillars on plants.

   Instead of killing the caterpillar with pesticides or killing it, try turning it into a butterfly (see Warnings). If you are unsure of where caterpillars are most likely to be found, find information online or ask your forester to find out which plants caterpillars live on.It is very important to avoid rare species of caterpillars that may be protected by law. Different types of butterflies live in different places. Here are a few places where they are most likely to be found:

   • Monarch butterfly - spurge
   • Swallowtail butterfly - linder shrub
   • Tiger swallowtail - banana tree (azimina)
   • Thistle - thistle
   • Black swallowtail - parsley, dill, fennel
   • Viceroy butterfly, saturnia cecropia, white admiral - cherry
   • If this is not the season for caterpillars, or you simply don’t have time for it, consider buying a caterpillar from a pet store. We will discuss this in the last section.

Part 2 Set up a dwelling for a caterpillar

1. Pry the caterpillar with a twig.

   It should be a thin branch (ideally the same plant you found the caterpillar on) or some other. Be very careful to handle the caterpillar gently, because it can die if dropped even from a small height.

   • You should not take the caterpillar with your hands for several reasons: firstly, it will then be difficult to place it in its house, because it clings tightly to the surface of the hand. Secondly, the caterpillar will crawl along your hand, and you can accidentally hit it. Third, you may have dirty hands and bacteria can infect the caterpillar, and some caterpillars can be poisonous (see Warnings).
   • Place the sprig and caterpillar in the container. It is important not to discard the twig, as it will be the twig that will pupate.
2. Return to the tree or bush where you found the caterpillar.

   Cut a small twig with leaves from it. Most likely, it is this plant that serves as food for the caterpillar. Before trying to feed a caterpillar, you need to know what it feeds on. Some types of caterpillars (for example, the caterpillar of the Monarch butterfly) prefer only one type of plant (spurge). Other caterpillars can feed on different plants. But keep in mind, caterpillars will starve half to death before they start eating unfamiliar food.

   • If you are not sure about which plant you want, look for information on the Internet, and then look for leaves from the plant on which this caterpillar was sitting, because the caterpillar itself chose this plant.
3. Place the leaves in a container.

   Before placing the caterpillar there, look for spiders and insects in the container, as they can kill the caterpillar. Change the leaves in the container every day because the caterpillar will not feed on dry old leaves. To keep the leaves fresh for a long time, place them in flower tubes filled with water (they are sold in flower shops and are cheap). There is no need to put dishes, a jar or a vase of leaves for the caterpillar there, because the caterpillar may fall there and drown.

   • If the caterpillar is sitting on the leaves that you want to replace, do not try to remove it from there, because the caterpillars adhere tightly to the surface, which can cause its legs to be ripped off. Instead, just add a few more leaves to the container. After some time, the caterpillar will move to a new portion of the leaves, and in the meantime you can remove the old ones.
4. Keep the container outside.

   Place it in an enclosed space, where there is no heat or cold, where it cannot be reached by pets and your loved ones, who may accidentally throw it away or break the container. If you live in dry climates, it is sometimes okay to spray the container with a bullet machine because the caterpillars like humid climates. But don't overdo it, or mold may start to grow in the container.

   • If you want to increase the moisture in the container, cover the top of the container with a plastic bag. Thus, moisture will not evaporate, but will accumulate. This is especially useful advice for growing Monarch butterflies and Viceroy butterflies.

Part 3 Take care of the caterpillar

1. Check how your caterpillar is doing every day.

   Regularly clean the container from excrement, mold.Resist the urge to hold the caterpillar, especially if it is inactive and has changed color, as this may indicate a transformation has begun. Feed your caterpillar fresh food and watch for changes. Soon the caterpillar will pupate and turn into a cocoon, and then into a butterfly.

   • Don't touch the doll. During pupation, she does not need water or food, she only needs a moist environment that you can create from time to time.
   • Caterpillars eat “a lot”. You can place paper towels or newspapers in the container for easy cleaning behind the caterpillar. It is very important to clean up after it in time, because the remaining excrement will begin to rot, which can cause the caterpillar to get sick and die.
2. Watch the behavior of the caterpillar.

   If you start to notice that the caterpillar has changed color or appears lethargic, it is most likely going to molt and form a pupa. During this period, the caterpillar is especially vulnerable, so do not touch it or try to pull it out. You will soon notice that the caterpillar begins to curl.

   • Perhaps the caterpillar just got sick. If you have multiple caterpillars and one of them dies, remove it from the container as soon as possible to avoid infecting healthy caterpillars.
3. The chrysalis should be hanging outdoors.

   Make sure the pupa hangs in the area of ​​the container where there is plenty of space, as it will need room to spread its wings when it emerges from the cocoon, without touching the floor and walls of the container. Butterflies need a lot of room to spread their wings, and the container must be dry for them to fly. If the butterfly cannot spread its wings, it may fall to the ground and not survive.

   • If necessary, move the twig or the object where the doll is hanging to a more suitable place. Again, do everything very carefully. Move slowly and smoothly. You don't want the chrysalis to fall, because then the butterfly will die.
   • If the pupa falls off, attach a piece of paper to the tip of the pupa with hot glue, then wait for it to cool and harden. After that, attach a piece of paper to cardboard or something else and place in a container.
4. Be patient.

   It takes time for a butterfly or a moth to emerge from a pupa, and this time depends on the type of butterfly. If you are very interested, you can try to take a good look at the caterpillar, its colors and some marks, and then look on the Internet or books for information about this species. Some butterflies, such as the Monarch butterflies, emerge from the cocoon after 9-14 days. Some other butterflies can remain in the pupal stage throughout the winter, emerging from the cocoon only in the spring.

   • The only thing you need to do during this period is to create optimal moisture for the pupa and maintain it. The pupa does not need water or food, it only needs a suitable environment.
   • You may see how the pupa changes color. Then it becomes clear that the moment you have been waiting for is about to come. This can happen in an instant, so don't go anywhere if you don't want to miss the appearance of the butterfly. As soon as the butterfly appears, it will hang on the cocoon for about several hours, spreading its wings and finally forming.
   • If the cocoon darkens, it may have died. Try to gently bend it, if it does not return to its previous state, it is most likely dead.

Part 4 Take care of the butterfly

1. Be prepared to feed the emerging butterfly.

   The butterfly will not eat for several hours. At this time, she should spread her wings and let them dry. Once the butterfly is out of its cocoon, it can feed in your garden if it contains flower nectar. Sometimes, butterflies can feed from hummingbird feeders. Some butterflies also feed on ripe fruits in addition to flower nectar. So prepare your butterfly garden.

   • Don't be alarmed if you end up with a moth instead of a butterfly.Moths have the same coloring as butterflies, only it is less intense and colorful, but this does not make the drawing less beautiful. Even different shades of the same color can look really amazing.
2. Observe the butterfly for several hours.

   When the butterfly's wings are dry, you can put your finger under the butterfly's legs to make it sit on it. You can go out into the garden and plant a butterfly on a beautiful flower for great photos. Once you grow a butterfly, you can find out its life span. Keep in mind that some butterflies live for less than a day. Remember this and give the butterflies freedom.

   • To live normally, butterflies must be free. This is only possible if you have a large well-kept garden where they can stay. However, many butterflies leave the gardens and migrate elsewhere. If you want butterflies to live normally, do not take away their freedom.
3. Watch your butterflies loose.

   Some butterflies can live for several days, some will live for only a couple of days and then migrate, and some may stay with you for several weeks. In any case, be happy that you managed to successfully raise butterflies and observe their generation.

   • If you've raised a moon moth, Cecropia bloodworm, or Polyphemus moth, don't worry about feeding them. These curious creatures do not migrate in search of food.

Part 5 Alternative ways to find caterpillars

1. Consider catching an adult female.

   Most adult females are already fertilized and can lay eggs.

   If you catch one such female, you can wait for her to lay her eggs.

   • Place the butterfly in a water bottle (with holes) next to a light source (preferably sunlight). This stimulates her to lay eggs. You can also keep her in a cool, dark place for several days to get used to her new habitat.
   • With moths, things are much simpler. If you've caught an adult female moth, you can place it in a large paper bag, put that bag somewhere, and leave it for a couple of days. She will likely lay eggs on the inside of the bag during this time. Remove the bag without touching the eggs, then carefully transfer them to a more suitable container.
2. Visit the Monarch Butterfly Farm.

   These butterflies are so popular that you can find gardens and farms with these butterflies, where you can catch the caterpillar of the monarch butterfly.

   The garden will help you move the caterpillars into a container without harming them.

   • The only difficulty in growing a Monarch butterfly is that you need to find a spurge that serves as food for them. If spurge does not grow in your area, you will have to buy or grow it to feed the Monarch butterfly.
3. You can buy tracks from a supplier.

   If you can't find caterpillars in your yard, or this is not the right time of year (it varies by location), you can buy caterpillars from a pet store or supplier. In most cases, these stores have a variety of varieties for all tastes, and you will know exactly who you are growing. It seems to be quite easy to grow a burdock because it is easiest for them to choose the right plant.

   • It may not be as exciting as looking for food suitable for a butterfly on your own, knowing that it will really like it. If you can, spend some time researching the plants in your garden. Try all possible methods, and only as a last resort, contact your pet store or supplier for caterpillars.

Advice

• Caterpillars do not need to be watered. They get the liquid they need from fresh, juicy leaves.
• If you are looking for a Monarch butterfly caterpillar, you will find it on a milkweed plant. Cut off the stem because the caterpillar feeds on the stem, and then place the stem and caterpillar in the container.This is usually a guarantee that you will not injure the track during transport.
• Try to find different caterpillars and grow amazing butterflies from them. Try looking for caterpillars that look like bird droppings. They are about the size of an antenna, and when they grow and pupate, they turn into beautiful dark blue butterflies.
• Look for caterpillars in a wide variety of places, not just in your yard. Look for them in the park, in the forest. Plus, it can be a great excuse to go out with your family for a picnic.
• Butterflies and moths are cold-blooded animals. This means that their temperature depends on the ambient temperature. They also feed on nectar.
• The caterpillar may die, but don't be too upset. It takes a little practice and skill to raise caterpillars and butterflies, mainly related to choosing food and creating a favorable habitat for them. Find more information about the types of butterflies you are trying to raise to understand what is best for them. Remove dead caterpillars from the container in time so that the infection that could kill the caterpillar does not infect others.
• Remove the caterpillar every 1-3 days and replace the old leaves with new ones. Then rinse them out, leaving a few drops - this is the source of water for the caterpillars. If you notice that the caterpillar is eating more than usual, then it is lacking in nutrients, try giving it other leaves.
• Moths can live as long as they want in captivity because they don't need to migrate to feed. Despite this, it is still better to give them freedom, because their life is already very short.

Warnings

• Be careful with caterpillars, some of them can be poisonous. The poison is their defense mechanism, so do not touch them with your hands. If the poison gets into the eyes, it can damage the mucous membranes.
• If you decide to buy caterpillars, keep in mind that in many countries this requires a legal permit.
• Do not collect rare endangered caterpillars and butterflies that are endangered and protected by law.
• Beware of brightly spotted, spiked caterpillars as they can be highly venomous. Once you have experience in growing butterflies, you can try to gently transfer such a caterpillar to your container, because they usually grow large, beautiful butterflies.
• Try to collect caterpillars in your region, not outside the city. Don't buy caterpillars from a butterfly breeder. Keep in mind that butterflies that do not live in your area can harm native species of butterflies, they can even crowd out them. Therefore, in some states there are laws against the cultivation of foreign species of animals.
• Many species of butterflies feed exclusively on nettles, so be careful when collecting such caterpillars!

What do you need

• Container (something like an aquarium or a large plastic container for plants, covered with a net on top)
• Flowering plants (those that the caterpillar will feed on)
• About 5 cm of ground (if the caterpillar pupates underground)
• Newspaper or paper towel mat

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Butterflies are the most beautiful insects, at the sight of which any person is touched, and a butterfly flying in the first rays of the spring sun causes wild delight in kids. Science knows several thousand species of butterflies, and they live in almost all warm corners of our planet. Recently, it has become fashionable to use fireworks from live butterflies at weddings or other celebrations. The beauties released into the sky or indoors surprise the guests much more than the already fed up pigeons. At the same time, everyone is visited by the question: "How did the tropical butterflies end up here?" It's simple.It is quite possible to grow the inhabitants of the distant tropics in a city apartment - this is a new line of business from the heading "Business Ideas 2014".

Growing tropical butterflies at home

The best option for growing butterflies is buying their pupae. At the moment, many Russian sites offer services for the sale of butterfly pupae. Most often, orders are accepted for an amount of $ 100 and above. Up to 20 dolls can be purchased for this amount. They are delivered in special foam boxes, sandwiched with cotton wool. Some companies offer free delivery, for example, through train conductors, and some charge up to $ 30 for delivery by rail or up to $ 50 for a passing flight. To whom it is convenient and profitable, everyone chooses according to the circumstances and location.

Before ordering dolls, you need to build housing for them. The insectarium itself can be built with your own hands. It must be equipped with a heater and humidifier. The air temperature should be at least 25 degrees, and the humidity should be about 70%. The house for butterflies should be spacious, therefore, to contain 10 butterflies, the structure must be at least 1 meter high and at least half a meter wide. The outer wall of the future house is best made of glass or transparent, safe plastic. The rest of the walls can be made of plywood or aluminum sheets. In the house, it is necessary to make slats, according to the principle of a perch in a hen house, only fix them under each other at a distance of at least 20 cm. Pupae will be hung on these perches. In a corner of one of the dark walls, put several branchy sticks, on which the newly hatched beauty will dry the wings.

When buying dolls, firms give a guarantee of only 80% that you will receive from butterfly dolls. By creating ideal living conditions for butterflies, you can ensure that they begin to breed in a new home.
Butterflies feed on some sweet fruits, honey, sugar syrup or fruit sweet nectars for baby food. But if the butterflies still deign to breed in their house, then you will have to have a rich supply of greens to feed their voracious caterpillars and even grow some tropical plants in greenhouse conditions.

It is interesting: read our other articles - "Business plan for breeding aquarium fish", "Achatina - a giant African snail" and "Fox Fennec - breeding and sale".

Butterflies as a business ideaLive butterflies can be offered as fireworks at parties for children and adults, or as an addition to a romantic bouquet for a couple in love, packing them in envelopes one or several pieces at a time. The price range is varied here, you can safely start from $ 20 per piece. With good and proper care, butterflies live on average up to 3 weeks, but even after their death they bring good profits to their owners. A properly dried butterfly is sent into a frame under glass and is sold starting at $ 10 apiece to all lovers of beauty. You can also master the technique of making panels from dried butterfly wings, which can be simply invaluable.

Growing exotic butterflies in an apartment is not troublesome and quite profitable. A beautiful insectarium with unusual tenants will always delight the owner and "stop the blood" for guests. With a large-scale breeding of butterflies, you can exhibit at exhibitions, and with good advertising, you can earn completely different money. Rate the article:

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