How to grow a butterfly at home?

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 their 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 food or water, 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 has emerged from its cocoon, it will be able to 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 paws so that it sits 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 period. 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.
   • The situation with moths is 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 vendor. In most cases, there are many varieties in these stores for all tastes, moreover, 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, take some time to research the plants in your garden. Try all possible methods, and only as a last resort, contact the 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, it means that it lacks 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 tracks, 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. After you have some experience in growing butterflies, you can try to carefully 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. It is better to make the outer wall of the future house of glass or transparent, safe plastic. The rest of the walls can be built from 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 suspended on these perches. In a corner of one of the dark walls, put several branching sticks, on which the newly hatched beauty will dry the wings.

When buying dolls, firms give a guarantee of only 80% of what you get 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 if there is good advertising, you can earn completely different money. 000 2014-03-31

I want to have butterflies at home. Isn't it difficult to maintain them and where to buy them?

Tatiana Novikova, Cherkassy

Most types of butterflies can be bred at home. Their maintenance does not require special costs and efforts, however, there is one "but": these insects do not live long - on average, two weeks.

Caterpillar care

Adult tropical butterflies are mainly sold as a spectacular "fireworks" gift, and their caterpillars and pupae are sold at home. The easiest way to make such a purchase is via the Internet. If you purchased caterpillars, place them in a 5-liter jar or aquarium, line the bottom with soft, absorbent paper, and cover the jar with gauze or netting. Put the leaves on top: in the spring, fruit, oak and birch leaves are perfect for this role, and in the cold season, soft indoor plants - azalea, begonia, hibiscus - will do. The main thing is that they are not dry. And you also need to place a twig in the aquarium, hanging from which future butterflies will pupate. Install it so that it holds securely and does not fall. As for drinking, your pets will get all the necessary liquid with food.

Caterpillars, place in a 5 liter jar or aquarium

Chrysalis transformation

From the bottom of the aquarium, it is necessary to regularly remove droppings - a source of mold and disease. Do this when you change dry leaves for fresh ones. And keep the container moist by spraying it in the morning and in the evening with a spray bottle (do two zips from a distance of 30 cm). Do not worry when the caterpillars molt: this usually happens 4-5 times, and after the last molt, they stop eating, become slow and begin to change color. All this suggests that they are preparing to become pupae. After a couple of weeks, and sometimes months, they will turn into butterflies, which will begin to spread their wings. Make sure that they have something to hang on, otherwise the wings will not be able to form correctly, and they will die.

Butterflies love honey (1 drop in 1 teaspoon of water).

Adult butterflies

When the butterflies begin to flutter around the aquarium, it's time to move them into a cage with a small distance between the twigs. These creatures do not like imprisonment and can damage their fragile wings against the walls of the container, trying to get out. Therefore, the cage should be spacious enough. Be sure to put a couple of potted plants and a feeder in it - a small saucer with a solution of honey (1 drop per 1 tsp of water), which must be changed every day. Also, do not forget to spray the butterflies, because they can die from the drying out of the wings.

Do not forget to spray the butterflies, because they can die from the drying out of the wings. Photo uCoz

The largest known butterfly, Attacus aitas, has a wingspan of 30 cm, which is why it is often confused with a bird. Of course, it is not necessary to take this particular type to start your business. Breeding butterflies at home as a business can be started with small, but beautiful and bright individuals.

Demand for butterflies

This type of insect is most popular with agencies involved in organizing various kinds of events - weddings, anniversaries, children's parties. Among the consumers of such a service, there are also ordinary citizens who are ready to give a lot of money for a living gift. After all, the price for one butterfly can reach up to two thousand rubles, but rarely does anyone order only one.

Tropical butterflies are gradually replacing wedding pigeons released into the air during the celebration.

Sales features

Preparation of butterflies for an event requires some experience. To do this, they are slightly cooled, thereby depriving them of the desire to fly. After cooling, the insects are placed in a beautiful package or envelope and delivered to the client. After opening the package, the butterflies fly upward, resembling multi-colored fireworks.

The more butterflies the client orders, the less the cost of one individual will be. For example, the purchase of two or three butterflies will cost on average from 3 to 5 thousand rubles, while when ordering more than 50 insects, their total price will be about 30,000-35,000 rubles. Everything will depend on the type of tropical insect.

All it takes to grow a butterfly farming business is patience and a desire to make money.

How to get started

In order for butterfly breeding as a business to generate income and develop fruitfully, it is necessary to build a clear plan for translating the idea into reality.

What should you pay special attention to?

Purchase of raw materials

The life cycle of a butterfly includes four stages: an egg, a caterpillar, a pupa, and an insect. But before turning into a pupa, the caterpillar needs a large number of plant leaves. Therefore, breeding butterflies, taking into account their full cycle, is a rather difficult business that requires a lot of money and time.

The best option would be to purchase ready-made pupae through specialized enterprises. The price of one doll ranges from $ 3 to $ 15. The purchase of raw materials should be made at least every two to three weeks, in quantities of hundreds or more. Everything will depend on the season and order flow.

The need for frequent purchases is due to the fact that even with the most correct care, tropical butterflies do not live long. It is necessary to take into account the possible marriage in the form of dead pupae or hatched butterflies with defects. Before making a purchase, you should study the features of each type of butterfly.

Breeding conditions

To grow butterflies, you do not need to create special laboratories or purchase production facilities. All that is required is to purchase aquariums and create optimal living conditions for insects for their development.

Depending on the species of Lepidoptera, containers of different sizes will be required. The air should be more than 70% humidity, the temperature should be 28-30 ° C.

Tropical plants are grown in the aquarium, which have a beneficial effect on the process of converting pupae into insects. To maintain the climate, you will need to purchase humidifiers and a split system.

Pupae require separate care. They are stored in a special chamber at a temperature not exceeding + 22 ° C. Their maturity should be checked daily, which manifests itself as a darkening of the pupa and its acquisition of softness. The ready-to-transform pupae are hung on a string by the tail, attached to the wall of the aquarium and sprayed several times a day. At birth, butterflies may not be able to emerge from the cocoon, so you should monitor them and, if necessary, gently help.

What to feed

These Lepidoptera feed on nectar from plants and fruits. For example, cut oranges, bananas or natural honey diluted with water are suitable as food: 1 drop of honey is added to 10 drops of water. You won't have to spend a lot on food.

Security

Moths are very fragile, so touching them is undesirable. The design on the wings can easily be erased by the touch of human skin. All equipment is placed in such a way that butterflies do not fall into a narrow space and do not start beating their wings.

What types to breed

The following types of butterflies are considered unpretentious and available for breeding:

• cabbage butterfly;
• swallowtail;
• angler;
• hives;
• different tropical species.

Marketing Approaches

There are several ways to profit from breeding butterflies:

• Creation of a special park where exotic insects will be demonstrated as exhibits. The admission fee should not be set too high to attract more visitors.
• Sale of live butterflies. The most profitable option in the business. You can use your own apartment to grow insects. The price for one butterfly can vary from 500 to 2,000 rubles. The main thing is to organize advertising correctly so that as many people as possible learn about the service.
• Creation of paintings. It is not always possible to sell all grown butterflies. In order not to lose your investment, you can start making volumetric paintings with butterflies. Such a product can be sold at a cost of 1,000 to 10,000 rubles, depending on the type of butterfly and the size of the painting.
• Wholesale trade. Ready-made butterflies can be sold to dealers, who will find their own retail sales paths. Unused butterflies can be dried and sold to collectors.

As you can see, breeding butterflies at home is a waste-free business with almost zero competition.

Investment and return on investment

The amount of funds to invest in business development will depend on its scale. If the entire process of work is planned to be organized at home, then the purchase of equipment may require about 150-250 thousand rubles. The business will pay off on average in a year with the active sale of butterflies.

In the case of organizing a park for conducting excursions, the costs can be up to 2 million rubles: they will include renting premises, remuneration of personnel, equipment.

Keeping butterflies at home: Video

Growing tropical butterflies as a business idea

1 equipment for hatching butterflies

Tropical butterflies as a business idea

Breeding butterflies at home (laboratory) conditions