Charming, colorful butterflies make the world a more beautiful place, don't you think? There is something magical about investigating their life cycle, which is why raising butterflies from the caterpillar stage is popular in experimental classes. You start with baby caterpillars, feeding them lots of leaves and grooming their cocoons to make sure they stay safe while they transition into butterflies. When young butterflies emerge a few months later, they need plenty of room to stretch their wings and learn to fly. In the end, the adult butterflies can be released into the wild and they can feel the sun, fresh air and flowers.
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Part 1 of 3: Getting Started with Caterpillars
Step 1. Start with the baby caterpillar
If this is your first time raising caterpillars, you may need a caterpillar kit. You can order kits online and choose the type of butterfly species. The kit contains everything you need to raise a caterpillar to a butterfly. If you like, you can look for caterpillars around your neighborhood and give them what they need to become healthy butterflies. It's a little tricky, as you need to find fresh food for them every day, but you'll learn a lot about the native species in your area.
- If you want to purchase a butterfly kit, consider having a butterfly species that can survive in your area when you release the butterfly. Do a little research to find out which butterfly population in your area could be improved.
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If you want to find your own caterpillar, go outside and have a look. Search the following host plants to find different caterpillar species:
Caterpillar/Butterfly Species Host Plant Monarch Milkweed Spicebush Swallowtail Spicebush Zebra Swallowtail Paw-paw Black Swallowtail Dill, fennel and parsley
Step 2. Store the caterpillars in a 3.8 liter bottle covered with cheesecloth
This will keep the caterpillars from crawling away and escaping and providing them with a safe, and well-ventilated environment. You can attach the cloth around the mouth of the bottle with a rubber band to secure the cloth. If you order a butterfly kit, you will get a bottle with a closed vent for your use.
- Put no more than 2 to 3 caterpillars together in one bottle. If they all become butterflies, they need a lot of space when they emerge from the cocoon.
- Caterpillar bottles should be cleaned every day, because caterpillars produce a lot of dirt. If you leave dirt in the bottle, mold can grow, which is unhealthy for the caterpillars. Cover the bottle with a paper towel so you can easily replace it when cleaning the bottle.
- Place a long stick in the bottle so that the caterpillar has a place to climb. When you change paper towels, be careful not to injure the caterpillars. Wait for the caterpillar to climb up the stick, then carefully lift the caterpillar out as you change the paper. It may be more effective to have a second bottle already coated with paper. So you can easily flip the caterpillar over.
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Feed the caterpillars with fresh leaves every day. This isn't necessary if you're using a kit, which has special food for caterpillars provided, but if you find caterpillars in the wild, the caterpillars will need fresh leaves every day. They choose a diet and only eat the leaves of the plants they come from. Remember the type of plant when you find the caterpillars and give them the right fresh leaves.
1553905 3 1 - Caterpillars won't eat old or dry leaves, so it's important to make sure what you're giving caterpillars is fresh. You may want to grow the host plant in a pot so that you always have a supply of fresh leaves.
- The caterpillars get the water they need from the leaves, so there's no need to bottle water.
- If you're not sure what type of caterpillar you have, look in the field guide to find out. If you still can't figure out what type of caterpillar you have, you'll need to release the caterpillar again, as the caterpillars will die if you feed them the wrong way.
Part 2 of 3: Helping Baby Butterfly Fly
Step 1. Keeping the cocoon. A cocoon is a caterpillar that enters the pupa stage, this stage will make the caterpillar go through the transition to become a butterfly
The cocoons will usually be attached to a stick, as the butterflies need to be able to hang themselves when they come out. At this stage, it's your job to keep the bottle environment nice and moist, so the cocoons don't dry out. Use a spray bottle to spray water into the bottle from time to time.
The pupa stage lasts for several months, and during this stage you won't see much activity, but rest assured that the pupa is alive and will soon emerge from the cocoon. If you catch caterpillars in the fall, they will appear in the spring
Step 2. Make sure they are in a good place
If the cocoon isn't attached to a stick, or isn't hanging from a place where the butterfly can lie down, you'll need to move the cocoon to a better place. If the butterflies come out and get too close to the bottom of the bottle, or in a tight spot where they can't hang and stretch their wings, their wings won't form properly and they won't be able to fly.
- If the cocoons are on the wand too close to the bottom of the bottle, you can easily move the wand to a better position. You can also tie the bottom of the stick to another stick to make the stick longer if needed. The cocoons should be near the top of the bottle, hanging from the bottom of the stick.
- If the cocoon is at the bottom of the bottle, you will need to attach the cocoon to a stick. Use glue to glue from one end of the cocoon to the bottom of the stick, then place the stick in a good place.
Step 3. Watch as the butterflies appear
After a few months, the cocoons will turn black or clear, indicating that it's time for the baby butterfly to emerge from the cocoon. This process only takes a few seconds for the baby butterflies to emerge from the cocoon and begin to stretch their wings. They will hang themselves from the bottom of the stick and slowly move their wings, allowing their wings to harden. Again, if they do not have sufficient space to carry out this essential process, their wings will not be fully formed and they will not be able to fly.
- When you notice that the butterfly is about to emerge from the cocoon, make sure the environment in the bottle is nice and moist.
- If the butterfly falls to the bottom of the bottle, don't worry! The butterfly can climb back onto the stick and find a good place to hang itself.
Part 3 of 3: Releasing and Feeding Adult Butterflies
Step 1. Release the butterflies when they start to fly
When the butterflies start flying around the bottle, it's time! Take the bottles out and place them near their plant hosts. Open the bottle and let the butterfly free. Enjoy the fact that you have contributed to the local ecosystem by helping the butterfly population to continue to thrive.
Butterflies have the best chance of survival if you free them, rather than trying to keep them indoors. If it's cold outside or you want to watch the butterflies for a few days, you can keep the butterflies indoors. Put the butterflies in a very large bottle with a few sticks, and give them the sugar solution which will be explained in the next step
Step 2. Feed the butterfly a sugar solution
If you want to feed the butterflies, perhaps because it's too cold outside to release them or you want to watch them while they eat, you can use a small sponge soaked in a 1 sugar to 4 water solution. Butterflies will come to the sugar and taste it with their feet.
- Do not place the sugar solution on a plate or create puddles of the sugar solution, as butterflies can get trapped in the solution by the sticky sugar solution, making it difficult or impossible for the butterfly to fly.
- You can also feed the butterflies a sports drink or fruit juice instead of sugar water.
Step 3. Rescue the sick butterfly
If you see a slow-moving or stumbling butterfly, or a torn butterfly's wings, there are steps you can take to save the butterfly! Always remember to handle the butterfly gently if you try any of the following first aid treatments:
- For butterflies that look weak or hungry , you can save the butterflies by feeding them. Mix the sugar water and soak the sponge in the sugar water. Gently grab me the butterfly between your thumb and index finger, being careful not to pinch too hard. Position the butterfly on the sponge. Butterflies eat through a mouth that is shaped like a curved tube. If the butterfly's mouth is not expanding, you can help to spread the butterfly's mouth toward the food using a toothpick. After the butterfly feels recovered, the butterfly will fly again.
- For a butterfly with torn wings, you can glue butterfly wings to restore their wings. Use a light adhesive. Gently hold the butterfly's body with one hand and use the other to place a small piece of adhesive on one side of the butterfly wing. This will keep the butterfly's wings together and help the butterfly to return to flight.
Step 4. Plant a butterfly garden to care for the butterflies in the long term
If you want your yard to be a butterfly haven, you can help them by planting a garden full of host plants for butterflies and other plants that attract butterflies. Consider growing the following plant species (and many more) to keep the butterflies in your area happy and healthy:
- Milkweed
- Dill
- Fennel
- Parsley
- Bee balm
- Mint (Mint leaf)
- Lavender
- Lilac
- Private
- Sage
- Paper flower
Tips
- Butterfly nectar recipe: Place sugar and water in a ratio of one to four in a saucepan. Boil until it becomes a sugar solution and let it cool.
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Some butterflies eat fruit. Get to know your butterfly breed to find out what your butterflies are eating.
If you are using fruit, do not leave the fruit in the cage for a long time as it can get moldy. It's good to put new fruit in the cage every day
Warning
- The wings of butterflies and moths are very fragile, be careful when you touch them.
- Do not make holes in the metal cap to cover the bottle, as the sharp edges can injure the caterpillars. Use cheesecloth to cover the bottle instead.
