Saturday 3 November 2012

Get Butterflies To Come To You

By Fred Murnow


With the right plants and flowers and some research you can attract butterflies to your location with ease. There are over 15,000 different types of these winged creatures that we already know about. Scientists have broken butterflies into various families. Pieridaes Butterflies, better known as the whites or Suphors as many of their wings are white or yellow, are very common. Another type, Lycaenidae Butterflies, better known as coppers or blues, are small but extremely beautiful but are more difficult to attract.

You can bring butterflies to you with feeders but the easiest and most productive choice are planting flowers with the right colors that attract them. While each species may have preferences on which plants best attract them, using the right colors is vital. Colors such as reds, yellows and purples work very well to attract adults. Check your region to make sure the flowers you plant are native or they will not do well. Hardy plants like butterfly bush or milkweed are great choices and are sure to get noticed.

Each species of butterfly live in different parts of the world so it makes sense to research which ones live in your specific region. Look on-line or talk to your local garden specialist to learn which are most common and what they prefer to feed on and eat. Getting them to stay requires providing some kind of host plant on which their young can consume. Viceroy butterflies, for example, prefer willows, cottonwood, and aspen trees while monarch butterflies prefer foods like milkweed.

Sunlight is also crucial to attracting butterflies since they feed on nectar in the full sun. Also, many of the plants required to attract them will also require full or partial sun to flower properly. Try to plant in a sunny part of your yard that at least gets sun during the morning and early afternoon hours. You should also avoid the use of pesticides on your newly planted garden as these can easily kill not only the butterflies, but any caterpillars that consume plant matter.

A butterfly garden can be a fun and rewarding project. If researched and executed properly, you can bring these winged creatures to your yard year after year. Do your homework and find out exactly which plants are best suited for your area and how to care for them. Try and pick perennials that will come back every year to reduce maintenance. Not only can you create a beautiful garden area for yourself but attract and feed a wide variety of insect wildlife.




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