In the animal kingdom, there are species that are highly valued by man and, precisely because of this fact; many of them are in danger of extinction today. For example, the mandrill, the polar eyes, the lemurs, the common chimpanzee, the panda bear, the tigers, the vultures and many more.
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Every year, dozens of animals are in danger of disappearing permanently, one of them, strange as it may seem, is the monarch butterfly. This type of butterfly feeds on milkweed. This is a toxic plant that makes them poisonous to some of their predators.
However, man has been responsible for spreading herbicides, which destroy hundreds of hectares of this food source every year. By running out of food, your chance of survival is exponentially reduced.
Butterflies are fragile animals, but at the same time, very strong. Every year, monarch butterflies make a spectacular migratory journey that stretches from Canada and the northern part of the United States to Mexico and California. In this way, they are responsible for covering all the forests with their beautiful colors.
Actually, there is nothing cuter than seeing butterflies in a garden. Not only does it convey a pleasant feeling of well-being, but it also conveys peace, as it makes us feel closer to nature.
Would you like to see butterflies in your garden more often? Is there a way to attract them? How can you do it? If you find this idea attractive and ingenious, we encourage you to continue reading this short article.
In it you will find everything you need to know to beautify your garden with the presence of these fascinating animals, one of the most valued by all due to their colors, sizes and designs on their wings. Let’s see right now some simple tricks to attract them.
Instructions to attract butterflies to my garden
If you want to decorate your garden with them or enjoy observing them while you work on it, you must carefully follow the following instructions:
- Identify which species of butterflies are native to the area where you live. Butterfly species vary greatly in diet, size, and migration. By knowing which ones live in your community, you will be able to coordinate your efforts to successfully attract them.
- Coordinate the colors of your garden. Adult butterflies appreciate vibrant colors such as red, orange, yellow, pink, and purple. You can plant varieties of flowers of these colors in your garden. Make sure they have a smooth upper part or are small in a tubular shape, since they are preferred by butterflies, such as sunflowers.
- Plant them in strategic places. In general, the sources of nectar that butterflies tend to frequent are where there is a lot of sunlight from morning to mid-afternoon.
- Adult butterflies do not like to feed in the shade. Therefore, select different varieties of flowers that have a lot of sunlight and plant them in the places where it reaches them best. This way you will see how the butterflies perch on them to feed.
- Avoid chemicals and insecticides. This includes those that are classified as ecological, since both the butterflies and the larvae are very sensitive to their influence. Also, keep an eye out for plants you buy at garden centers, as they may have been treated with pesticides or other substances that are toxic to butterflies and other pollinating insects.
Now that you know some basic instructions for butterflies to come to your garden, what else do you need to know to achieve it?
What do you need to attract butterflies to my garden?
To enjoy the presence of butterflies you will need to do the following:
- Offer them protection. Butterflies have many natural predators. Therefore, it is vital that you provide places where they can hide. These places can be: a small tree, a bush, etc. At the same time, you will make your garden look much more welcoming.
- Provide them with plenty of food. Just as humans enjoy certain foods, butterflies also have their own particular preferences. Remember that there is no single plant that attracts all kinds of butterflies.
- However, you can investigate which are the preferred plants of the native species of butterfly that lives in your area. In this way, they will not be able to resist the temptation and will succumb to it.
- Set up feeders. These are small structures much like those used to feed humming birds.
- They provide them with nectar and have small slits that allow them to enter the butterflies to protect themselves from predators and the elements of nature, such as gusts of wind and rain. In addition, they are a very nice decorative object for your garden.
- Build them a runway. You’ve probably noticed that butterflies often perch on flowers, branches, and smaller twigs. Being there, they enjoy the sunlight, and the sun provides them with orientation and the necessary shelter for their wings so that they can fly.
To build them such a landing strip, you just have to scatter a few smooth stones all over your garden. Especially in those areas where you notice that there is more sunlight. These will be excellent places for the butterflies to perch and rest from their flight.
If you do these things, you can be sure that you will see butterflies in your garden much more often than before. But, what other recommendations should you take into account? Let’s see a few more.
Tips to attract butterflies to my garden
Don’t feel self-conscious if you think your garden is too small for butterflies to live in. There are actually different ways to maximize it. For example, you can place pots of different sizes, colors, textures and materials and plant different types of flowering and fruit plants in them.
If you don’t have much floor space, you can also take advantage of the roof of your patio to place your favorite plants in hanging pots. In reality, the possibilities are endless; you just have to let your imagination run wild.
Butterflies need food at their disposal from early spring to late summer. It is important to note that many varieties of butterflies will feed on the sugar found inside fruit that has fallen from the tree.
For that reason, the best thing you can do is not pick it up. Pears, apples and rotten berries are among the most popular in the butterfly world.
In general, it is very difficult for them to feed on those fruits that are still too hard. Therefore, the best thing you can do for them is to leave them on a compost heap and let them mature enough. Actually, the more mature they are the better for the butterfly.
Since butterflies can’t exist without caterpillars, you need to support their proliferation by letting your garden get a little out of control around the edges. Since the larvae like to feed on thistles, nettles, mongrels, as well as ivy, you will need to allow some less popular wildflowers to grow. Such a sacrifice will make you enjoy a larger number of butterflies.
Remember that the best way to attract butterflies to your garden is by observing your surroundings. Doing this will give you a chance to notice if you have plants that are of their choice. You could even plant those that they use to lay their eggs.
Likewise, if you become familiar with the butterflies that exist in your region, you will be able to find out what their habits are and favor their arrival by conserving and helping in their mission of pollinating. You will also be able to determine what their arrival months are to optimize their visit to your garden, which is of great importance for the environment and for society in general.
