What’s a Butterfly Feeder? How to Make One
Image by Sourav_85 via Flickr
It’s great to have a butterfly garden and watch those fluttering ‘rainbows of color’ flitting gracefully from flower to flower a short distance away from you. But here’s how you can get the butterflies to visit you really up close as you sit on your front porch or stand at the window.
You hang a butterfly feeder near to where you sit or stand. A butterfly feeder not only supplements the butterflies’ nectar supply but will also attract them to visit you really close. You can either purchase a ready-made butterfly feeder or even make one at home yourself. It’s quite simple.
Find a small empty jar with a lid. Puncture a hole into the lid. Now stuff the hole with cotton.
Mix 8 parts of water with 1 part of honey. (Some experts say sugar is more effective than honey, but frankly, both serve the purpose). Heat the water and honey mixture in a pot. Stir well. Then let the pot stand to cool off.
Once the mixture is cooled enough, pour it into the jar. Take some brightly colored cloth pieces. Cut and fold them into oval pieces, stick them like the petals of a flower to the rim of the jar.
Now hang the jar sideways, at the edge of your porch or at your window. Make sure the drops of honey-water mixture seep out through the cotton. Attracted by the bright cloth petals on the jar, the butterflies will soon come visiting and drink the ‘artificial’ nectar. (By hanging the jar sideways, you ensure that the butterflies have a perch to sit on while they drink).
Tags: Butterflies, Butterfly, Garden, Home, Insects, Outdoors, Recreation, Wildlife