Butterfly Gardening | |||
Problems you may encounter with a butterfly garden Every joy comes with a down side and so it is with butterfly gardens. Butterflies have their ‘enemies,’ predators like wasps, spiders, ants, flies and mantids. One way to control them is with traps. Do not use pesticides; they will kill off butterfly larvae, spelling the end of your garden. Butterflies get sick too, with bacterial and viral infections. If pesticides are not being used, plants may fall prey to true bugs and aphids. Some solutions involve releasing ladybugs to eat up aphids and rinsing pest-infested plants with a mild solution of water and a bleach-free, dishwashing detergent solution (remember to shift caterpillars elsewhere before rinsing). In a small set-up, larvae can munch through the food available before metamorphosis happens, a common issue with Monarch butterflies. Savvy gardeners often place a pumpkin slice to supplement the larvae’s usual diet. | |||
Butterfly attracting plants Some of the plants that attract butterflies are milkweed, honeysuckle, daisies, sunflowers, lavender, yellow sage, marigold, hibiscus and day lilies. To get a great butterfly gardening going, it’s important to have a wide range of plants. Explore your locality and identify the butterflies that frequent it. Find out which plant species they use for making nectar. Armed with sufficient information, it’s easier to decide which flowers to plant. Butterfly gardening adds another dimension to an age old hobby. It is yet another joyful way to connect to nature. |