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Raising Butterflies As A Hobby Part 2

© Diana Pederson

Hi:

If you're just joining us, we are listening to an interview with four people who raise butterflies for a hobby. Please click on "previous" at the top of this article to see the first part of the interview.

Welcome back Melany, Stan, Sue and Gerald.

Diana: If the gardener is in a wheelchair or otherwise limited in mobility, is this a feasible activity? What suggestions would you have on making it possible?

Melany: I think it's a feasible activity for a wheelchair bound person. I'd suggest putting the aquarium on a low table where they can reach inside to change food, clean, etc... Parsley, etc.. can also be grown in a container, making accessibility easier.

Stan: It is feasible provided they do container gardening with the containers at a proper height. They should also have enough plants to be able to clip off clippings for the caterpillars they are raising without totally destroying a plant should they wish to raise quantities of butterflies throughout the season. Caterpillars are eating machines and will require adding fresh food plant on a daily basis and even more frequently if they are raising a large quantity of caterpillars.

Sue: This is very feasible. I read about raised beds in small squared areas. This made it possible for easy reaching into the garden for weeding and deadheading, and moving about the garden itself.

Gerald: I would suggest using light plastic containers for holding larvae while they feed. I would think that heavy enclosures, such as the often-used aquarium, would present some challenges when it comes to performing the required routine of keeping the container clean. It is very important that the containers be cleaned daily to prevent bacterial and fungal infections.

Diana: Does this activity help to benefit butterfly population levels within a particular area?

Melany: I think it does, provided you use local butterflies, not bought or imported ones. Butterflies lay many eggs, because in the wild, predators are everywhere. Not many eggs will survive to become mature butterflies, in the wild. I bring the eggs inside on a parsley clipping, Put the clipping in damp soil until it hatches ,then care for the caterpillar. When I release my butterflies, I'm confident that I've caused more butterflies to be in my butterfly garden.

Stan: Definitely, since they are likely to have around a 95% success rate whereas in the wild, the success rate for a caterpillar is a lot lower due to weather and predators.

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