Silent Steps

What is in a butterfly kit, and what can be done with them?

I guess most children want to ‘grow their own butterflies’ and I suspect a good many adults would like too as well (I’m putting my hand up in the air unashamedly at this point). A butterfly kit will make it easy to experience the fun of raising butterflies either at school or at home. You can raise a handful of butterflies in a small container and you don’t need to be a biologist to do it. No special equipment is required. It is very simple because all that you will really need is sugar.

We will explore all of the different parts that make up the butterfly kit.

There are a number of suppliers out there who provide butterfly kits, but in general, they are almost identical in what they provide:

• Housing of some sort
• Feeder
• Caterpillars
• Pot of food
• Instructions

There are slight differences in housing depending on the manufacturer. It may be made of mesh or plastic;  the latter will contain a clear card. Actual construction of the kit is unimportant. What each one of them offers is a way of holding emerging butterflies safely, as well as a clear view of what is going on inside.

The feeder can vary significantly between manufacturers. Sometimes it’s a dropper or pipette, sometimes it’s a cotton bud to hold liquid. Once again, it’s not really important what is provided because it will be sufficient no matter what it is.

Normally you have to acquire your own caterpillars for the butterly kits. You can request your caterpillars using the coupon that is provided. We have varying reasons for this, the main reason being that you are ready to receive and care for the caterpillars. It’s no good if you get the caterpillars delivered and then you go away for two weeks! This way you can make plans in advance and be sure that you will have an appropriate length of time available before you place your order. Many suppliers will be happy to take a specific date from you on which you would like the caterpillars shipped.

The point being, all you need offer the caterpillars is a dish of food. Please be warned. Harm may come to your livestock along with other detrimental issues if anything else is tried.

There are full instructions provided with all kits, so you’ll know exactly what to do and when.

How can using a butterfly kit benefit you?

The kit will allow you to follow the life cycle of the butterfly, from caterpillar to chrysalis, from chrysalis to butterfly – all in the space of between three to five weeks. Children love taking this fascinating trip of a lifetime. (absolutely, and grown-ups as well) will love them and remember for years to come. The butterflies supplied have a breeding season that runs from March through September, so you may repeat the process as many times as you want during that time frame. The most supplied butterfly is the Painted Lady.

Additionally, you will not have to purchase new butterfly kits every time. You can use the housing again, simply reordering new caterpillars, which makes it an economical exercise to repeat. Remember to release the butterflies after a few days of watching them. If you have plants that butterflies like to visit, they will often stay for several days at a time. There is no ecological problem with releasing these butterflies into your area, they are very common and have no impact on the environment.

Even without a garden or a builtup area you don’t need to worry. Acquiring food finds butterflies traveling hundreds of miles fortunately, flying comes easy to them.

So there it is; butterfly kits and how to use them. My wish is that you have as much fun as I did using one.