What exactly are butterfly kits and what do you do 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). Well butterfly kits,
as they are called, are the easy way to do just that - allowing you
to raise butterflies in your home or at school. You can raise a
handful of butterflies in a small container and you don't need to be
a biologist to do it. Nor do you need any special equipment. In fact
all you need supply is some sugar - couldn't be easier!
Let's look at what you get in a 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:
- a housing of some sort
- a feeder
- caterpillars
- a pot of food
- instructions
The housing differs slightly between manufacturers. Sometimes it's
a clear card and plastic container, sometimes a mesh of some sort.
The actual construction is unimportant. What they all offer is a
means of safely holding emerging butterflies and a clear view of
what is inside.
The feeder can vary significantly between manufacturers.
Sometimes it's a dropper or pipette, sometimes it's a cotton bud to
hold liquid. Again, it's relatively unimportant what is provided as
whatever it is, will suffice.
The caterpillars are not usually provided with the kit. You often get
a coupon with which you can claim your caterpillars. The reason for
this is to ensure you will be ready to receive the caterpillars and
look after them. It's no good if you get the caterpillars delivered
and then you go away for two weeks! So you can plan ahead and
make sure you have a suitable period before ordering. You can
specify dates to send the caterpillars from many suppliers.
The pot of food is self-explanatory, but to make a point, you do not
need to provide anything else for the caterpillars. In fact anything
else may be detrimental and may harm your livestock, so be
warned.
There are full instructions provided with all kits, so you'll know
exactly what to do and when.
What do you get out of a butterfly kit?
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. It's a fascinating trip and one that
many children (yes, and adults) will enjoy and remember. You can
in fact repeat the process as many times as you like between
March and September which is the normal breeding season for the
butterflies supplied. The Painted Lady butterfly is the most common
butterfly supplied.
You don't need to buy new butterfly kits every time either. You can
re-use the housing and just order new caterpillars so it's an
economical exercise to repeat. Remember to release the butterflies
after a few days of watching them. They will often reward you by
staying in your garden for a few days especially if you have
butterfly-loving plants. There is no ecological problem with
releasing these butterflies into your area, they are very common
and have no impact on the environment.
Don't worry if you don't have a garden or live in a built-up area.
These butterflies can easily fly hundreds of miles or more to find
food.
So there you have it,
href="http://www.butterflycabi.net/butterfly-observing/butterfly-
kits.html">butterfly kits and their uses. I hope you enjoy
using one as much as I did.
