
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/all-about-butterflies.html
All About Butterflies

By Cait Johnson, co-author of Celebrating the Great Mother (Inner Traditions, 1995).
Last weekend, there were dozens of gorgeous butterflies fluttering along beside me on my walks, which not only lifted my spirits, but got me thinking about them. This time of year, millions of butterflies are migrating. I want to help them in any way I can, but I’d always heard that if one gets trapped indoors, you can’t touch it or it will die. And how can I feed them if all they eat is nectar? You may be as surprised as I was by some of the answers to my butterfly questions. Learn some fun facts about butterflies, get a great recipe for butterfly food, and easy directions for making a nice butterfly spa, all right here.
Butterfly Facts
The Greek word for “butterfly” means “soul,” which may explain why the sight of them lifts ours so beautifully.
There are more than 17,000 species of butterflies in the world. When you stop to notice the butterflies in your own neighborhood, you will be amazed at the variety.
Butterflies do not just live on nectar–they also eat rather more unsavory stuff like rotting fruit and dung.
A common folklore belief is that a butterfly landing on you is a harbinger of good luck.
Because butterflies emerge transformed from a cocoon, they are often seen as symbols of rebirth.
Butterfly Myths
1. If you touch a butterfly, it will die. According to The Family Butterfly Book, by Rick Mikula (Storey Books, 2000), that thing about killing butterflies when you touch them because the powder gets rubbed off their wings is a myth, probably circulated to keep people from harming them.
2. If a butterfly gets a drop of water on its wings, it will die. Nope. While we don’t want to aim a hard spray from the old garden hose at them, they can–and do–survive getting wet just fine.
3. Butterflies all migrate to Mexico. Actually, butterflies are found everywhere in the world except Antarctica–and they migrate all over, too. Although they look so fragile, butterflies are evolved to survive in extreme conditions, and some of them travel thousands of miles.
4. If a butterfly wing gets torn or ripped off, it will grow back. While we wish this was true, it’s not. So please encourage your children and pets to be kind to butterflies.
Feed the Butterflies
Since they will eat other things beside nectar, you can help your migrating or soon-to-be-migrating butterflies by making this unappetizing recipe for Butterfly Bait. It may sound a bit disgusting to you but it will make your butterflies very, very happy.
Make a Butterfly Spa
Butterflies are drawn to shallow water, so here are several creative, easy ways to treat your visiting butterflies to a nice bath en route.





Annie B.
Melissa
Jana
Kelly
Lily
Terri
Heather L.
Lynn
Carl
Betsy
Cait
Avery
The Gallands
Eric
Andrew
Dave
Deepak


7 comments
add your comment »If you go to this site, you can receive free milkweed seeds to plant. The butterfiles love them and it also shows you how to repair an injured wing.
http://www.livemonarch.com/
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I have a few butterfly plants in my yard. I love butterflies!
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i'm a defender of the monachs in my yard and if i catch any of the neighborhood kids poking with them i get irate,i grow the butterfly tree in my yard and spread the seed whenever possible.and when the kids find the catterpillars they bring them to me for inspection.i try to educate them into not killing them cuz they are quite beautiful to watch though i have neva seen it turn from coccoon to butterfly, i keep hoping one day that i will.maybe some one has a short video on the actual process from coccoon to butterfly?? i'd love to see it.i see when they begin to coccoon but neva when they close themselves right in
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When I was 17, my next door neighbor gave me a Monarch that she accidentally injured. I kept that little guy alive for 9 months!! He got to know and trust me and would rest on my hand while drinking out of my palm! It's such a pleasant memory for me!!
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i like butterflies and they are welcome in my garden-pam
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I havce a number of butterfly friendly plants in my yard; butterfly bush and several lantannas as well as a bird bath. We get alot of different ones,
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I learned about butterfly gardening from a coworker. My backyard is now a butterfly garden, including favorite nectar plants as well as host plants (different species of butterflies have specific plants on which they lay eggs and the caterpillars feed on these plants). I've included host plants for most of the butterfly species that are native to the area in which I live. It's a rewarding hobby!
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