With raising butterflies it is a experience the whole family can enjoy from children to many adults also. --At this point I am just openly raising my hand skyward--. A butterfly kit will make it easy to experience the fun of raising butterflies either at school or at home. Several butterflies may be kept alive in a little enclosure, and it isn't necessary for you to be a biologist. No special equipment is required. It's very simple, because the only thing you need to provide is the sugar!
Let us have a look at all what a butterfly kit comprises of.
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
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. They offer a way to safely hold emerging butterflies, while providing a view of what is inside.
Feeders can vary depending on who it was made by. It may be a dropper or pipette, or it could be something like a cotton bud to hang on to the liquid. Once again, it's not really important what is provided because it will be sufficient no matter what it is.
Generally, the butterfly kits do not include the caterpillars. You will most likely recieve a certificate so you can claim your caterpilliars. You need to be sure you are ready to get caterpillars and take care of them. It's a bad thing if the caterpillars are sent to you and you are gone for a couple weeks! Thus you may make arrangements in advance and be certain to have sufficient time prior to placing your order. A lot of suppliers allow you to choose the dates in which the caterpillars are to be sent.
The kit comes with a self-expanatory pot of food, so again, you don't have to purchase anything for the caterpillars. In fact, something else might be dangerous and may hurt your livestock, so be careful.
You will find detailed instructions that come with the butterfly kit which will make it easier to know what to do and when.
How can using a butterfly kit benefit you?
The supplies will permit you to track the journey of the butterfly, from caterpillar to the cocoon stage, from the cocoon to butterfly which takes place in about 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. Repeat the provess anytime during the butterflies' mating season, which runs from March to September. The type of butterfly which you will typically find supplied is of the Painted Lady variety.
It's not necessary to buy a new butterfly kit each time because they are reusable. Raising butterflies can be economical because the housing is re-usable, the only thing you would need to reorder are the caterpillars. You need to keep in mind that the butterflies have to be released after a few days of watching them. If you have the right plants, butterflies will often stay there for a while. There isn't any environmental concern with letting the butterflies free as they are quite common to the area and won't effect it's ecology.
There is still no cause for alarm even if you don't have a garden or reside in a developed location. In their quest to find food, this type of butterfly may fly hundreds of miles.
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.