Butterfly raising tips and tricksUpdated 8 months ago
Raising butterflies is an exciting experience for the whole family.
When planning your project there are a few things you should keep in mind. Here are a few tips and tricks to help you have the BEST butterfly-raising experience possible:
- Timing
- The project takes between 3-5 weeks. When planning, make sure you are going to be at home/school for this time to monitor your insects.
- Tracking
- We'll send you your tracking for your online orders! Keep an eye on your tracking so you know when your shipment is arriving.
- Open Right Away
- When your shipment arrives, remove the Cup of Caterpillars from the box and allow them to come to room temperature.
- Location
- Do not place your Cup of Caterpillars in a window, drafts, in direct sunlight or near a heat source.
- Acclimation
- Your caterpillars may be sluggish when they first arrive after their big journey. Give them 48 hours to become active.
- Handling
- Be very gentle whenever you handle your Cup of Caterpillars. Do not shake the cup and handle it as little as possible.
- Try not to touch the cup while the chrysalides are forming. This is a very delicate time.
- Remove Webbing
- When you transfer your chrysalides to the habitat, remove all webbing from the chrysalides with a cotton bud before setting the lid in the Chrysalis Station/Holding Log and placing in the habitat.
- If this step is ignored, the butterfly may become entangled in the silk upon emergence, resulting in deformed wings.
- Cleanup
- Place a paper towel under your Butterfly Habitat. This prevents meconium from staining any surfaces when your butterflies emerge.
- Planning
- Many customers plan their project around special events. Consider releasing your butterflies for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, memorials, Easter, Earth Day, the first day of Spring and more!
- Timing
Check out our latest promotional video below to get an introduction to the process!