If you’re looking for a simple, magical experience that’s perfect for kids, students, or even yourself, we highly recommend raising Painted Lady butterflies! From mid-April through mid-August, you can purchase Painted Lady caterpillars from us. To check availability, just email us at [email protected].
For those with prior experience raising Monarch butterflies—and if you have a good supply of milkweed—we also offer Monarch eggs and caterpillars starting in mid-May. Plus, we have a variety of habitats available to suit your butterfly farming needs. Feel free to contact Mari to discuss options!
Getting Started: Painted Lady Hatching Kits
You’ve brought home your Painted Lady hatching kit—now what?
Caring for Your Caterpillars
- Keep the caterpillars in their cup with the lid on and out of direct sunlight. They’ll spend their days growing and may create silk webs along the sides of the cup.
- As they grow, you may notice tiny brown balls (frass) at the bottom of the cup. You can gently lift the lid and empty these out.
- After about 7–10 days, your caterpillars will crawl to the top and hang upside down. This is the start of their transformation! Avoid disturbing them at this stage.
Once their skin splits down the back, exposing the chrysalis, wait two days for it to harden before transferring them to a larger container, such as a netted bug box or an aquarium. If your home is dry, place a damp paper towel at the bottom of the habitat to maintain humidity.
Emerging Butterflies
After the butterfly emerges, allow its wings to fully expand. This can take several hours. Don’t worry if you see red liquid dripping—this is normal and is simply leftover wing dye. Once the wings are dry, the butterfly may become more active.
If it seems too hyper, you can move the habitat to a space with more subdued lighting. Butterflies are most active in temperatures over 70°F and in direct sunlight, but they may not eat for a few hours after emerging. Don’t be concerned—this is normal.
Feeding Your Adult Butterflies
To feed your butterfly, prepare a solution of sugar water (one tablespoon of sugar per six ounces of water). Be sure to use pure, unchlorinated water if possible. Butterflies taste with their feet, so you’ll want to saturate a paper towel or napkin and place it in their habitat.
Once they taste the sugar solution, they’ll uncurl their proboscis and begin to feed. If they don’t uncurl on their own, you can gently coax the proboscis out with a toothpick—it won’t hurt the butterfly. You can also offer them red fruit punch Gatorade or orange slices as an alternative treat.
The Wish Legend
According to Native American legend, butterflies are messengers of wishes to the heavens. On a bright, sunny day, take your butterfly outside, whisper a wish to it, and set it free. As it flies away, it will carry your wish to the Great Spirit, helping to restore the balance of nature.
What If Something Unexpected Happened?
The chrysalis formed on the bottom of the cup instead of the paper! Don’t worry, let it dry for 2 days and then gently place it in the bottom of your habitat. It will still emerge and crawl up the sides to dry its wings.
One of the caterpillars is getting really big and the other doesn’t look like it’s growing or moving at all! We start with healthy larvae but sometimes nature knows if there is a problem and doesn’t allow all the caterpillars to survive. This is why we put two in each cup. Chances are, you will get two great butterflies but if not, don’t blame yourself. These things happen.
The wings don’t look right, they are crooked or small! This does happen at times. Perhaps it was too dry in the place where the habitat was or something inside the butterfly was not right. Again, don’t blame yourself. If it will feed, take care of it as you wish. Butterflies feel no pain but if you think it can’t survive, a gentle way to send it on the ”Butterfly Heaven” is to place it in a small sandwich bag in your freezer. The butterfly will simply fall asleep and then pass on. Later, you can bury it or frame it.
Understanding Life and Death
Butterflies have a short lifespan, typically living only about three weeks. Over time, their wings will become tattered, and they will slow down. With any luck, they will fulfill their purpose by laying eggs before they pass on. It’s important to discuss the natural cycle of life and death with children, explaining that the butterflies’ passing is a natural part of their journey—not caused by captivity or any misstep in their care.
For this reason, we always recommend releasing your butterflies a few days after they emerge to allow them to live out their natural lives in the wild.
