Butterflies are beautiful, graceful creatures. If you enjoy gardening, there are ways you can encourage butterflies to visit your garden. Here are some ways to attract butterflies.

Garden Location

The location of your garden will have a big impact on whether or not butterflies want to visit it. Dry to plant your garden in a space that gets at least five or six hours of sun every day, and that’s relatively sheltered from winds. Butterflies like to be in the sun, but they don’t like wind. The plants you have in your garden should provide shady spots for the butterflies, though, should they want to get out of the sun.

Landing Spots

Decorate your garden with several flat stones. The butterflies will land on them to take a break from flying, and the smooth surface gives them a nice place to sun themselves.

A Mud Puddle

While it doesn’t seem like a feature you’d want in a garden, a small mud puddle is actually a great way to attract butterflies, because they’ll like to use it to get a drink. They’re attracted to the muddy soil, so dedicate a small area for keeping wet. Alternatively, fill a bucket with sand or pack it with dirt, and keep it wet at all times.

No Pesticides

Do not use any type of pesticides or insecticides in your garden, and avoid using any chemicals at all, meaning no weed killer, either. The pesticides can harm or kill the butterflies, which is not what you’re aiming for. The presence of these chemicals is essentially a butterfly repellent.

Provide Nectar

The best way to attract butterflies to your garden is by planting plants that are good sources of nectar for them. If your garden is a great spot for them to feast on nectar, they’ll love to frequent it on a regular basis, and a lot of them, too. All butterflies like different types of nectar, however, so be discerning in the plants you choose. Research the types of butterflies in your area, and get the appropriate plants. Also try to plant a diverse selection of nectar types rather than just one. The more nectar there is, the more butterflies you should get.

Use Color

Butterflies are attracted to big splashes of color, so make your garden as colorful as possible. Don’t, however, have different types of plants and colors mixed all throughout the garden. Try to create patches of color in which there are many flowers of a single color close together.

 

Use Butterfly Houses

Like bird baths or hummingbird houses, butterfly houses can be another tool to help you attract butterflies. A landing area/house with a nectar feeder that’s easily accessible may attract butterflies. Just fill it with a diluted solution of sugar and water, with a ratio of 1 (sugar) to 4 (water).

Caterpillars

Finally, don’t forget that caterpillars will one day turn into beautiful butterflies! If you have caterpillars in your garden, don’t try to get rid of them.

Prepared by John S. a Silver Lake IN, pest control specialist and avid gardener.