General Chat

I remember as a child we had such a lot of kids in the house we couldn't afford to go off and do much in the holidays. We did a lot of bug hunting and the like. One of the things I loved was watching caterpillars turn into butterflies and then releasing them into the garden - simple pleasures I know. Then we would get our home made butterfly nets and try to re-catch them. My children never did this when they were younger too many other things to keep them occupied bug hunts became more sophisticated and they never quite had to patience to wait for the transformation. A friend of mine showed me this link:

http://insectlore-europe.com/shop/Butterfly-Garden/Butterfly-Garden-Sent-with-Live-Caterpillars/p-49-3171/

you can now buy caterpillars to grow into butterflies I'm quite tempted to get a kit for my youngest. It does kinda take all the fun out of it. What do others think?

Don't you think it's a shame that kids will eventually think everything comes in a box. Surely half the fun is looking for the caterpillars in the first place?

I wouldn't, unless you can guarantee that there will be the right environment for the type of butterfly, does it say? As well as having adequate food source when you let them go, different butterflies need different plants to lay their eggs on for eexample

They guarantee 3 out of 5 caterpillars will survive- they're Painted Ladies on the one I saw,A*azon do them as well.

I havent thought abt it that far ahead afterall it will be their Dads garden they use not mine. I keep thinking its not quite the same its an expensive and perhaps if i can say lazy alternative. My kids dont think every thing comes out of boxes. They have been brought up growing their own fruit n veg and preparing what goes onto their plate they have seen how flowers grow from seeds. The garden environment is organic and insect friendly due to selection of plants growing but they never saw this process and yet im feeling this isnt the way.

http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?species=cardui

Painted Ladies are migrants, and can't survive through our winters in any stage. I don't know if there being more of them here would deplete the food sources for native butterflies though?

...didn't say "your" kids specifically, lots of kids havent had the same upbringing as yours?
Personally I don't like the mortality rate & you don't know where they're being bred so its possible to spread disease if the "manufacturer" isn't responsible.

It'll be a Can of Worms next!

There seem to be fewer and fewer butterflies generally than when I was younger, even over the last 20 years, I'm trying to plant flowers and shrubs that they will come to.

Eeyore I didnt take yur comments perseonally i was reasoning out in response. I think yu are quite right it wouldnt be right even if its done humanilly and their Dad would adapt as well as he could. As much as the kids have done I would have liked more for them regarding nature everything is so hi tech these days i feel they may have missed out on this at least. They have given up on bug hunts sadly M will soon be out of his teens and the others dont seem to have time for stuff like this anymore.

We were able to draw a few different types into the garden and other insects including bees - he still does. Rose they look and smell lovely as well as attracted insects its well worth it.

D and I did a lot of bug hunting when he was younger, fortunately I like all sorts of bugs lol.

I'm going to have a look at
http://butterfly-conservation.org/44/butterflies-and-moths.html

The plans to build more houses on green field sites will be a further nail in the coffin to many species I think :-(

We had lots of bees last year, to the borage and foxgloves with flowered from March almost to Christmas, so hopefully they will do the same this year, and I have planted some buddleias ( even if I can't spell it lol).

A friend of mine had a pack from the link you have given for her young children and it was a great success.
She is a science teacher so did know what she was doing but had the pack for her own children at home.

At half term we went to Wisley to see the butterflies in the glass house and they have all stages of the caterpillar's development. There is a bit of queueing involved but my grandchildren aged 4,5 and 7 all thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

As an alternative you could see if there is anywhere near you that has a butterfly house if you don't want to get a pack.
Von

It would be awful Rose. I love all bugs too. Used to take them to Mancetter wildlife on bug hunts but it just wasnt the same. A friend of mine went to Stratford-upon-Avon butterfly farm and liked it but im not surr if i should take kids there in thesummer. thank yu for the link will take a look.

Ty Von I think i will take them to Stratford as its pretty near them. Rose we had a lovely lavender grown from seed we had an infux of bees that attracted other insects.