Making a DIY Butterfly House
While caterpillars are eating and A Cardboard Box growing, you’ll need to create a butterfly house. You can make If you’re using a cardboard box, one out of almost any type of create a “window” by using some Good to Know container: a cardboard box, a big clear plastic wrap. Cut a piece of glass jar, a plastic tub, an empty plastic wrap larger than the box • Frass, the little balls that will aquarium. Look around your house top and secure in place with tape. begin to appear all over the cup, or classroom to see what can be Now turn your box so the clear is caterpillar excrement. used. “window” becomes a wall instead. • Caterpillars shed their exoskeletons several times. You may see small black balls Glass or Plastic Use a pen or pencil to poke lots of air holes in the roof and remaining of exoskeleton in the cup or attached to the end of the If you’re using a glass container walls. Cut a flap on one of the walls chrysalis. or clear plastic tub , you’ll need large enough for your hand to fit to make a cover for it. The cover through. You’ll use it to place the • Caterpillar webs are sticky and should let air in, but keep your new butterflies and their food in the dense. They help caterpillars hang butterflies from flying out. Cut a box. onto leaves in windy weather and piece of cheesecloth or wire screen protect them from predators. so it’s larger than the top of your • The chrysalis may quiver or glass container. Secure it in place tremble. This action discourages with tape, string, or a rubber band, predators. M or by bending wire screen into • Meconium is the reddish fluid shape. that butterflies expel when they emerge from their chrysalises. TRY THIS: Decorate your butterfly It’s left over from metamorphosis house with pictures and drawings of and is not blood. things that butterflies like. Do you • If you have both males and know what butterflies like? Find out! females, females may lay eggs before release. When eggs hatch, try feeding the caterpillars thistle, parsley, or hollyhock leaves.
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