Subject: Re: Do butterfly houses work?

From: [email-masked] (Riley Foster)
Date: 6 Jan 1995 21:58:39 GMT

I think that you are referring to butterfly hibernation boxes. A few
species of butterflies (at least in zone 5 & east of the great plains)
will overwinter as adults & crawl under loose bark or in hollow branches
to hibernate. Notice that I mentioned "a few species". A lot of people
think that these boxes will increase the populations of summer butterflies
(monarchs, swallowtails & such)- NOT SO. British butterfly gardeners (such
as L. Hugh Newman) claim that hibernation boxes will increase the popula-
tions of hibernationg species. I have 3 butterfly boxes that I've put out
for the last 3 winters. Since the bottom of the box should be 3-4 ft from
the ground I've never gotten up on a ladder to see if there are any butter-
flies inside. I do it on faith every fall. Butterflies will not lay eggs
on dead sticks but on pretty specific plants, which do not grow in the boxes.
If you have any other butterfly questions, please feel free to e-mail me.
A good book that discusses hibernation boxes is THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN
by Matthew Tekulsky. 
-- 

          "The more necessary anything appears to my mind, the more
           certain it is that I only assert a limitation."