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Butterfly Feeder Totem

15 years ago

Here's the butterfly feeder that I made

{{gwi:138452}}

Ms. Faith

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Comments (16)

susiesunshine
15 years ago
W O N D E R F U L !!!!!! WONDERFUL ! ! ! WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just love it to pieces Ms Sunflower !!!!!
THANKS SO MUCH FOR SHARING THE PICS!!!!!!!!!!!!
You do Grrrrrrrrrreat work!!!
I love the cool COLORS !!!
I would LOVE to see more as you get
them finished.....
Thanks again !
Love Ya! your friend.....
God Bless !
SusieSunShine
craftylady-2006
15 years ago
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh my, that is gorgeous!!! I love it. That green piece is absolutely striking, it really makes the totem "pop" and give it the look of a long flower step. Great work!

Sal
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Cait, It really is so heavy because of all of the marbles that I did not include a bottom plate. I have one to use but it just did not seem to need it. I'm watching it though. "Sil II to the rescue" if any problems arise. The pink vase also has a heavy solid thick glass bottom. We'll see. susie
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LOL!! Honestly, I hadn't thought of attracting butterflies to where the birds are! Oh well, it's really more for looks than anything and they seem to coexist in the garden as it is now. The walls INSIDE the house are stone & concrete but are all covered with plaster. Yeah, I love stone but think that would be a little much for me, too!! :) They are just super thick and it takes a hammer drill to hang even the smallest picture!! But since I live in tornado alley it's worth the trouble! Karen - I do understand the heat!! We aren't as hot as you by any means though. We had a cold front and now we are in the low 90's - very nice!! I am one of those obsessive people who looses focus real fast but whatever I'm doing at the time, I do it at 100 mph. Last month it was my yard, this month it's "junk", next month we could be back to cake decorating, who knows??? My friends and family know EXACTLY how I am and get a kick out of it. They ask, "So what's the obsession of the month?" lol
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First of all, make sure your cats aren't from the same ELF, or you may inbreed. Butterfly feeders are simple to make and really seem to work under ideal conditions. A simple bowl of sugar water or Hummingbird nectar with a plastic kitchen scrubber in the middle is all it takes to feed your butterflies. Bright colors help attract them to their food source as well, so get a brightly colored scrubber. It should be submerged with the last 1/2 " above the solution. Place in a well lit area of the enclosure. Change daily and augment with a potted flower or fresh cut flowers.
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Hanging butterfly feeder plates: THEY REALLY REALLY WORK. Posted by mcronin Making the hanging feeder plates I drilled three holes in the edges of plastic plates (or metal tops to containers), strung wire through each hole, connected the three wires at the top of the plate, and used wire to hang them at least 10 feet below small branches of trees. The long wire is to keep squirrels and other animals off the feeders. Hang them far enough from trees, etc. so animals like squirrels can't jump to them. Mine hang about 10 feet off the ground and I use a stepladder to reach them with butterfly food. Hang them in an area that you can SAFELY reach with a stepladder and where they will get enough sun to encourage butterflies to visit. Butterfly food recipe I use a pail with a tight lid to hold the butterfly food. I cut up a dozen over-ripe bananas into chunks, add two cans of cheap beer, one or two bottles of molasses, and a pound of brown sugar. I mix it up in the pail and let it ferment for about a week; then fill the plates. You can use other fruits such as mangos, watermelon, etc. Experiment with what you can get ( sometimes for free if your grocery store is discarding spoiled fruit) and what works best for the butterflies that you want to attract. Tips on using the feeder plates I cover my plates with regular fiberglass screen and secure the screening on each plate with 3-5 big paper clamps. The goal is to prevent unwanted insects from getting UNDER the screening . The butterflies can feed through the screen, but unwanted other insects usually can't ( they will collect on TOP of the screens, but the butterflies generally ignore them ). I try to remember to put plastic plates face down on top of the screens on the plates if rain is expected. I do this to prevent the butterfly feeding mixture from being too diluted from heavy rains. Hopeful results Butterflies flock to these plates including anglewings, red admirals. red-spotted purples, painted ladies, and mourning cloaks. This system provides us daily visits by our "winged jewels" on sunny days in spring, summer, and fall. It is well worth the limited effort to attract these types of butterflies which seldom, if ever, visit our flowers for nectar.
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Bright199
15 years ago
I love it the color is wonderful.
luna_llena_feliz
15 years ago
Lovely! I agree that it looks almost flower like with that green vase. Let us know how the butterflies like it!
Purplemoon
15 years ago
That green is wonderful with the crystal. It does look like a flower. Nice job!!

hugs, Karen
princess_mimi
15 years ago
Beautiful! Are you going to mount it on a pipe? show us pics when it's in your garden.

~~Mimi
nonacook
15 years ago
Wonderful!
The green is a beautiful shade!
daisyme
15 years ago
I love this idea and you've made a beauty. It's really really pretty. I don't know what attracts butterflys.....(except bananas and Mekong whisky according to an entimologist we met on Phuket Island 25 years ago.) Can you tell us what you're going to put in there to bring them in? I'd love to try one!
mssunflower
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks for your input. This was a give-a-way at my butterfly gardening program at our local garden show at the end of March. I will probably make more feeders for me and to give to others to encourage butterfly gardening. They are such fascinating creatures. Daisyme, a mixture of sugar and water is one of the things you can use. I also have a recipe that includes bananas or other ripe fruit, molasses and two cans of beer. Oh to be such a happy butterfly. In a feeder such as this you would put one of those plastic kitchen scrubbies in the dish because butterflies do not like to stand in their food or in water but will perch on one of those scrubbies and extend their proboscis down to sip the syrup. I told one person on the butterfly forum that the butterflies, being so beautiful, deserved to dine from only the very best and the very prettiest. (tee hee)

Yes, I thought the same thing regarding the green vase. It does look like a flower stem and would blend in very nicely in the flower bed while allowing the clear glass to glitter so prettily.

I will continue posting as I get pictures of some of the other totems I have been working.

Thanks again,
Ms. Faith
ashli
15 years ago
The glass at the top...is that a fancy ashtray or a small bowl?...(can't tell)...It would look great among Roses.
Bright199
15 years ago
OK...I need a picture of the scrubby you're talking about. Is it the net like ones?
jeannespines
15 years ago
Very, very pretty...love the green "stem" also. Thanks for the info to feed the butterflies. Jeanne S.
kudzukween
15 years ago
Great information on feeding them! Love yours, very elegant:)
cockybamagirl
15 years ago
Can you post the exact recipe for the butterfly feeder?
mssunflower
Original Author
15 years ago
Bright, the scrubby is like the net ones, but made of plastic. The whole idea is so the butterfly doesn't have to get his feet wet (they don't like that).

Bamagirl, here are two recipes for you. I share these with those who attend my butterfly program at garden shows. Recipe 2 is really better for the butterflies although it takes a little longer to make and may be a little messier.

Recipe 1
Solution Â 4 parts water to 1 part granulated sugar
Boil for several minutes, then let cool
Serve in shallow container with absorbent material such as paper towels, bright yellow and orange kitchen scouring pad.
Place among your nectar flowers on post 4-6 inches higher than tallest bloom.

Recipe 2
I use a pail with a tight lid to hold the butterfly food. I cut up a dozen over-ripe bananas into chunks, add two cans of cheap beer, one or two bottles of molasses, and a pound of brown sugar. I mix it up in the pail and let it ferment for about a week; then fill the plates. You can use other fruits such as mangos, watermelon, etc. Experiment with what you can get ( sometimes for free if your grocery store is discarding spoiled fruit) and what works best for the butterflies that you want to attract.

Again, thanks to all who have given me such lovely feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed looking and I will post more as I get them made (and I am making them)

Ms. Faith
toomuchglass
15 years ago
WOW ! Sleek , slender and beautiful !!

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