skip to main content

Butterfly Garden

Butterfly Feeders- Got pix?

13 years ago

I'm googling, but seeing very little in the way of 'creativity' for a feeder. Too much "commercial." I have a resin birdbath that I could certainly repurpose, and wondering what-all everyone else uses?

Do BFs have a preference for materials- ceramic, cement, terra cotta, resin, etc?

And are there any fruits that will deter them completely that I would want to avoid putting in it?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

susanlynne48
13 years ago
There are instructions for making a feeder on our FAQs that Mike Cronin did for us. Check it out.

My friend Sandy recommended using suet feeders (for birds) and I use that stuffed with rotten banana or other rotting fruit. They cost about $2 at Walmart and other places.

Susan

Here is a link that might be useful: Hanging Butterfly Feeders
mmqchdygg
Original Author
13 years ago
Hi Susan-
Yes, I did see the FAQ instruction, as well as having searched here for some ideas (and came across your suet-feeder one, too.

Do you modify it at all? I've seen those...actually I have one, but have never used it, so I guess I'm concerned that the stuff will fall out the holes when it dries up?

I guess I was just looking to see pictures of some neat ones to run with an idea to make one of my own (there's no pictures in the FAQ one ;) )
Related Discussions
pix..most OT
Q
Comments (17)
Shawn, lol..I know what thats like..I could have sworm on posted on here earlier, and obviously I didnt! Coral Pink still hasnt opened up yet! I am trying to be patient, but come on!! lol! When mine is bigger, I'd be happy to share some with you. I can save you some Esperanza seeds if you want. It's another one you have to bring in for the winter. As for the rocks, the whole right side in that pic and the waterfall need them. You can see the liner at the edges. Theresa, I said this before when I thought I posted, but its not here, so I'll say it again, lol. Do you know if your dahia is a dwarf? If so then it should be blooming soon. They are another one that blooms better when the weather is cooler. They bloom their fool heads off! Well, that explains that..lol the 4 yr old spilled OJ and I had to clean it up..forgot I was posting! Probably samt thing ahppened earlier, and someone went on the comp and so much for my post! Anyway..where was I, lol Thanks El! If I get MG tree seeds, I'll save you some. I wish I could sit out there and contemplate. Lord KNOWS I try. I can't go outside for more than 40 seconds without someone yelling "MOOOOOOOOM!!" I think another 2 years or so, and I'll be in the looney bin..I hope the one I go to has a GH and gardens I can tend!! Anyone know of a good one? I thought I'd be in there by 30..I've now made it 2 years past that expected date..but I wont last much longer. Kristy, I'm sorry but thats too funny! I know nothing about the dark seed looking thing lol. DD says you suck the dead ones up with the eyedropper. gross, lol. I dont think you can change the water, you just add more as needed. I'm glad your are still alive and doing so well!
...See More
And the rains finally came (lots of Pix)
Q
Comments (13)
Back from the grocery and such...now for more fun things like gardening talk! It's raining cats and dogs here again now. During that 5:00pm storm, 3 of our 7 ft tall buddleia are leaning at a 45 degree angle from the downbursts of wind. We hope that the roots are in good shape. We'll probably have to cut them back to lighten the tops and try to replant them upright again. We (DH, DS1 and I) built the dry streambed ourselves in a few hours on one Saturday morning. We had the river rock delivered on a palette right beside the spot where we literally just dumped them by wheelbarrow loads. DS2 and DH laid all of the flagstone stepping stones throughout the outer garden that you see flooded. BTW, all of that water had soaked into the ground or flowed down to our creek by 6:30pm. When we first moved here, a rain like that would wash away our driveway. So, this was a necessity and we're trying to make it pretty. Monarda, Japanese irises, iris pseudocorus, iris palladia, the Ruby Star coneflowers, perennial ageratum, cannas, amsonia hubrechtii, illicium, bog salvia, creeping jenny, nepeta subsessillis (the only nepeta that likes moisture), all do well in the rain garden area and then survive a drought, too. Another clump of 'Ruby Star'. This picture was taken from above them on the slope and that's a bit of perennial heliotrope showing on the ground below. This group is not down in the rain garden, but mid-way up the slope.
...See More
A few dl photos, a few other photos.....(Pix)
Q
Comments (15)
LOL Jean...the "worm" will be a beautiful butterfly before long. Glad you enjoyed my photos. Thanks Connietn, I'm really enjoying my butterfly garden too, and am so glad the butterflies approve of it as well. :) Hi Renee, I've raised baby birds before too...been a while though. Tiny seems to be doing well, trying to fly a bit. Hopefully I will be able to release it back to the wild in a few weeks. Chris, Sherry Candy wowed me with it's FFO too. I sure do like it a lot. No, that isn't the seedling you remember. It was a Cherry Chapeau x unknown as I recall. I think this is it. As for the cat pics, I can thank my camera's super macro capability for those shots. :) Yep, little Tiny is a show stealer alright, and a loud mouth too. LOL Thanks lala...and nope that's not the way I feed Tiny. I mix canned dogfood with just a little water. Hopefully he'll begin eating seed before much longer. I think we've identified him/her as a Chipping Sparrow. Cindy...glad you like my butterfly garden..it sure is a lot of fun. Baby birds can be a hoot, can't they? I hope Tiny continues to do well and I can release him before too much longer. Andrea...thanks, I appreciate your comments. Happy Gardening all, Jan
...See More
another thing for newbies to do in fall ... pix
Q
Comments (22)
Hi Ken, I followed most of your advice for my lasagna bed except I started it early this spring and it is finally done. I was showing some of my pictures to a few of my Round Robin friends and they were hoping for some very good directions to go with it and I came back to find this post and your pictures are all gone! Your pictures were so much better than mine so I was wondering if you could repost them? I sprayed on roundup in an area that was about 40 by 10, followed by a layer of straw that I got on freecycle, next was my compost layer of all my wonderfully decomposed grass clippings, leaves and other organic material from the last several years, then my topsoil/humus layer that we got from the city, finally the top layer of mulch which also came from the city. This was a very cheap project for us to do since most of the materials were on hand or came from the city services department. Almost all of the plants I used are divisions from my yard, plants received in trades and seedlings that I grew in winter sowing containers. I took pictures of my progress but didn't take them for the first few steps. Only from the compost layer and after. Your pictures were an inspiration to me from the laying out the design pictures to the finished product. Thanks for being such a great influence! Tracy Here is a link that might be useful: Lasagna Bed Slide Show
...See More
susanlynne48
13 years ago
The rotting fruit is kind of drippy, but where it falls on the ground, the butterflies also congregate there to partake. Actually as the fruit dries it adheres to the feeder and is easy to remove in a clump. I use a bent hangar to attach the short chain and I slather the chain with vaseline to keep the ants at bay. Lots of little knats and such also gather at the feeder. and it is hung in close proximity to my hummingbird feeder. The hummers love to consume the little knats, too, and chasing them down with a sip of sugar water, so the feeder provides a dual function. Rotting fruit does attract flies so don't hang too close to your house.

I don't know that I have ever actually surfed for images of a feeder, but another idea are those shallow dishes sold in garden centers (I had one I got at Walmart for cheap cheap). They are probably prettier if you are more into aesthetics than I am. It was a carved stone dish with 3 evenly spaced chains so it would hang straight.

Dollar stores and such usually have lots of things that, using one's imagination, can be used for a variety of functions that are not what they are specifically intended for. Keep an eye out for these and I'm sure you'll find something that will fit your needs.

I don't use a syrupy mixture like some do, so the suet feeder works well for just a couple of pieces of decomposing fruit. Otherwise. you would need a better container for a soup blend. I had dozens and dozens of HEs, TEs, QMs, RAs, etc, all over the suet feeders this summer.

Sus

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES 6 Plants That Beat Butterfly Bush for the Wildlife Draw

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

It's invasive, a nonnative and a poor insect magnet. Check out these better alternatives to butterfly bush in the garden

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Be a Butterfly Savior — Garden for the Monarchs

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Keep hope, beauty and kindness alive in the landscape by providing a refuge for these threatened enchanters

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Garden for Wildlife to Reap Rich Rewards

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

When you plant with animals and insects in mind, you make gardening easier, the planet healthier and yourself more present

GARDENING GUIDES 8 Flowers That Hummingbirds Adore

To draw those mesmerizing little birds to your garden or doorstep, plant these flowers that are attractive in more ways than one

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES A Quick-Start Guide to Bird-Watching for Fun and Learning

By Alison Hodgson

Set out some seed and grab your field guide. Bird-watching is an easy, entertaining and educational activity for the whole family

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Bring on the Birds: Natural Habitat Ideas for Gardens of All Sizes

Provide nesting, watering and perching spots inspired by the Costa Rican jungle and watch the birds flock on over

FALL GARDENING Be Your Own Wildflower Nursery

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Gather seeds from your garden in fall, and you'll have a selection of plants for next year — without spending a dime

NATIVE PLANTS Great Design Plant: Wild Bergamot, Friend of Foragers

By Pollination Press LLC

Nourish butterflies and other winged creatures with the tubular flowers of Monarda fistulosa, a pretty pink native

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES 3 Ways Native Plants Make Gardening So Much Better

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

You probably know about the lower maintenance. But native plants' other benefits go far beyond a little less watering and weeding

GARDENING GUIDES Attract Hummingbirds and Bees With These Beautiful Summer Flowers

By Annie Thornton

Roll out a welcome mat for pollinators to keep your landscape in balance and thriving

More Discussions

Butterfly ID - Saskatchewan

2

Red Admiral on Feb. 1

5

unusual large black marks on monarch

2

photos this morning

1

how many captive species?

0