Butterflies are beautiful insects. They come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. They are wonderful to watch and admire. Unfortunately a lot of butterflies are dying off. Monarch butterflies have been slowly dying off because their main food source, milkweed, is not in full abundance anymore. Farmers that produce GMO crops, spray the milkweed with pesticides because it is considered a pest plant. This significantly reduces the amount of food monarch butterflies have. Here are some ways to attract more butterflies into your yard, which will help them get more food and have a better survival rating.
Use Fewer Pesticides
Sometimes pesticides are necessary. You don’t want your garden or yard to be overtaken by pests, but some pesticides will kill butterflies. Do some research about which pesticides will get rid of the pests you are having problems with, but won’t hurt butterflies. There are a lot of natural alternatives to pesticides you can use. These natural alternatives are effective at repelling specific pests and won’t hurt other insects.
The More Sun the Better
Butterflies crave the sun. They absolutely love it. If you want to attract more butterflies into your yard, this is important. Your yard should have plenty of sun for the butterflies to sunbathe in. They love sitting on rocks and getting warm. If your yard already has a lot of shade, consider removing old trees or bushes to create more sunlight.
Use Colors
Butterflies are attracted to a lot of colors. They love a yard with pinks, oranges, yellows, reds, or purples. Plant flowers that are bright and attractive and the butterflies will come. You can also make sure that the flowers have a flat top, butterflies like to be able to land right on top of open flowers.
Image Source: Pixabay
Utilize Milkweed
Butterflies eat from milkweed. You need to have milkweed in your yard if you want butterflies to frequently come there. However, you need to have the right kind of milkweed. Check and see what kind of milkweed grows in your region. If you start growing a milkweed that the butterflies in your region are unfamiliar with, they probably won’t eat it.
Create a Butterfly Retreat
Create a place that butterflies love going to, and they’ll continue to go there. Use all of these tips to create a yard that butterflies enjoy coming to. Have brightly colored flowers, some milkweed, they can eat from, and sun they can rest in. They’ll love it! They also like to sit in very shallow pools of water. You can put a small dish with water in it, for the butterflies to get a drink form and cool off. If you create a wonderful place for the butterflies to relax in, they’ll definitely be back.
Summing Up
Butterflies are so wonderful and beautiful to watch. Having these insects in your yard will benefit them, and benefit you too. You’ll be able to give them food, water, and a place to rest which will benefit them. But they’ll benefit you by gracing your yard with their beauty. Try these tip and tricks to attract more butterflies into your yard and see if your yard can become a butterfly habitat.
Image Source: PIxabay
