Mounting Your Butterfly House

A butterfly house is meant to provide shelter and protection for certain species of butterflies. Caterpillar chrysalises and adult butterflies may use the house during mating seasons or inclement weather. You can increase your chances of attracting the butterflies in your area if you follow some simple guidelines. Mount the butterfly house 15 inches above the ground on either a post or tree. Butterflies and caterpillars like to hide in the crevices created by piles of natural debris. Recreate this environment in your butterfly house by filling it with several handfuls of twigs, bark, leaves, and pine needles. Surround the butterfly house with a variety of nectar-rich flowering plants. Brightly colored blue, purple, and red flowers are the most attractive to butterflies. Some effective butterfly plants are lantana, pentas, salvia, verbena, pennyroyal, sweet William, plumbago, milkweed, and hibiscus. The closer the plants are to the house, the more likely the chance that butterflies will inhabit it. It is also important to have a water source nearby, such as a bird-bath or fountain. You can also use a terra cotta saucer to provide a watering hole for the butterflies. Maintenance of you butterfly house simply involves cleaning out and replacing the old nesting materials several times a year. If you notice mildew or mold discoloring your butterfly house, sponge it down with a mild bleach solution. A butterfly house is a lovely ornament for any yard or garden!