Your Home Pest Control Service and Butterflies

Not all insects are bad. While you will do whatever it takes to keep wasps and other pests out of your yard, there are a select few insects you want around. Butterflies are a great example of an insect you don’t mind having flying around in your yard.

If you plant it, they will come. Attract butterflies by providing what they need and these winged beauties will keep coming back to your garden. Earthwise Pest Management, home pest control serving Sacramento, offers ways in which you can attract butterflies.

Diverse Flowers

Butterflies are diverse creatures and they rely on a diverse source of food. Larger butterflies prefer flat flowers because it gives them a good landing area. Smaller butterflies can’t drink from larger flowers and feed on smaller flowers.

Water Sources

In nature, butterflies sip water from mud puddles or wherever else they can find water. In your garden, place platters or saucers of water here and there and create water sources for the butterflies.

Host Plants

As butterfly larvae develop, they need to feed on the host plant. The host plant varies by species, but a few favorites include milkweed, bee balm and fennel.

Color is Important

When it comes to attracting butterflies, color matters. Purple flowers will attract butterflies, so make sure you plant some salvia or butterfly bush. Yellow flowers are also a butterfly favorite.

Plenty of Sun

Butterflies are the ultimate sun worshippers. If you have spent any amount of time observing butterflies, you will have noticed that they spend a lot of time basking in the sun.

Like all insects, butterflies cannot regulate their body temperatures internally. So they have to rely on the sun to warm their bodies so they can properly function. This is critical on cooler days because butterflies cannot fly if the temperatures dip below 55 degrees.

So if you want to attract butterflies, make sure there are spots in your garden where butterflies can rest and bask in the sun.

Protection

It takes a lot of energy for butterflies to battle the wind. If your yard has fencing or a line of trees to break the wind, butterflies are sure to show up.

Ban Bird Feeders

Often, people who love butterflies also love birds, but attracting both never ends well for the butterflies. Remember that birds prey upon insects and butterflies are a big and tasty treat.

If you place bird feeders or a birdbath in your yard, you are providing food for hungry birds.

No Pesticides

You love butterflies but hate pests in the garden. If you use pesticides to clear out the pests in your garden, you will kill butterflies. One solution is to attract beneficial insects into your garden in hopes they will eat the bad bugs.

Provide Shelter

Butterflies need a place where they can seek shelter from predators. It is a good idea to leave a decomposed log or a pile of grass in your garden so that your butterflies have a home.

Butterflies are beautiful and cause no harm, but that is not true of all insects. If you have a pest problem, call Earthwise Pest Management.