Hey! We need hay, and lots of it, to keep our animals' tummies full this winter! Can you help?
Save The Monarchs
Rooterville Animal Sanctuary's
Queen Bees & Butterfly Heros Project
Together we can save the Monarchs & make the world a more beautiful place.
By working together, we can change the world!
We can save the Monarchs and make our own yards and communities more beautiful while having FUN!
You won't have this much fun for such a small investment!
Seriously, saving the Monarchs is going to be one of the most rewarding and enjoyable things you can to. The investment is small, the payoff is huge!
You can purchase the butterfly habitats inexpensively online. The expensive part is keeping your caterpillars in milkweed! They do eat alot but if you only leave out one plant for the adults to lay eggs on, you should not be overwhelmed with hungry caterpillars.
You'll start with a few milkweed plants, try to find the native ones as the common tropical varieties can host a parasite that will cause your beautiful butterflies to come into the world with deformed wings, unable to fly. Some say to cut these plants to the ground after they bloom to keep this from happening but still expect some deformed butterflies if this is your source of food.
Next, watch your plants for eggs, they are little yellowish dots on the undersides of the leaves. You may get lucky and see the butterfly laying her eggs on your plants. It is so exciting!
Then, watch for the little caterpillars to appear. They blend in surprisingly well and will be on the underside of the leaves. You'll notice little munch marks on the leaves when they have arrived.
Now, pick the leaves the little guys are on and put them in your habitat with a fresh butterfly weed and then wait!
You will likely have to swap out your plants a time or two before they become chrysalis' so keep a few ready to go but remember, if they are exposed, you'll get more eggs and you may be over-run with hungry caterpillars!
Once they climb to the top and become a chysalis, your work is about to pay off! Your new butterflies will be arriving soon!
The Monarch Butterfly Needs Us
Once You Become Addicted, You might want to save these beauties too!
Join Us in Saving the Butterflies!
Please join our Facebook page to join our Butterfly Hero's group and share your success with other butterfly lovers. This is a great project to involve everyone in the family. You'll get outside and be involved in something that is fun and rewarding. This is a fantastic family activity. Get to know eachother while helping beautify your yard and save the butterflies! Who knows where it will lead... Maybe beekeeping? You never know!
Once you've been bitten by backyard bugs, there is no going back.
Rooterville A Sanctuary is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, your donations are tax deductible as allowed by law.
Florida Dept. of Agriculture & Consumer Services Registration #CH18715