How to Care for a Butterfly with a Broken Wing
Grasp the butterfly., Place the butterfly in the refrigerator., Get your supplies ready., Cut to make wings even., Immobilize the butterfly for more severe damage., Prepare a splint for a bent wing., Replace a significantly damaged wing.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Grasp the butterfly.
Before touching the butterfly, make sure your hands are clean and dry.
With the wings closed, grab the butterfly by the wings just above the body.
You don't need to hold it very hard, just tight enough to keep it from wriggling free.Contrary to popular belief, you won't harm the butterfly simply by touching it.
A butterfly can lose some scales and still fly just fine.
Holding it upside down can calm it down. -
Step 2: Place the butterfly in the refrigerator.
While this step may seem cruel, it can calm the butterfly enough so that you can work on it.
You're not trying to kill the butterfly.
You're just trying to sedate it a bit.Stick it in a smooth container.
A glass works well for this step.
You may need to partially cover it if the butterfly is still able to flutter.
However, make sure to leave room for air flow.
Don't leave the butterfly in the refrigerator for longer than 10 minutes, as it could eventually kill the butterfly. , You'll need a towel, as well as a wire clothing hanger.
You'll also need tape or contact adhesive (found at auto part stores), scissors, and maybe tweezers.
Toothpicks, cotton swabs, baby powder, and lightweight card stock (the kind that is different colors on each side is best) can also be helpful.You may also need extra butterfly wings if the butterfly is missing much of its wing.
You can find broken pieces in places where butterflies congregate, or you can use a wing from a dead butterfly.
The contact adhesive is the type that you paint on both surfaces.
You then give it a chance to dry before pushing it together.
Bend the hook on the wire clothing hanger.
It should form a loop that will just fit over the butterfly's main body (not the wings)., One way to do a minor repair is to simply cut the butterfly's wings to make them even.
They need to be even for the butterfly to fly, so cutting them to be even can work if one wing only has minor damage.
Grasp the butterfly just above the body with the wings closed.
Cut the undamaged wing to match the damaged wing.Only use this method if less than 1/3 of the wing is missing.The butterfly is not hurt when you cut the wing.
It's like getting a haircut.
This option is also a good one if you're not willing to repair the wing with glue or splints.
In other words, taking off damaged wings, even both of them, can help the butterfly more than just leaving it with damaged wings.
It may not be able to fly, but it may still be able to lay eggs. , Lay out a towel on a table.
Place the butterfly flat on the table with its legs facing down.
Place the loop of the clothes hanger over the butterfly.
It should go around the body, but press down lightly on the wings.
You can even lightly weigh down the other end of the hanger to hold it in place.Keep the lighting dim, as that can help calm the butterfly.
You can also use tweezers to press down around the butterfly's body, holding it down.
However, that only gives you one hand to work with.Extend the wings by grasping one edge and pulling out gently. , Cut a tiny piece of card stock.
It only needs to be a few millimeters wide.
For length, it needs to be long enough to go across the break in the wing (once you line it up), but that's it.
In other words, you need a very small piece of card stock.Use a toothpick to add glue to one side of the card stock.
Also, paint a small line of contact adhesive across the bend in the wing.
Take off any extra adhesive.
Let both sets of glue dry.
Note that contact adhesive is not just regular glue.
It is a special type of adhesive that sticks to itself when dry.
Line up the wing perfectly.
Press the card stock, glue-side down, across the crack.
It's easiest to use tweezers for this step.
After a moment, release the butterfly.
Gently lift the butterfly's wing from the towel if the glue stuck it down.
Also, sprinkle a light dusting of baby powder over the glued area so it doesn't stick to the other wing as the final step of this repair.
You can use a cotton swab to help spread the powder out.
Another option for a torn wing is simply a piece of scotch or duct tape.
Once you immobilize the butterfly, use a small piece of tape across the bend or tear.
However, this method won't provide as much structure as the small splint., If the wing is missing a significant part or is badly damaged, you can either reattach the missing part or put on a new wing.
Start by cutting off the wing if it is badly damaged, leaving some at the bottom as a place to attach a new wing.
Make sure the butterfly is laid out on the towel for this whole step.Line up the wing.
Whether you are adding a new wing or using a part of the wing that has fallen off, it's important to line it up as close as you can to the old veins.
If you are adding a new wing, try to pick one as close in size to the other wing as possible.
Trim it so only a small bit overlaps.
Add glue.
Use a toothpick to apply contact adhesive to both edges off the wing, the parts that will slightly overlap and stick together.
Take off any extra adhesive, and let it dry.
While it dries, make sure to keep the butterfly immobilized, as you don't want it to glue its wings together.
Once the glue dries, press the two edges of the wing together.
You can add a small strip of card stock with the same gluing technique to help bridge the gap.
Once you've glued everything in place, sprinkle baby powder over the glued area to keep it from sticking to the other wing.
Check for any mistakes before releasing the butterfly.
For instance, make sure the other wing doesn't stick to the glue.
Also, make sure all parts are moving. -
Step 3: Get your supplies ready.
-
Step 4: Cut to make wings even.
-
Step 5: Immobilize the butterfly for more severe damage.
-
Step 6: Prepare a splint for a bent wing.
-
Step 7: Replace a significantly damaged wing.
Detailed Guide
Before touching the butterfly, make sure your hands are clean and dry.
With the wings closed, grab the butterfly by the wings just above the body.
You don't need to hold it very hard, just tight enough to keep it from wriggling free.Contrary to popular belief, you won't harm the butterfly simply by touching it.
A butterfly can lose some scales and still fly just fine.
Holding it upside down can calm it down.
While this step may seem cruel, it can calm the butterfly enough so that you can work on it.
You're not trying to kill the butterfly.
You're just trying to sedate it a bit.Stick it in a smooth container.
A glass works well for this step.
You may need to partially cover it if the butterfly is still able to flutter.
However, make sure to leave room for air flow.
Don't leave the butterfly in the refrigerator for longer than 10 minutes, as it could eventually kill the butterfly. , You'll need a towel, as well as a wire clothing hanger.
You'll also need tape or contact adhesive (found at auto part stores), scissors, and maybe tweezers.
Toothpicks, cotton swabs, baby powder, and lightweight card stock (the kind that is different colors on each side is best) can also be helpful.You may also need extra butterfly wings if the butterfly is missing much of its wing.
You can find broken pieces in places where butterflies congregate, or you can use a wing from a dead butterfly.
The contact adhesive is the type that you paint on both surfaces.
You then give it a chance to dry before pushing it together.
Bend the hook on the wire clothing hanger.
It should form a loop that will just fit over the butterfly's main body (not the wings)., One way to do a minor repair is to simply cut the butterfly's wings to make them even.
They need to be even for the butterfly to fly, so cutting them to be even can work if one wing only has minor damage.
Grasp the butterfly just above the body with the wings closed.
Cut the undamaged wing to match the damaged wing.Only use this method if less than 1/3 of the wing is missing.The butterfly is not hurt when you cut the wing.
It's like getting a haircut.
This option is also a good one if you're not willing to repair the wing with glue or splints.
In other words, taking off damaged wings, even both of them, can help the butterfly more than just leaving it with damaged wings.
It may not be able to fly, but it may still be able to lay eggs. , Lay out a towel on a table.
Place the butterfly flat on the table with its legs facing down.
Place the loop of the clothes hanger over the butterfly.
It should go around the body, but press down lightly on the wings.
You can even lightly weigh down the other end of the hanger to hold it in place.Keep the lighting dim, as that can help calm the butterfly.
You can also use tweezers to press down around the butterfly's body, holding it down.
However, that only gives you one hand to work with.Extend the wings by grasping one edge and pulling out gently. , Cut a tiny piece of card stock.
It only needs to be a few millimeters wide.
For length, it needs to be long enough to go across the break in the wing (once you line it up), but that's it.
In other words, you need a very small piece of card stock.Use a toothpick to add glue to one side of the card stock.
Also, paint a small line of contact adhesive across the bend in the wing.
Take off any extra adhesive.
Let both sets of glue dry.
Note that contact adhesive is not just regular glue.
It is a special type of adhesive that sticks to itself when dry.
Line up the wing perfectly.
Press the card stock, glue-side down, across the crack.
It's easiest to use tweezers for this step.
After a moment, release the butterfly.
Gently lift the butterfly's wing from the towel if the glue stuck it down.
Also, sprinkle a light dusting of baby powder over the glued area so it doesn't stick to the other wing as the final step of this repair.
You can use a cotton swab to help spread the powder out.
Another option for a torn wing is simply a piece of scotch or duct tape.
Once you immobilize the butterfly, use a small piece of tape across the bend or tear.
However, this method won't provide as much structure as the small splint., If the wing is missing a significant part or is badly damaged, you can either reattach the missing part or put on a new wing.
Start by cutting off the wing if it is badly damaged, leaving some at the bottom as a place to attach a new wing.
Make sure the butterfly is laid out on the towel for this whole step.Line up the wing.
Whether you are adding a new wing or using a part of the wing that has fallen off, it's important to line it up as close as you can to the old veins.
If you are adding a new wing, try to pick one as close in size to the other wing as possible.
Trim it so only a small bit overlaps.
Add glue.
Use a toothpick to apply contact adhesive to both edges off the wing, the parts that will slightly overlap and stick together.
Take off any extra adhesive, and let it dry.
While it dries, make sure to keep the butterfly immobilized, as you don't want it to glue its wings together.
Once the glue dries, press the two edges of the wing together.
You can add a small strip of card stock with the same gluing technique to help bridge the gap.
Once you've glued everything in place, sprinkle baby powder over the glued area to keep it from sticking to the other wing.
Check for any mistakes before releasing the butterfly.
For instance, make sure the other wing doesn't stick to the glue.
Also, make sure all parts are moving.
About the Author
Frank Price
Frank Price specializes in education and learning and has been creating helpful content for over 6 years. Frank is committed to helping readers learn new skills and improve their lives.
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