How to Make a Butterfly Feeder
Add sugar to water., Heat the sugar and water., Cool the nectar., Hang a jar dispenser., Try a plate dispenser., Start simple with a sponge feeders., Make the food accessible to butterflies., Fill the dispenser with food., Decorate the feeder...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Add sugar to water.
Put 1 cup (0.24 L) of sugar in a pan or pot.
Add
0.25 cups (0.059 L) of sugar to the water.
If you want to make more or less nectar, adjust both ingredients to keep a 4:1 ratio.For example, if you wanted to make 2 cups (0.47 L) of nectar, you would add
0.50 cups (0.12 L) of sugar.
As an alternative to a sugar water nectar, you can use ripened/rotting fruit. -
Step 2: Heat the sugar and water.
The sugar will not dissolve into the water easily at room temperature.
You can increase the solubility by heating the mixture.
Place the pot or pan on the stove and heat until you no longer see sugar particles floating in the water., Hot nectar could hurt the butterflies.
Allow the nectar to sit out until it cools to room temperature.
If you need to cool the nectar faster, place it in the refrigerator or freezer, but do not freeze it.If you are using fruit instead of sugar water nectar, you can place bananas in the freezer.
They will turn black and the fruit inside will be mushy when it thaws.
Butterflies love this! , Jar dispensers are often more visually appealing, but are slightly more difficult to hang.
You first tie a string around the mouth of the jar, and then tie both ends of another string to the first to make a loop over the bottom of the jar.
Tie a second loop in the same way, and then use a final string to tie the top of the loops together.
This will allow you to hang the dispenser in a neat and balanced way., These are easier to hang, but might take more work to look good.
Use a plastic lid (like you would find on a tub of whipped cream topping).
Make a hole through the lip of the lid on either side and loop a separate piece of string through each hole.
Use the loop to hang the plate., Sponge feeders are the simplest design, but they hold less nectar than jars or plates.
You simply let a sponge soak up some nectar and then set it on a fence, tree branch, or other elevated surface near the garden.
If you want to hang the sponge feeder, just tie a string around the sponge and hang it., Once you have built and hung a dispenser, you’ll need to make it easy for the butterflies to reach the nectar.
Sponge feeders require no further action to do this.
Plate feeders can benefit from having a sponge, cotton ball, or other soft, absorbent material placed in the nectar.
This allows the butterfly to land and feed.
Jar feeders are slightly more involved:
Use a hammer and nail to punch a hole in the lid of the jar (take the lid off to do this).
Tightly plug the hole with a sponge, cotton ball, or other similarly absorbent material to keep the nectar from pouring out of the hole. , For sponge feeders, simply dip a sponge in the nectar.
Fill plate feeders by pouring nectar in after hanging them.
Fill jar feeders by pouring nectar in and then securing the lid (with the hole plugged) before allowing the jar to hang upside down., Butterflies are attracted to bright colors and flowers.
You can pick bright colored flowers to put on the feeder and color the strings and dispenser with bright paint or markers.
For a more permanent feeder, use fake flowers so that they do not wilt., In a garden or around a patch of bright flowers will attract the most butterflies.
Spring and summer are the best times to place your feeder.
Keep the feeder away from your house or deck.
It may attract other bugs, too., Replace the nectar as needed in the feeder.
You can store excess nectar in your fridge for up to one week and use it as needed.
If insects or other contaminants get trapped in the feeder, clean it out when replacing the nectar. -
Step 3: Cool the nectar.
-
Step 4: Hang a jar dispenser.
-
Step 5: Try a plate dispenser.
-
Step 6: Start simple with a sponge feeders.
-
Step 7: Make the food accessible to butterflies.
-
Step 8: Fill the dispenser with food.
-
Step 9: Decorate the feeder.
-
Step 10: Place the feeder outside where butterflies can reach it.
-
Step 11: Maintain the feeder.
Detailed Guide
Put 1 cup (0.24 L) of sugar in a pan or pot.
Add
0.25 cups (0.059 L) of sugar to the water.
If you want to make more or less nectar, adjust both ingredients to keep a 4:1 ratio.For example, if you wanted to make 2 cups (0.47 L) of nectar, you would add
0.50 cups (0.12 L) of sugar.
As an alternative to a sugar water nectar, you can use ripened/rotting fruit.
The sugar will not dissolve into the water easily at room temperature.
You can increase the solubility by heating the mixture.
Place the pot or pan on the stove and heat until you no longer see sugar particles floating in the water., Hot nectar could hurt the butterflies.
Allow the nectar to sit out until it cools to room temperature.
If you need to cool the nectar faster, place it in the refrigerator or freezer, but do not freeze it.If you are using fruit instead of sugar water nectar, you can place bananas in the freezer.
They will turn black and the fruit inside will be mushy when it thaws.
Butterflies love this! , Jar dispensers are often more visually appealing, but are slightly more difficult to hang.
You first tie a string around the mouth of the jar, and then tie both ends of another string to the first to make a loop over the bottom of the jar.
Tie a second loop in the same way, and then use a final string to tie the top of the loops together.
This will allow you to hang the dispenser in a neat and balanced way., These are easier to hang, but might take more work to look good.
Use a plastic lid (like you would find on a tub of whipped cream topping).
Make a hole through the lip of the lid on either side and loop a separate piece of string through each hole.
Use the loop to hang the plate., Sponge feeders are the simplest design, but they hold less nectar than jars or plates.
You simply let a sponge soak up some nectar and then set it on a fence, tree branch, or other elevated surface near the garden.
If you want to hang the sponge feeder, just tie a string around the sponge and hang it., Once you have built and hung a dispenser, you’ll need to make it easy for the butterflies to reach the nectar.
Sponge feeders require no further action to do this.
Plate feeders can benefit from having a sponge, cotton ball, or other soft, absorbent material placed in the nectar.
This allows the butterfly to land and feed.
Jar feeders are slightly more involved:
Use a hammer and nail to punch a hole in the lid of the jar (take the lid off to do this).
Tightly plug the hole with a sponge, cotton ball, or other similarly absorbent material to keep the nectar from pouring out of the hole. , For sponge feeders, simply dip a sponge in the nectar.
Fill plate feeders by pouring nectar in after hanging them.
Fill jar feeders by pouring nectar in and then securing the lid (with the hole plugged) before allowing the jar to hang upside down., Butterflies are attracted to bright colors and flowers.
You can pick bright colored flowers to put on the feeder and color the strings and dispenser with bright paint or markers.
For a more permanent feeder, use fake flowers so that they do not wilt., In a garden or around a patch of bright flowers will attract the most butterflies.
Spring and summer are the best times to place your feeder.
Keep the feeder away from your house or deck.
It may attract other bugs, too., Replace the nectar as needed in the feeder.
You can store excess nectar in your fridge for up to one week and use it as needed.
If insects or other contaminants get trapped in the feeder, clean it out when replacing the nectar.
About the Author
Heather Nguyen
A passionate writer with expertise in cooking topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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