Create An Environment For Butterflies To Call Home
by John Yazo
Butterflies, a beneficial insect that is taken for granted. Even though these beautiful flying insects are commonly seen in just about every garden, many species are declining due to the loss of the natural landscape being developed and destroyed. There are ways that you can do your part in creating a habitat as a part of your landscape to invite butterflies and give them the natural environment for them to call home.
A butterfly garden can be a fun,learning experience that can be very rewarding. Due to the short life span of butterflies, most species of this attractive insect don't travel far from there native habitat. Creating natural landscape gardens, with native plants is a great way to give native species of butterflies in your area the habitat they need to survive.
To create a basic habitat that will attract and keep wildlife in your landscape, there are three needed elements. Food, shelter and water are these three elements that are required to sustain life, but to attract a specific species the environment may vary. There are plants that offer a better food source for the adult butterfly and others for the larva stage of there life cycle. All these elements are very important, and if one of these elements isn't met butterflies and other wildlife that you want to attract to your gardens, or landscape will move on until they find what they are looking for. Keep in mind when creating a natural habitat for wildlife, a perfectly manicured landscape isn't important,a food source, water and a shelter for them to rest, along with a safe place for them to reproduce are.
It all starts with location when planning on creating a butterfly habitat in your yard or gardens, along with a basic understanding of the butterflies you want to attract. There are species that prefer the sun to keep warm and there are others that like shade. Planning a garden that can provide both will allow you to attract a greater diversity. If you are in area of cooler climates, include a few rocks that will absorb heat from the sun for the butterflies to warm themselves and if your area is windy you can provide a wind stop with the use of plants, or a fence. As little of a problem as this may sound, these elements are very important.
Researching and learning about the species of wildlife you want to attract to your yard or gardens is very important before you can design a habitat that will satisfy there needs and for them to call home.
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