Our Butterflies

Caterpillars... Chrysalides... Butterflies... Oh My!

I wish I would've thought to take a pic of the tiny little caterpillars that came by mail. It was fascinating for us all to watch them eat and get ready for their transformation. When it came time, after about 6 days, they hung themselves from the lid and began to transform into their chrysalide.

We gathered around them often to watch them "hatch". 

When all the chrysalides were formed (after about 10 days) I carefully moved them to their net and saftey pinned the 2 lids to to the sides of the net. (I needed so many hands to help that noone took pics... we worked great as a team though.) It was nerve racking to have to be SO very careful not to shake, bump, drop, etc. anything.

About 5 days later, they began to emerge! Talk about exhilarating!! We all had our eyes GLUED to the net!

We spread flowers out over the bottom and I dropped sugar water on the petals for their food.

We kept them in the net for about a week and just a few days ago we let them go out the backyard.  I felt bad keeping them in the net and didn't want them  to spend their whole lives in there.  They only live about 3 weeks.


Did you know???

that butterflies excrete meconium just like newborn babes? It is red and too gross looking to post.

that out of all of our 15 caterpillars, we birthed 12 butterflies?

that you should NEVER leave your 2 old alone with the delicate chrysalides in the container, because she will give them to her baby sister to play with in her super-saucer? (Yes, I FREAKED out!)

that before the caterpillars turn into chrysalides, they fill up their container with silk?

that you should be sure to tell your husband ahead of time NOT to move the chrysalides because it disturbs them? otherwise, he might just think it's a dirty glass out of the corner of his eye and shove it aside (Yes, I FREAKED out again!!)

that the darker the chrysalide, the closer it is to birthing a butterfly?

that this was an amazing informative experience for us all?

that we will be washing our net and ordering more!!