Raise butterflies for fun

This beautiful black swallowtail butterfly had just emerged from it's chrysalis (right side of picture) when I took this picture. It was very cool to watch, especially since I had been follow the life of this butterfly since it was an egg. The whole experience was fascinating. I highly recommend trying this at home. Children will love it. Here is how you do it. Plant some dill, or fennel near a seating area. If doing this with kids you could plant it near the play area. This way it is easy to watch daily. Take notice when butterflies are on the dill. If you watch closely you will see the butterfly touching the end of it's body to the dill before moving on. It is laying eggs. If you look really closely you will see the eggs. They look like tiny drops of dew the size of a pin head. Look, but don't touch. They are very delicate. When the larva first emerges, it is black with a white band around the middle. It looks like bird droppings so maybe that keeps it from getting eaten! As the caterpillar develops it is green with black stripes and yellow spots. The caterpillars eat a lot of dill but there will still be some left for the kitchen! Once the caterpillar is big enough it will form a chrysalis. When it emerges it will be a butterfly and the cycle will start over. Check daily to see if it has emerged. If you are doing this project with children and want to be sure they see the new butterfly, snip the stem the chrysalis is on and place it in a screen "bug house". Just be sure to check daily and release the butterfly after everyone has admired it. You can do this with a variety of butterflies. Find out what kind are common to your area and plant their preferred food. Have fun and let me know how many butterflies you raise!!

The Momma