Re: bees and butterflies


Okay folks, let's face it.  If you can attract the bees, the hummers and
butterflies will follow.  They are all attracted by color and smell.
But, if you give them what we all need, ie; food, water and shelter and
in some cases a place to over winter you'll have them for life.  Don't
just settle for the one or two you can attract with pretty flowers, go
for the gusto and raise your own!  For butterflies particularly, they
not only want the nectar but some place suitable to lay their eggs.  

Here's a list of larvae food plants.  I will limit it to only the
perennial and biennial to stay on topic. Hollyhock, milkweed. asters,
dicentra, digitalis, eriogonum, geum, heliotropium, linaria, lupinus
penstemon, veronica, passiflora, strawberry, wisteria, cassia,  hibicus,
lavatera, malva, plumbago, ribes, rose, spiraea, viburnum,
horsechestnut, birch, cornus, hawthorn, malus, sycamores,  oaks,
willows, poplar and many more natives. 

For adut butterflies try these.  Yarrow,columbine, thrift, butterfly
weed, aster, astilbe, borage, cupid's dart, plumbago, shasta daisy,
coreopis, dlephinium, dianthus, echinacea, globe thistle, erigeron,
eryngium, gaillardia, heliotrope, dame's rocket, iberis, liatris,
lobelia, monarda,penstemon, phlox, rudbeckia, slavia, sedum, solidago,
verbena, ablelia, buddleia, heather, lantana, lavander, honeysuckle,
potentilla, ribes, rosemary, spiraea, lilac, vitex, maples
horsechestnut, apples, citrus,  and hundreds more.

A fun thing to do in the summer and into the fall is to provide a place
for the males to "puddle".  A bucket of over ripe fruit (we used pairs)
mixed with water or (mashed bananas) stale beer works well. An easier
and less smelly way is to put a pie plate with sand, water and salt out.
The guys like to hang out and get drunk.  We did both here and had also
set up traps to see what kinds and popultions were flying around.  It
was an experience to say the least.  I didn't realize I had drawn so
many different kinds or so many.  I thought I kept seeing the same ones
over and over.  I keep thinking I'm going to try one of those butterfly
feeders I see every now and then, but I never see a refill, so haven't
gotten one yet.
Sally
zone 6, west KY
and I promise not to say anything else today!

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