Where should I put the Butterfly House?

[SarahStrawberry]

Hi All

We have a butterfly house in the garden and it is about 3 feet off the ground and away from the garden wall, next to a Buddleja and South facing. I think this is a lovely place for the butterflies but they don't seem to agree.

One thing I have noticed is that sometimes a spider lives in it and I think this scares the butterflies because they don't want to get stuck in any webs.

Does anyone have any advice on where we should put the house and how to keep spiders out?

Sorry if this is in the wrong place - I'm new!

[rustylady]

I'm not sure what a butterfly house is, I'm afraid. I've always found that butterflies prefer to be free and flutter about, sipping nectar from my buddleia bushes and laying eggs on my cabbage seedlings.

[SarahStrawberry]

It's a little wooden box with slats in the side so they can shelter. I think you get similar ones for ladybirds with smaller holes.

[arpoet]

I seem to think that the butterfly house will come into its own in the cooler days of autumn (next week..lol) when they are seeking shelter for the winter. Some years ago i got hold of some old computer cases, took out all the works and stuffed in scrunched up paper and then hid them down the wild part of my back garden for such things and lace wings.
I also have 2 wild areas down the allotment: one behind the sheds next to the boundry wall, and the other in the center of the plot where the fruit trees are.
Roger

[Two_Sheds]

I've had hibernating butterflies in my wooden shed, tucked in cracks and corners. Those bug boxes that you pay good money for, never seem to be very successful

[rustylady]

Aah, I see. I presume you paid good money for it. As Twosheds says, butterflies tend to find their own overwintering quarters and ignore "special" boxes that you have put up.

[zazen999]

But something would use it; so pop it out somewhere and let nature do what it wants.

[dogsbody]

I have one! It's empty..... always has been.....

[Two_Sheds]

Does anyone have any advice on where we should put the house

I've just read a bit of this advice, and basically it needs to be dry, but cold. If butterflies are warmed up (say on a sunny November day) they will come out of hibernation too early.
So I guess south-facing wouldn't be ideal.

[SarahStrawberry]

Hi

Thanks everyone. It was actually given to me as a gift and I would like to make use of it so I will move it around as suggested above and see what happens.

Sarah

[SueA]

I think maybe you should put it a little higher up Sarah & put one of the buddleia flowers inside to attract the butterflies in. You could be right about the spider putting them off too, see if you can evict him!

[SarahStrawberry]

Hi Sue

Yes, I will try something. To be honest I am sometimes put off my house when there's a spider in it (but I wouldn't kill them)