Make A DIY Butterfly Feeder In 6 Easy Steps

BrightNest
by BrightNest
Encourage butterflies to visit your yard and pollinate your plants by making a butterfly feeder. It's easy! You'll need: A small jar (a mason jar or a baby food jar will work), hammer and nails, string, a sponge, sugar, water and construction paper.
The first few steps are below the photo, but for the full tutorial, visit: http://blog.brightnest.com/2012/06/24/attract-butterflies-by-making-a-diy-butterfly-feeder/
First, prepare "butterfly food" by mixing nine parts water with one part sugar. Depending on the size of your jar, you'll use either a tablespoon or a teaspoon.
Let the mixture boil until the sugar is dissolved, and then let it fully cool before putting it in the feeder.
Using your nail and hammer, punch a small hole in the lid of the jar. You're going to be cutting your sponge and you want your sponge to fit tightly through the hole, so keep it small. You can always make it bigger as necessary.
Cut your sponge into strings about one inch wide, and then pull it through the hole so there is about a half-inch of sponge sticking out from the top of the lid.
Remember, you want the sponge to stick tightly even when it's wet, so you might need to make it larger than you think.
BrightNest
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 5 questions
  • Bonnie Coslett Bonnie Coslett on Dec 31, 2016
    Where do you get the yellow top?
  • Mary Holzapfel Mary Holzapfel on May 05, 2017

    the diirections don't show the jar in the saucer and what do you do with paper?

  • Dorene Valerio Dorene Valerio on Aug 26, 2017

    i live in a Senior complex, we do t have any gardens. How can I utilize this idea without having a garden to put it in?

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  • WyldSage WyldSage on Jul 21, 2022

    I thought butterflies didn't consume sugar water.

  • Carey Marshall Carey Marshall on Nov 27, 2023

    If you have the flowers for them to access, they putting a dish with sand soaked with water, the Butterflies will come for a drink and go to the flowers for the nectar. They don't need sugar water when they have access to flowers. Not only do they get the nourishment that they need, but they are also pollinating the flowers. If you don't have flowers nearby to access then they might go for the sugar water. Butterflies need both the flowers and the water access. The sand makes the water more accessible to them. without endangering them to drowning.

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