Wildlife experts have revealed the sweet treat that butterflies love, and will flock to your garden if you feed it to them.
There are few more beautiful sights than butterflies fluttering around your garden. But attracting butterflies for aesthetics aside, these insects are wonderful pollinators that are vital if you want a thriving wildlife garden.
Of course, you can plant the best plants for butterflies or make a butterfly house, but it’s also important to feed them their favourite food, too, and sugar water, when made in the right proportions, is just the ticket.
How to make butterfly food
‘Making butterfly food is easy and a great way to support them, especially when nectar is scarce,' says Anton Baskerville from Woodlands.co.uk.
'Mix one part sugar with 10 parts water (for example, one tablespoon of sugar in ten tablespoons of warm water). Stir until dissolved and let it cool. Then soak a clean sponge, cotton wool or brightly coloured cloth in the solution and place it in a shallow dish in your garden,’
‘Butterflies don’t just go for anything sweet, it’s the easy-access natural sugars that they’re after. The sugar water closely mimics flower nectar, providing a quick source of energy. Overripe fruit begins to ferment, giving off scents and sugars like tree sap and nectar, which butterflies naturally seek out.’
What about pests?
Of course, if you’re planning to place this sugary treat in your garden, then you should be aware that it can attract ants and other pests. If you don’t want to have to get rid of ants in the near future, Anton has some further advice.
'To keep ants away while allowing butterflies to feed safely, place your feeding station on a plate or saucer filled with water to create a protective moat,’ he says.
Alternatively, hang sponges soaked in sugar solution from a branch or feeder to keep them out of reach of ants. Keeping the area clean and regularly refreshing the food will also help deter unwanted pests.’
Place your butterfly food on a raised dish to deter ants from taking the sweet, sugary food.
These pretty feeders will hang from your trees, out of the way of pests and the perfect height for butterflies.
This will hold your butterfly food as well as other slices of fruit for your butterflies to eat.
Why butterflies need our help
Sadly, butterflies are in decline in the UK, with 31 of 59 species drastically dropping in numbers since 1979, according to The UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme. Because of this, it’s more important than ever to give these beautiful butterflies a helping hand. And serving up their favourite treat is a good place to start.
From now until 18 August, charity Butterfly Conservation is hosting its Big Butterfly Count, encouraging people to count and identify the butterflies in their garden to gauge population numbers. Not only does this make a wonderful activity for the family, but it is also a great opportunity to attract butterflies to your garden.
‘It’s easy, fun, and only takes 15 minutes - just head outside, record the butterflies you see, and submit your findings. The data collected helps scientists understand how different species are faring and where conservation efforts are most needed,’ explains Dr Emily Attlee, conservation scientist and co-founder of Seedball.
We need butterflies, and making butterfly food is a simple, effective way to keep them happy, fed and pollinating your garden. It’s a win-win.
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