A butterfly habitat allows you and your family to enjoy the natural wonder of metamorphosis. A child’s love of nature comes from encouragement. Ensure your child has a fulfilling life and begin their love affair with nature as early as possible. To provide your butterflies with the best start in life, you will need to purchase a suitable habitat.
With so many butterfly habitats available, finding the perfect product might seem like a huge task. To help you choose the right one, we have created a list of the top-rated butterfly habitats in 2023.
A butterfly habitat with a varied species of butterflies makes a wonderful addition to your urban garden. There are several reasons to buy a habitat.
Your children will gain a new appreciation for nature when they care for caterpillars and watch them become butterflies. Completing achievable goals is a known confidence booster for adults and children alike. Giving your child the responsibility of caring for the monarch caterpillars and butterflies will teach them how to be patient and put in some effort to achieve something desirable.
You will also feel proud after helping the butterflies grow to completion. If you have been feeling a bit down lately, connecting with nature and focusing on a project might help you mentally.
The numbers of Butterfly species are dwindling everywhere due to loss of habitat and global warming. Western Monarch butterflies have declined by 99.9% since 1980. This is because insects like a painted lady or monarch butterfly are so important for our ecosystem. Every time a creature becomes extinct, it affects so much more than its own passing.
For example, a butterfly that eats a certain type of plant will reduce the number of that plant. Without reducing the numbers of that plant, another plant could not flourish. Perhaps the second plant feeds a hummingbird which in turn can feed a variety of larger birds. Like a cog in a pin, butterflies maintain a delicate natural balance.
Humans are destroying that balance, so it makes sense that we try and fix it in any way we can. By keeping the caterpillars safe from predators until they have matured, you are massively increasing the chances of that species survival.
To know more about raising butterflies species in your garden, check video below from ‘A girl with a garden’.
To choose the best butterfly habitat, there are several factors you should consider and some features you may wish to look for.
See our recommendations below.
The mesh of your chosen habitat should be soft to touch with no tears or loose seams. Even the smallest of tears could lead to tiny caterpillar escapees. Therefore, the gaps in the mesh need to be small enough not to allow the caterpillars to leave but large enough to allow consistent fresh airflow.
If you want an easy setup, buy a habitat that pops up. These kinds of habitats are great because you can fold them back down for storage purposes.
When choosing a habitat, you may wish to buy one with caterpillars included. This is only recommended at certain times of the year when the caterpillars will survive the journey. If it is too warm or too cold, the caterpillars will perish. If you buy a butterfly habitat as a gift, you should buy one that comes with vouchers for free caterpillars or a discount. The person receiving the habitat may not have the time to dedicate to the caterpillars when receiving the gift. With a voucher, they can plan to get the caterpillars at the best time for them, when they can dedicate the time the caterpillars need to flourish.
Alternatively, you can buy a butterfly habitat without caterpillars included. This will require a little more effort on your part to collect caterpillars or caterpillar eggs. To find the eggs of the butterfly you wish to raise, you should research what their species prefer to eat. For example, Monarch butterflies lay eggs on flowering plants like Milkweed plant, and the Black Swallowtail Butterfly lays eggs on carrot family members.
The size of the habitat is an important feature for two reasons. Firstly you need to ensure that you have enough space in a suitable location for your habitat. Secondly, you need to make sure that your habitat is large enough to raise the number of monarch caterpillars you want whilst giving them enough personal space. Caterpillars hate touching each other, and it is cruel to keep them hemmed in, in a way that makes them touch.
You may like to consider buying more than one habitat. Monarch butterflies are the most common type of caterpillar you will receive with a butterfly habitat. If you pick caterpillars eggs or caterpillars from the garden, there is a chance they can be infected with a parasite called Ophryocystis elektroscirrha that can lead to the death of a caterpillar. They are infected during the caterpillar stage, and those who survive and turn into butterflies can spread the parasites when unfurling their wings. This is why it is important to keep younger caterpillars separate from chrysalises.
Another reason you will want more than one container for your caterpillars is that the large ones have been known to eat the baby ones. This is not intentional but rather a testament to a caterpillar’s hunger. They simply cannot eat their leaves fast enough.
The openings of your butterfly habitat should be secure, so the caterpillars or butterflies can’t escape. Zip fastenings are a good option. However, zips can hurt caterpillars that crawl onto them. If you remain vigilant, this should not be a problem. If you want to remove the possibility of hurting a caterpillar in this way, you can opt for a velcro fastening.
We choose our butterfly habitats based on how well they cultivate the insects, their reliability, value for money, and customer reviews. We only suggest habitats that are going to help your winged friend and look fantastic in the garden.
The RESTCLOUD Insect and Butterfly Habitat Cage Terrarium measures 15.7 x 15.7 x 23.6 inches. It is available in 5 color combinations to match any home decor. This product is made from mesh panels with a zip opening. It has a clear vinyl window so you can watch your caterpillars transform into beautiful butterflies. This is a wonderful experience for children and adults alike. This butterfly habitat cage can hold two milkweeds, which are known to attract various butterflies when outdoors. Once your butterflies have been released into the wild, this product conveniently folds away for easy storage.
If you want an award-winning butterfly growing kit that has been tried and tested, you should buy the Insect Lore Butterfly Garden. Insect Lore is run by women, many of whom are parents. Therefore, this large kit is aimed at enriching the lives of children. However, that is not to say it wouldn’t equally enrich the life of an adult too. This product contains a pop-up habitat 11.5 inches tall, with plenty of room for your butterflies to stretch their wings before you release them.
The Uncle Milton Butterfly Farm LIve Habitat includes a hanging handle, magnifying lens, a dome-shaped net, a transformation chamber with a top and bottom cover. It also comes with a base, a dome frame, a base cap with a sponge pad and printed scene, an instruction sheet, an educational poster, a decorative vine, and a postcard. This wonderful pack includes a voucher to order your caterpillars separately. The vouchers allow for this product to be bought as a gift and for the caterpillars to be ordered by the recipient when they are ready for them. Nurture and watch the miracle of transformation from the comfort of your own home!
The Trasfit Pop-Up Insect and Butterfly Habitat Cage Terrarium are made up of 5 mesh panels that allow good airflow whilst being soft enough not to damage tiny wings. This barrier will also protect your caterpillars and butterflies from predators whilst they are vulnerable. In addition, this product has a large zipper opening making it easier to clean the habitat and feed your caterpillars. The insect cage measures 12 x 12 x 14 inches – enough room for your butterflies to spread their wings for the first time. Handles at the top of the cage help you move the habitat smoothly when needed.
The Nature Bound Butterfly Habitat Growing Kit includes a pop-up cage which they sweetly call a pop-up village. This pack comes with easy-to-follow instructions and a voucher for 50% off caterpillars and food. Your children will love this easy-to-use butterfly habitat. Watch your caterpillars turn into beautiful painted ladies, and kickstart your little one’s love for nature. This product is sturdy enough to use both at home and in the classroom.
The Pllieay Collapsible Insect and Butterfly Habitat Net measure 15.7 x 15.7 x 23.6 inches. The mesh material allows you to watch the caterpillars grow and turn into butterflies whilst preventing them from escaping. In addition, the mesh allows for airflow and prevents any predators from getting to the caterpillars. This product has a zipper opening allowing you to place a plant or caterpillars inside with ease. It is a foldable product, so it is easy to store, and it has two handles so you can hang it from somewhere if you wish.
The Alezywels Butterfly Habitat Insect Cage measures 12 x 12 x 14 inches. It simply pops up into the right shape-so easy you can ask your children to do it. The air mesh panels are made from a soft yet durable material, allowing for good airflow and making it easy for you to watch the caterpillars grow and transition. In addition, this product comes with a 12-month warranty and a 100% money-back guarantee, so you will not lose anything by giving this product a chance.
A: Butterflies do have some intelligence. Studies show that some types of butterflies can memorize pollen and nectar sources, communal roosting sites, and host plants. There is no evidence, however, that they have any form of self-awareness.
A: The most common butterflies in America include cabbage white, orange sulfur, mourning cloak, spring azure, monarch, question mark and comma, gray hairstreak, and viceroy.
A: Butterflies are attracted to red, white, yellow, orange, purple, and pink. For red flowers, try coral gilia or crimson columbine. For white flowers, try baby’s breath or tulips. Yellow flowers include sunflowers and pansies. For a splash of orange, aloe vera and bulbine will look beautiful in any garden. Lavender and bellflower provide purple tones. Finally, for pink shades, opt for cherry blossoms and begonias.
