Sudbury Butterfly Experience

10/14/2024

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

After a super busy summer we are finally quieting down and looking forward to a relaxing fall and winter season to recharge our batteries. We are so very thankful for each and every one of you whom supported us this year, and every year, and we look forward to seeing all of you come spring 2025!

🦋

06/24/2024

***SOLD!

One kit available!

Hot off the presses, for pickup in Chelmsford OR New Sudbury tomorrow.

I have a few others PPU that if not picked up tomorrow, will be available for Chelmsford pickup before Thursday.

Who wants it?? 🦋

06/15/2024

The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has just time enough 💕

🦋

06/13/2024

That's a wrap on the spring butterfly kit season! All of our babies have moved out, and we get to reclaim our kitchen and dining room tables! 😆

We were not planning on any more sets this year, however we've received enough messages in the last week that it appears there are still a fair number of people who may be wanting kits.

Who would be interested in a mid-July kit- available approximately July 19?

If we do a small round in July, we would likely run it on a pre-order basis to reduce the amount of chasing we need to do once kits are ready.

If you would be interested in securing a kit via pre-order for July 19th-ish, please comment below. Just gauging interest at this point!

🦋

06/09/2024

Currently SOLD OUT with remaining kits pending pickup.

Any unpaid kits not picked up will be available again late tomorrow.

I do have a small reserve of younger larvae currently growing and may have a couple extra kits in a few days 🦋

06/08/2024

We have kits!

We made up a limited number of kits this morning, for anyone still waiting.

Pickup in Chelmsford, or we will be in New Sudbury this afternoon, or the Valley tomorrow afternoon.

This may be the last set of the year so if you're hoping for a kit, send us a message! 🦋

06/02/2024

Finally, after what seems like an extra long wait this year, we have our first beautiful butterfly!

Check out the comments below for an image illustrating the major parts of the butterfly's anatomy, as well as an anatomy quiz for the kiddos!

🦋

06/02/2024

Just a couple of hungry new hatchlings on the hunt for food! 🐛

If the rain holds off through the week this next set of babies should be ready for kits beginning next weekend 🦋

05/27/2024

Who all is still waiting for kit(s)?

The last kit from the latest round moved out today, so we are currently sold out BUT are receiving ANOTHER round of eggs this week. These upcoming kits will be available approximately June 7/8.

We have been sifting through our inbox and messaging people who have expressed interest and have been waiting. Quite a few people have not responded, so we went to the next person in line.

If you are waiting for kit(s) please let us know, either in this post OR send us a message. The best way to ensure you receive a kit is to make sure you let us know, one way or another, and then watch for messages.

This week's eggs will likely be the last kits of 2024, so if you're hoping for a kit, let us know! 🦋

05/27/2024

Another gloomy day!

For those of you who have had butterflies emerge over the weekend, please remember to only release them on a warm sunny day to minimize the chance of predators finding them! If you're forced to keep your butterflies inside in this weather, ensure you feed them sugar water in a small, shallow dish, or fruit such as orange slices or mashed up ripe bananas.

Here's a short video of a J shape caterpillar changing into chrysalis, and then eclosing (emerging) as a butterfly! 🦋

Time lapse show a Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) caterpillar, hanging up and pupating, then emerging as a butterfly.The background noises are not what you'd r...

05/25/2024

Current batch SOLD 🦋

05/24/2024

Fun Fact Friday!

Painted Lady butterflies are found worldwide, on every continent except Australia and Antarctica!

Our butterflies can travel thousands of miles, and their migrations are triggered by seasonal changes.

They can also fly at high altitudes of over 500 meters- though they are usually found flying quite low, just above ground level, upon their return to our area come spring.

The Painted Lady is also known as the "thistle butterfly", as it's host plant for the caterpillar stage is the thistle. The butterflies will, however, feed on a variety of flowers such as cosmos, zinnias, asters, and joe-pye w**d.

🦋

05/22/2024

Show of hands, who has butterflies?!

We're still hanging around in Js over here, but we know some of the first round kits have already emerged! Show us your butterflies! 🦋

05/17/2024

Bumping up this post in case anyone needs it while we're away! What to do if you have a fallen chrysalis emergency!

The fallen chrysalis

We receive a few questions each year about how to handle a fallen chrysalis. Fallen chrysalids do happen, either from caterpillars dislodging them, from weak silk pads, or just from being bumped. But if your chrysalis falls, all is not lost.

Give the fallen chrysalis 24 hours to harden, then scoop it up gently with a spoon. If there is any silk, frass (p**p), or debris stuck to it gently brush it off with a clean Qtip.

Next, you need to tie something around the very top of the chrysalis to re-hang it.

Waxed dental floss is a wonderful material to hang a chrysalis, because it is thick and sort of sticky- knots made with waxed floss will not slip! Thread can be used as well, but may not be quite as sturdy or easy to work with.

Cut a piece of floss or thread about 4 to 6 inches long, and tie a loose knot in the center of the floss to create a small loop. Do not pull it tight yet. Slip the little loop over the black tip of the chrysalis – called the cremaster. Pull your knot tight around the cremaster- I usually make a double knot.

Finally, very carefully transfer the chrysalis to your butterfly cage, and securely tape or pin it to the roof of the cage.

Check out the images below (albeit for a monarch pupa) for a visual 🦋

05/17/2024

It's the official kickoff to sumner! 🌞

We will be heading up north for some R&R this sunny long weekend and will likely have very intermittent to no cell service.

The next round of kits will be available starting Monday when we're back. Once we are back we'll be messaging the round 2 preorders and will post availability of kits for purchase.

Wishing you all a restful and sunny, summery long weekend and we'll see you all in a few days!

🦋

05/15/2024

What goes in, must come out! 💩

Fourth and fifth instar caterpillars generate a LOT of frass (the technical name for caterpillar p**p), which looks like food-coloured pellets on the bottom of the cup. Please make sure you use your brush to clean off the surface of the food and remove as much frass as possible each day!

🦋

05/14/2024

Show of hands, who has chrysalids?!

A couple of the first kits from the first set of eggs have gone into chrysalis already! (if you're far behind, that's ok- as the larvae hatched and matured at different rates in the first set)

Here's a super cool video from National Geographic of the development of the Painted Lady butterfly's wing as seen through a window in it's chrysalis! 🦋

This footage offers a fascinating glimpse of how caterpillars change into butterflies. Graduate student Aaron Pomerantz created a window by making a small in...

05/13/2024

A question for the kiddos!

How many legs do caterpillars have??

They might be surprised by the answer...I'll post the answer in comments!