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"Oh Sweet Nectar Gives Me a Burst Occasionally tho I'm Dying Of Thirst" ~Unknown Butterfly |
Sip, Sip and Away
Unbeknownst to many, butterflies actually do sip other fluids besides nectar, for much needed moisture and minerals. Butterflies sip liquid foods using their straw-like proboscis, which uncoils to sip food, and coils up again into a spiral when not in use.
Puddling
Have you ever seen a cluster of butterflies on moist soil in your garden? This little event is called puddling. Most of the butterflies are probably males drawing up minerals from the soil. The small amounts of sodium in the soil give the male butterflies nutrients that enhance their libido.
Add a Puddle to Your Butterfly Garden
You can create your own butterfly puddle by digging a shallow dish into ground level, fill it with sand and moisten with water. Add rocks, crystals and marbles for a classy look and you can even add a sprinkle of salt if you want to entice the males.
Related Pages
Butterfly Food - List of favorite nectar producing butterfly plants.
Butterfly Forum- Blossom Swap's butterfly forum.
Butterfly Host Plant- List of host plants for caterpillars to feast on.
Butterfly Puddle - Easy project to entice butterflies to your garden.
Plant a Garden for Butterflies! - Information on selecting the best area, list of favorite plants, and butterfly garden plans.
Websites About Butterflies - If you're looking for butterfly websites, you will want to check our list of
informative butterfly resources, photographs and associations.
