I Gave Birth To The Most Loved Butterfly In The World ATM

englishtchrivy (72)in #gardening • 7 years ago (edited)

You and your dirty mind! No, I didn't have coitus with any butterfly, of course not! What were you thinking? Okay, just kidding ha ha ^ __ ^ . Here's my story. (yeah, that's my pinkie)

I was making lunch when I found this on the broccoli which was probably sitting there for days in the supermarket and two days in my fridge at that time. When I removed the plastic wrapper, it crawled so what am I supposed to do with it? It was cold outside and it was still winter so I could not really fathom the thought of it freezing. You probably have already guessed, yes, I took care of it and decided to record video logs about its metamorphosis.

HERE'S A WHOLE PLAYLIST OF ITS VIDEO LOG. Each vlog is just less than a minute don't worry it's not too long. Here's for this morning, I took his first flight or it's actually a she.

Yesterday, was the first time I know am allowed to totally sleep till past noon so I was up pretty late watching Korean dramas all dawn. My husband let me sleep in but during his coffee break, he lifted the cup and found what he thought a leaf hanging on it. He couldn't help but go to the bedroom to show me and break my deep sleep. He told me my butterfly has hatched.

I remember waking up with my mouth half open which is not a very sexy bed scene (but I must have been breathing in my mouth during my sleep again cause I always do that when in a deep sleep) and after that I only remember jumping out of the bed grabbing that cup and I didn't even get to brush my teeth first nor wash my face because I have to see!

I prepared this tomato container for when this time comes. I wasn't sure when it'd hatch and the thought of it hatching while its cold really bothers me.

What's it going to eat? I only remember that in the butterfly garden that we've often visited they feed theirs with browned bananas, oranges and honeyed water. Normally, I'd make my breakfast first and juice some veggies and fruits first but I looked for oranges. No oranges?????? How is that possible ?? Perfect timing! I only had mandarins, I peeled one and slit one open and then sliced a banana and placed them all in a tiny plate and prepared sponge in water .

Carefully, we moved it or it's more of ... we waited for it to crawl in its new container. It looks very weak and am surprised to see what looks like blood or puke on the lid close to its now abandoned cocoon. It crawled downwards and I found more orange-reddish puke or is it actually its food? You a biologist? Do tell me what that is please.

Last night, I added honey-water and a bit later... I caught it sipping on it but I wonder whether it has eaten or sipped enough cause there's no poop nor pee in its container this morning. I'm worried that its not eating enough. Sighs .. had it been better off let go when it was just a crawling juicy green tiny thing?

I let it grow to its fullest because I remember the news the whole summer and they keep saying there's very few insect in Europe these days so when I saw it on the broccoli, I really thought that's one insect to add than to throw away and that could possibly procreate and add more without knowing it'll actually hatch during the cold.

I think it must know it was officially winter a night before it hatched. I was arguing with myself whether to let it go out or not. Right now, it doesn't even fly. I placed the container on direct sunlight so it could warm and totally stretch its wings but it won't fly.

Every now and then I'd let it crawl on my pinkie to clean the plate or add some sliced fruits in there but it would just stay at the tip of my pinkie. I'd let it crawl on the wall hoping it'll spread its wings and fly but it just stayed there which is very handy for me to go on cleaning the container but that's not its nature so am starting to worry. Is this actually normal?

I remember seeing newly born butterflies hanging on their cocoon from the time we got in till the time we left the butterfly garden so I wonder if this is the same case. Anyhow, I don't mind taking care of it and I think it has a much better chance surviving in here that outside specially that they forecast a minus temp last night.

This morning, I was making the honeyed water and it went restless in the container till I covered the glass. It must have thought there were flowers around, it went crawling around its container. There's also an improvement, it finally dared take a few flights but its wings must be not warmed enough because we're cloudy today so it just sat on the wall. Worried it might get stuck in an air vent, I dipped my pinkie in that honey water and let it crawl on it and it did. With pain in my heart, I placed it back in its all cleaned up container with its food in it.

PROOF OF IMPROVEMENT

While writing this, it's holding on to the sides of the container and no longer hanging upside down. It's wings are a bit spread out now but not totally, it must be on its learning phase ... I want to let it fly outside but where? My greenhouse is literally full of greens and no strawberry in the pots are flowering which would have helped if there was any because this sort of butterflies have always visited my greenhouse on sun shiny days. Letting it out with its wings not warmed enough would make it an easy prey for the birds being unable to fly high and fast enough.

I'm waiting for the sun to shine brighter and for it to be warm for several days specially at night and I'll let it fly out hoping the birds would also leave it alone. Right now, its only chance of surviving outside is the flowering plants being sold in the stores, the crocuses in the park and the daffodils that are starting to show off their beauty on the road.

Do you happen to know how long this butterfly lives? What's the best fruit or improvised butterfly food to feed it? I'd really like to know because for now I'm its mom.

Damn .. that sounds wrong writing that but obviously it doesn't mind and its pretty clingy, too!

Perhaps because it knows my husband and I are pretty happy to have him around and with all the attention we're giving him, he probably knows he's very much loved. I can't spray disinfectant on my kitchen counter nor wear perfume while he's here. Today my husband did just that so he's not allowed anywhere near him till he takes off that sprayed knit wear! Ha ha ha ^ __ ^. Of course my husband is more important that this butterfly but hey, I really want it to survive and be able to fly away and have coitus with its kind to procreate later.

Excuse me for using the gardening tag on this one but I was hoping to get the attention of those who knows this one best - broccoli, brussels sprouts and cabbage farmers! you all call it pest when its on a crawling stage but look at how beautiful it actually is.

Perhaps, the next time you see them in a bunch, you could give them a chance to grow in a container and just leave a kitchen towel at the bottom, throw in a few leaves or florets, you won't have to check on 'em unless you have pets anywhere around them. Please be light at handling them though they're very very fragile that's the only work you can think of if you have a bunch but in just a few days of doing that later you'd find them hanging on top of your container lids and two weeks later, you'd see plenty of this beautiful creature hanging on top waiting for you to release them so they could pay your kindness back with pollination.

GIVE NATURE A CHANCE and you can also start it at home, in your kitchen.

I got teary eyed writing that last one .. scared of them? They probably are more - with just the sight of you. Try putting your shoes in theirs (by the way, they wear lots of shoes ahahahahaha ^ _ ^ ) - the sight of you must be a giant to them!

_{This content's 100% mine. I took each pic and vlog with my Samsung Galaxy A3, 2017.}

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7 years ago in #gardening by englishtchrivy (72)

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sukhasanasister (63) 7 years ago

I enjoyed watching Yellow grow and pupate (so quickly!) but I hate to be pessimistic, only now his chances of survival are slim. He was born too early. His life span in the wild is about a month, but in wintery weather.... Best hope now is to keep the butterfly as cool as possible (shed or protected balcony) but frost-free, in the hope this saves energy, still allowing him to fly off when he feels he stands a chance (right now, in your kitchen, there are no prompts for flight: he needs a view).

Fruit is not really this cabbage loving butterfly's type of food. I don't know if the same recipe as for bees would work (herbal tea with raw honey, preferably rapeseed honey). Besides he'll want to be around brassicas to do what he was born to do: drop off (or make) the next generation. It would be a good thing if he could extend his hibernation a bit more until there is more nectar outside. But I am not at all sure that the Lemon Yellow is a hibernator outside the chrysalis.

Don't forget butterflies also need mineral salts - maybe that's why he likes your skin. Best thing to do when the next sunny day comes along to take him to an allotment, field or garden where the caterpillar's favorite food can be found, and some other flowering bulbs or plants are around as well. Maybe there is another early ~~bird~~ butterfly he can meet up with.... Good luck! Thank you for caring so sweetly for our fragile ones!

P.S. A small consolation: this particular butterfly is considered a pest by most gardeners, and definitely farmers, so it is not encouraged to rear this particular species specifically; but hey! you didn't ask to become a mamma did you!

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englishtchrivy (72) 7 years ago (edited)

hahahaha

thank you

no I didn't ask to be a mom, I let it reach this stage out of pity
it was very cold outside when I found it on the broccoli so I decided to let it stay in our house

no am not going to let it out
edit : it's going to snow and hail tonight says the weather forecast so no chance of letting it out
and yes am worried he's not happy
I let him fly as you can see if you've clicked on the video links but it wont budge
am not sure my finger's salty cause I always wash my hands before touching it as normally I have some lotion on though I only use organic ones too

Thank you for giving me the its life span, finding out it could last a month gives hope. Right now, I'd just feed it what I have in the house, and when it's warmer, I'd put him inside my greenhouse and just buy some flowering lavenders from the local garden store. That's the only plant I could think of that is maybe available now. At least in the greenhouse, he could fly and leave when he choose to but I'd only let him out when the weather site says it won't be minus nor below 10 degrees at night. That's the only time I'm confident he'll have a better chance of surviving and finding a date.

edit : yes, they call it a pest and I mentioned that on my post - it's one of those green word and I also suggested what to do with it instead of ridding them

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xpilar (83) 7 years ago

I love butterflies and am so glad you took it to your heart @englishtchrivy

The picture I downloaded from your video tells you what good person you are.

Who has given it both living space and food so that it can develop into a butterfly as you show us

I Gave Birth To The Most Loved Butterfly In The World ATM

Do you happen to know how long this butterfly lives? What's the best fruit or improvised butterfly food to feed it? I'd really like to know because for now I'm its mom.

GIVE NATURE A CHANCE and you can also start it at home, in your kitchen.

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