Buh-Bye Butterflies

Early this week our caterpillars started to hatch out of their chrysalids. We came home to three butterflies in their cage on Tuesday. We fed them orange slices and paper towel soaked in sugar water. As the days passed, the colors in their wings got brighter and thicker. The next day a forth one hathed. It took a few more days and the fifth one on the bottom of the cage started to hatch. I had a feeling there would be a problem with this lil guy since he never climbed the cup walls as a caterpillar. After a day of so the butterfly still had not completely come out. So I assisted him and got the rest of the chrysalid off him. His wings seemed a lil disformed. He also wouldnt walk, like his legs didnt work. So I placed him on the orange. Today we let our beautfiul friends go. The fifth lil guy didnt seem to do very well flying so we placed in the lilac bushes on the sugar soaked paper towel.

This was a lot of fun and we hope to continue it every year as Alex gets older. Doug and I especially had fun with it. I think Im ready to grow some lady bugs or earthworms next. Or we could try growing praying mantis' or frogs. But you will definitely NOT see me grow any spiders. We have enough already.