To protect host vegetables and herbs, such as cabbage, parsley, and dill from being eaten by the larvae of butterflies, put netting over one area of the crop and leave the other area exposed for butterflies. The netting, available at most garden centres, will prevent the female from laying her eggs on the plants. C. Flowers for Shelter Butterflies thrive best in a sheltered garden, and you can plant tall shrubs, vines or trees around the perimeter to provide a windbreak. A suggested alternative to the log pile is the use of a hibernation house which can be purchased at many garden and nature stores. While this has been suggested to be attractive to butterflies, recent reports state that none have been seen using them.
Butterfly log pile.
Pesticide Usage As butterflies and hummingbirds frequent your flowers the use of pesticide is highly discouraged. Therefore, if you prefer to have perfect flowers and are a heavy pesticide user, I would recommend trying not to attract hummingbirds and butterflies. There are many natural and low-toxicity pesticides available and I would suggest using those but only during the leaf stage of the plant. Once the plant is in flower and the hummingbirds and butterflies are visiting, I would discontinue pesticide usage. How to Attract Hummingbirds and Butterflies.