Pesticides kill butterflies and caterpillars, so don't poison your garden against one kind of insect as you'll get them all. Pesticide residues can linger for days to weeks, so if you have insect problems, look for alternative controls. Tips on Butterfly Viewing Butterflies are most active on balmy days. When winds are high they prefer protected places. Butterflies are in search of food and mates.
Food can be nectar as well as protein-rich fluids from animal wastes.
Look for both sources to increase your success. Female butterflies of many species are very particular and lay their eggs on one or a few species of plants which are the best food for the caterpillars. For More Information Enroll in some of Matthaei Botanical Gardens' Adult Education classes on butterflies, moths, or gardening. Butterfly Gardens . Butterflies East of the Great Plains.