People With Young Kids

People with young kids: 

People in this  category are mainly parents, teachers, and grandparents giving the kids a experience they will never forget. Get the little ones excited about nature and make them aware of nature. How the little egg can transform into beautiful butterfly. For this category we would recommend getting a butterfly habitat, plenty available on Amazon get one that has side zippers. Make sure you use mild soap and wash the habitat before use.  Give it extra thorough rinse ( no soap or chemical residue should be left) and let dry. The habitats have a good viewing screen for the captive audience you will have. To raise the caterpillars in a habitat we would still recommend you put the habitat outside under a porch or in shade. The wind and the sun cycle helps the butterflies orient their sense of direction.  Put something heavy in the habitat to weigh it down, you don't want the habitat flying away.  If you have milkweed in containers once you find eggs all you do is move the container into the habitat and watch the process. If you have eggs on a milkweed plant, you would get a tuppeware line it with a moist paper towel, clip the branch with the leaf the egg is on and put it in the container. You carefully keep a eye on the leaf not drying up. The moisture in the leaf helps the caterpillar stay hydrated. Once the leaves are slightly dry they should be removed from the habitat and replaced with fresh ones( caterpillars will still eat the slightly dry leaves but will not be hydrated). You can also use floral tubes filled with water to keep the leaves fresh for longer.  You can also use a bottle filled with water and cover the opening with foil so the caterpillars don't fall in and drown( don't think it will happen but just to be on the safe side) You still would line the habitat with a moist paper towel to help you clean and maintain some humidity.  Once the caterpillar starts eating you need to clean the habitat daily, remove the moist paper towel and replace it with a fresh one. Add fresh milkweed as needed. It is recommend not to crowd the habitat. You do not want more that 3-4 caterpillars in a habitat. The aim of this category is to have a positive experience. Once the caterpillars pupate you can stop changing the milkweed. Once the caterpillar pupate or form the chrysalis make sure that the chrysalis is not in direct sun. When the butterfly emerge and if the sun is in their eyes they fall off. You can block the sun with a piece of cardboard if needed or keep it in shade. After the butterfly emerge it is recommend that you release them in the early morning after sunrise and watch them take off.  The whole point of this category is to have a positive experience. Get the young ones excited about nature.