The pros and cons of buying live caterpillars
Raising butterflies is one of the most rewarding tasks for kids. When kids raise butterflies, they get hands-on experience caring for another living creature as well as witnessing the caterpillar’s full life cycle. Many children find it magical to watch a caterpillar transform into a butterfly. But what they don’t realize is that watching this magic happen is a whole science lesson.
When it comes to raising butterflies, you have two options for acquiring caterpillars. Your first choice is to purchase live larvae from a variety of suppliers. Some suppliers may even sell caterpillar eggs instead of live eggs.
Your second option is to go out and find your own fry to raise. Each method has its pros and cons, so keep them in mind when making your decision.
Going out and catching your own fry can be hard work but it is well worth the effort. Having the kids go outside and look for caterpillars helps teach them what kind of plants butterflies actually eat.
The reason for this is that when looking for caterpillars you should consider what type of plant you need to look for in order to find a particular caterpillar. For example, milkweed is a plant favored by caterpillars that become monarch butterflies. While you will find these caterpillars on milkweed plants, the plant itself is needed to feed the caterpillars.
The disadvantage of searching for your larvae is that it can take a long time. You can only actively hunt for caterpillars during certain seasons, so the window of opportunity is very limited.
Purchasing live caterpillars has a huge advantage over hunting for caterpillars in most cases since they can be purchased at any time during the year. Another advantage of buying caterpillars is that you don’t have to worry about trying to figure out what kind of caterpillars they are and what food to feed them. Another advantage of buying fry is that they often come with growing medium which means you don’t have to go out and find fresh food for them every day.
The disadvantage of buying caterpillars is that children do not enjoy the excitement of discovering caterpillars hidden among plants. Nor do they learn about the different types of caterpillars or, in fact, the different foods they eat.
Whether you buy live fry or catch yourself, it’s important to give them fresh food every day. Caterpillars will not eat wilted leaves, nor will they eat dried leaves. Easy access to the food factory is important.
You can cut off the excess leaves from the plant, but you’ll need to keep them in the refrigerator to keep them fresh. Removing old leaves each day is important for healthy caterpillar rearing. Old leaves can rot.
Another option is to buy a plant that the caterpillar will eat and place it in its natural habitat.
The plant eliminates the need to provide fresh leaves every day.
