Butterflies are probably one of the most popular garden visitors. But unfortunately they seem to be becoming increasingly rare. No wonder, as their living space has significantly reduced in the zeal of the order-loving gardener.
With a little skill and attention, however, the fluttering flower lovers can be lured back into the garden and supported over the winter as in times of bad weather. For example, with a self-built butterfly house.
Building instructions for a butterfly house
First you need untreated wooden boards 2 cm thick and rust-proof, galvanized nails. The boards are now cut to the correct size with the saw:
Base plate – 25 x 25 cmFront and back (each) – 25 x 40 cmSide panels (2 x) 29 x 30 cm
Then the front and back are shaped into a roof, whereby the side edge should be 10 cm below the tip of the board. Afterwards, two more boards are needed as a roof, which are 20 x 35 cm or 18 x 35 cm in size.
The front is first provided with holes in the lower area. To do this, drill two holes 5 cm apart using a wood drill for each gap, which you then connect with the jigsaw. The saw edges are smoothed with sandpaper.
Starting from the base plate, all parts are now installed: First, the side parts, then the front and back are connected to form a box by first gluing them with wood glue and then fixing them with nails. The larger of the two roof sides is then attached and also secured. The second half of the roof is first placed on top and connected exclusively to the other roof using the plastic edge band. The edge band is fixed to the edges using small nails so that it stays on the roof but can be opened upwards without any problems.
Ready for butterflies and beneficial insects
Building your own butterfly house can be done quickly with a little skill. However, before the butterfly house is ready to move in, it needs to be set up. To do this, you first use a few branches of different thicknesses and strengths. In addition, wood wool and leaves ensure the coziness of the butterflies. Some nettles or butterfly flowers also provide a natural material and food for the establishment, but should be checked regularly and removed if necessary.
Make sure not to overfill the butterfly house so that there is enough space for the new residents. The exterior design of the self-built butterfly house can be left natural or decorated with (pollutant-free) colors depending on your taste. Place the butterfly house close to butterfly plants such as nettles, fruit plants or nectar-rich flowers, but at the same time protected from the weather.
