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Butterfly water?

debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
in The potting shed
Any idea on ways to give butterflies a drink? I have a shallow dish filled with small stones that I keep topped up for bees etc but would butterflies use it? 

Posts

  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    edited July 2018
    yes probably. We have a spring and the overflow from it trickles down the drive making a series of shallow puddles in the mud. At the moment, all sorts of creatures are visiting. The birds are using the deeper bits - often see the wagtails in there of a morning with their little tiny loofahs (no, I know they don't really, but it looks exactly like they do, the way the preen and wiggle) the swallows have stopped picking up mud now, they just feed on all the insects along there of an evening. The butterflies seem to use the very soft mud rather than anything that looks like water to me. Perhaps you could add a little gravel or grit at one end of your dish so the water is just barely on the surface?
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
    Will try that as reading on another post that many butterflies died after the drought of "76
    To be honest there are lots everywhere at the moment, bees too obviously enjoying the sunshine! 
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    I think part of the problem in '76 was that flowers died so the butterflies had no food as well as limited water
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • debs64debs64 Posts: 5,184
    That's an incentive to keep my buddleias watered! 
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
     :) Or at least keep dead heading  B)
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
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