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Talkback: Early butterflies

LouatLarchesLouatLarches Posts: 15
in Talkback
We've seen the Tortoiseshell for sure and others too, though I didn't register their type. I'm desperately eating the tops of the over wintered brussel sprouts before these painted creatures lay eggs!

Posts

  • FleurisaFleurisa Posts: 779

    You only need to worry about cabbage white butterflies laying eggs on brassicas!

  • Adam PascoAdam Pasco Posts: 90
    Yes, it's only cabbage white butterflies that will lay eggs on brassicas, and a fine netting cage built over these helps keep them off, as well as keeping pigeons away.



    Four of our favourite native butterflies use stinging nettles to lay their eggs and for their caterpillars to feed on. These include the Peacock, Coma, Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral.



    So it pays to leave some nettles around in quiet corners or natural 'wild' areas to provide a nursery for native butterflies!
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,441

    I think the whites around at the moment are female brimstones. They're safeimage



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • cera wilkinscera wilkins Posts: 8
    I had 16 peacock butterflies hibernating on the ceiling of my chicken shed since early September last year. Today there are only 7 left, the others must have woken up and gone. I did see a peacock this morning, so butterflies are about now, but plenty of bees.



    Cera
  • Pippa APippa A Posts: 2
    So far I have spotted, Small Tortoiseshells, Peacocks, Brimstones, Orange-tips. Looking forward to some consistent weather to bring out more of these beautiful creatures.
  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,441

    I'm still waiting for the orange tips, the food plants are ready.



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,124

    We've had some about - not sure what, green-veined whites or orange tips possibly, I've not seen them but there's caterpillars on the sweet  rocket. 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,124

    Hurrah! We saw our first orange tip of the year today -  it was in a lane near the marshes, on some hedge garlic. image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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