Do you want to be a "Caterpillar Mama" and watch the magic of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly?
Here's what you'll need to get started:
- A container - it can be a critter keeper or aquarium.
- Paper towels - one for the bottom for easy cleaning and one under the top to prevent spiders from crawling inside or babies crawling out.
- Fresh caterpillar food - each species requires a particular plant.
For example: Black swallowtails eat parsley, dill or fennel but Monarchs only eat milkweed. - CATERPILLARS! Visit the BugLady's garden and adopt some!
Tips:
- Place your critter keeper away from direct sun or a/c vent.
- Once a day, check on your "children". Clean out the poop, place clean paper towel and their specific fresh plant food.
- Enhance your observation skills by watching your babies every day to see what they will do next. Their schedule is: eat, poop, grow, molt then repeat, repeat, repeat.
- When you think your caterpillars are ready to pupate, place a few sticks in the container for them to attach their chrysalis.
- Caterpillars raised indoors do not have benefit of rain or dew. Lightly mist the chrysalis with water so they won't dry out.
- When your butterfly hatches, offer it cut fruit slices, fresh flowers, or juice on a cotton ball. Release as soon as the wings are strong.
- Make a wish and release your butterfly into your garden near flowers!
- Be proud that you are now a butterfly farmer and have helped to enrich the ecosystem of your neighborhood!
Call 504-739-5715 or visit the BugLady at 6444 Jefferson Highway in Harahan- Monday through Friday 9:30-5pm.
Come join the BugLady of New Orleans who has been working in her 3 generation family business, Barber Laboratories where you can purchase pest-control products, but you can also visit the “Learning Room” where she raises live butterflies and moths. Linda has also been known as the Caterpillar Mama for over 40 years now and has raised 126 species of butterflies and moths, photographing and studying their life cycles. 
