Why are they eating dirt?
Butterflies often gather in groups on wet sand or mud, and look like they are eating. This activity is called puddling, and they do it to obtain the minerals that are found in the soil. You can create a puddling place in your garden by placing a shallow pan in the soil, filling it with coarse sand, and keeping it moist. You can add salt to this at a rate of to cup salt (table salt or rock salt) to one gallon of sand, mix well and moisten. Locate the puddling area under a soaker hose or near a drip emitter to help keep the sand moist. Butterflies do not only eat nectar – There are some butterflies that rarely feed on nectar and will only visit a garden if it has some extra touches, such as rotten fruit or manure. The best fruits are those that are either soft (banana) or moist (watermelon). Small amounts of fresh manure also will attract butterflies. BUTTERFLIES AND CATERPILLARS ARE INSECTS The use of insecticides will kill many butterflies and their caterpillars. If a peat problem deve
