Inside Letchworth Garden City - March 2021 - Flipbook - Page 6
Attracting Butterf lies
Butterflies and moths are incredible
creatures that instantly trigger memories
of sunshine, flowers and long summer
days. However, this might not always be
the case. Sadly, during the last century
four butterfly species and more than
60 types of moth became extinct, and
75% of British butterfly species are in
decline. The main cause is the continued
deterioration, fragmentation and loss of
habitats in combination with changes in
weather patterns, particularly in the summer.
Butterflies can also tell us a lot about what’s
going on in an area, and the Wildlife Trust in Bedfordshire
monitor their presence at nature reserves, as well as
creating conditions that each species need to thrive – such
as chalk loving species at Totternhoe NR. They are very
sensitive to environmental change and react quickly due
to their short life cycles, so they are therefore valuable
as what’s called an ‘indicator species’, and by monitoring
them the Trust can gain a better understanding of how
our native wildlife is likely to respond to environmental
factors such as climate change (eg hotter, drier summers
and wetter winters) and increased urban development.
If butterflies are in trouble, there is a good chance that
a wide range of other insect species will be struggling too,
and this will have knock-on effects further up the food
chain. To help halt the decline in butterflies and moths
everyone can help restore their populations and for this
to happen the wider countryside needs to be managed
in a more butterfly-friendly way. Helping butterflies
in gardens can make a big difference, by encouraging
butterflies and moths into gardens there’s a double bonus:
colourful butterflies and moths, and a beautiful garden.
Any garden, no matter the size, can easily attract
butterflies and moths: just one vital ingredient: nectar,
nectar and more nectar! By planting suitable nectar-rich
plants, this will quickly attract up to 18 species of
butterfly and many moths.
Butterflies can fly surprisingly long
distances in their search for the right
breeding site, and nectar provides
essential sustenance at this time: they
locate nectar flowers by following
scent and colour. Generally, both
native and non-native flowers are
suitable as nectar sources, so
there’s lots of choice of what to
plant.
It is important that the nectar is accessible –
simple, shallow flowers are best. Butterflies
cannot reach the nectar in deep flowers
such as foxgloves.
Flowers can be grouped to create
a ‘butterfly border’: butterflies like
warmth, so go for sheltered, sunny spot
sand try to pick a mixture of plants that
flower throughout the year. Obviously,
don’t use any insecticides or pesticides as
these will kill butterflies and many other
important insects.
For summer planting many flowers work well:
especially bramble, Buddleia (butterfly bush), candytuft,
dandelion, golden rod, heliotrope, hemp agrimony,
knapweed, lavender, French marigold, marjoram, mint,
nasturtiums, oxeye daisy, perennial wallflower, purple
loosestrife, scabious, sweet rocket, sweet William, teasel,
thyme, toadflax, valerian and yarrow.
Looking into autumn go for Alyssum, black-eyed Susan,
Buddleia (deadhead to prolong season), hebe, heliotrope,
ice plant (but not ‘autumn joy’ or ‘brilliant’), ivy, michaelmas
daisy, scabious, verbena, yarrow.
Butterflies will also feed on ripe and windfall fruit, root
sap, tree trunks, cuckoo spit and even wine! Enjoy these
wonderful pollinators for the next few months.
More Information
For more information please visit
www.wildlifebcn.org/actions/how-attract-butterflies-your-garden
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JULY
WWW.WILDLIFEBCN.ORG
