Lure More Butterflies To Your Garden With The Help Of An Overripe Fruit

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Butterflies are a beautiful addition to any garden and do a lot more than just add color and beauty. They are great pollinators, collecting the yellowy pollen on their wings and legs and then transferring it to other flowers and plants they visit.  Since most plants need pollination to reproduce, their presence is a benefit for your garden. The main source of these flying insects' nutrition is nectar from certain flowers and plants that you'll want in your garden to attract those colorful butterflies in the first place. But if you want to lure more butterflies to your outdoor space, another thing you can do is offer them overripe pineapple. 

Pineapple provides butterflies with sugar for energy and important hydration and makes a great treat for your delicate winged friends. The riper the pineapple is the sweeter it will be and the more likely it is to attract butterflies. Many pollinators enjoy overripe fruit, so if there is any in your kitchen right on the edge of starting to go bad, consider putting it out in the garden for them to enjoy. The butterflies don't eat the fruit but they do drink the juices, which is why you want to use overripe pineapples. They're juicy and soft, making it easy for the butterflies to drink the sweet liquid within.

Setting up the pineapple for the butterflies is not hard, but there are a couple of things you can do to prevent ants from crawling all over it. Get a large bowl and place a small bowl inside it. Put your pineapple slices or large chunks in the small bowl and fill the large bowl with some water which provides a barrier or moat around the bowl that holds the pineapple. Place your double bowl feeder on a sturdy surface like a deck table or patio table. 

Another great way to place fruit out for your butterflies and other pollinators to enjoy is to get a hanging structure like this Aihaokan Hanging Bird Bath and follow the same steps. Place a small bowl in the center, fill it with your overripe pineapple. Then put some water in the rest of the bath and hang it up.

Other fruits to offer in your fruit feeders include pears, cantaloupe, peaches, nectarines, oranges, bananas, and strawberries. Attract butterflies to your garden with a juicy fruit like watermelon, too. Keep an eye on the fruit pieces to ensure they are not becoming moldy or attacked by ants. Although butterflies do love overripe fruit, moldy fruit is not good for them. Don't put out too much fruit out or leave it out overnight. This can attract yellowjackets – one of the most dangerous types of wasp – and other larger animals like raccoons and even bears.