This Kitchen Staple Could Turn Your Garden Into A Butterfly Sunbathing Spot

If you've worked to plant a garden that attracts colorful butterflies, you know the joy of seeing these creatures flit amongst your flowers. When the weather turns colder, though, you might be worried about their survival. There is a way you can provide these beneficial insects with a way to warm up in your garden, and it just takes a bit of aluminum foil.

Butterflies need an outside source of warmth to stay active, and struggle to fly when temperatures dip below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Some species, such as Painted Ladies and Monarchs, migrate south for the winter; others, like the Mourning Cloak, may hang around your yard even when the weather turns cold.

Whether heading on a migration journey or overwintering in your garden, butterflies need to warm up their wings after a chilly night in order to fly. They often do this by basking on flowers on cold mornings, perched with their wings extended to gather up the sun's rays, gathering energy for their journeys. By sitting in warm areas of your garden, butterflies transfer heat into their bodies, enabling them to start their day. You can help butterflies warm up even faster by placing small squares of aluminum foil in your garden.

If you've ever peeled back a sheet of tin foil from your casserole after baking, you'll know that aluminum foil itself does not get hot. The genius of foil is that it reflects heat back out to whatever it is facing. A square of foil placed in the garden in a sunny spot, held in place by some flat stones, will create a little radiator of heat that butterflies can use to warm up and dry off from any morning dew that may be weighing down their fragile wings.

Put your foil pieces among your pollinator-friendly flowers or next to your DIY butterfly feeder or butterfly-friendly bird bath. Just make sure your foil squares are clean and dry for butterfly use. The stones you use to secure your foil from blowing away will also absorb reflected heat and provide a warming spot for butterflies. Don't worry about overheating your butterfly guests. They will fly away if they get too warm.

In addition to squares of foil, or as an alternative, some gardeners add shredded foil to their mulch. In addition to reflecting light and warmth onto plants in cooler temperatures, the shininess of aluminum foil attracts butterflies and other beneficial insects, while deterring unwanted pests. Soon, you'll have a garden filled with the beautiful colors of butterflies.