Disturbed butterfly

[captain nodge]

Whilst moving a pile of old timber, we came across a hibernating peacock butterfly, we put it safely in a jar with air holes some tissue and a drop of honey, is this the best thing to do and till when,

[Jason Green]

Afternoon CN,

I wish I could find one... it must have been mid-November the last butterfly I saw...

Oh sorry, getting back to your question! Yes, a drop of honey will top-up the reserves - always good if one gets active. What sort of weather do you have - mild, sunny, freezing? If it's bright or even mild - release it back where you found it, and it should settle down by night-fall. If it's freezing/cold, I'd suggest keeing it (somewhere cool and dark, but ventilated) only overnight so it doesn't risk losing energy and struggling to find somewhere to continue hibernation or it may just become prey. If you choose the latter, still release it back where you found it in the morning.

Take care,

Jason

[Lance Morgan]

If it remains cold it will settle again into hibernation. You could try releasing in a shed or garage or even a rabbit hole.

[Johnny Redgate]

Originally Posted by Jason Green

Afternoon CN,

I wish I could find one... it must have been mid-November the last butterfly I saw...

Oh sorry, getting back to your question! Yes, a drop of honey will top-up the reserves - always good if one gets active. What sort of weather do you have - mild, sunny, freezing? If it's bright or even mild - release it back where you found it, and it should settle down by night-fall. If it's freezing/cold, I'd suggest keeing it (somewhere cool and dark, but ventilated) only overnight so it doesn't risk losing energy and struggling to find somewhere to continue hibernation or it may just become prey. If you choose the latter, still release it back where you found it in the morning.

Take care,

Jason

If you're going to offer honey I would have to recommend diluting it considerably.

[captain nodge]

ok thanks all, have opted for the shed option as its near to original finding, also unuasually cold here at the mo with occasional blizzard conditions brought in by a noreasterly,

[gleditsa]

after just reading this thread, i found this small white butterfly sitting on a plant in the sunshine in the bay window,







i dont think it came in from outside, so it must have either emerged from hibernation or from a chrysalis secreted away somewhere inside the house, (we had several chrysalis around the patio window (internal) last spring, that emerged safely and found there way out ok, but this was much later in the year than this one,

being almost freezing outside at the moment, would it be best to leave it where it is, or release it outdoors ?

thanks.

[aeshna5]

A real surprise! Sometimes these whites appear early because the pupae have had extra heat from a conservatory, etc.

The black is too extensive for a Small White on the wing tips. This is a Large White. Size can vary according to environmental reasons.

If you evict it now in these icy conditions it will soon perish, so maybe leave it where it is at the moment.

[captain nodge]

Ours seems to have gone back into hibernation again so still in jar in dark cool place, far to cold here at the mo,

[Susie]

Unless you have more of these pupating then it is going to die without mating anyway so you may as well chuck it outside now and put it out of it's misery.