You may think that there’s nothing that can be done for butterflies during late autumn and winter, but that’s not always the case. Most of our butterflies overwinter as an egg, a pupa, or a caterpillar, but some do overwinter as an adult butterfly. This group includes red admiral, small tortoiseshell, peacock, comma and brimstone.
Usually these butterflies will find a cool, dry place such as a shed or garage where they go dormant and await the following spring. If you do find a butterfly in your shed or out-building and it’s not moving, then it is best left right where it is. Remember though that unless the shed has gaps around the door or windows, they will need to be let out again in spring.
If you find a butterfly in your house during the depths of winter, if it is not moving, leave it where it is. If it’s flying around, catch it in a shoe box, wait for it to calm down and then relocate to a shed or other dry, cool place.
In the garden, there’s a number of things that can be done for butterflies. Some, particularly comma and brimstone, will go dormant in log piles and leaf litter at the base of trees. Therefore, it is helpful to leave this litter and tree debris as an opportunity, rather than tidy it all away.
On warmer, winter days butterflies such as the red admiral will emerge from dormancy and can be seen flying around looking for sustenance. Any plant that provides nectar in winter, such as ivy, is a great opportunity for recently emerged butterflies. It may smell horrible to us, but to a butterfly, it can be a life-line. Another great opportunity is fallen fruit. Rotting and fermenting apples are a favourite of the red admiral. These will also be beneficial to many birds and mammals.
Butterflies can emerge as soon as the weather warms between February and April. The first thing they need upon emergence is energy. A good range of early flowering plants in the garden will not only help butterflies, but all pollinators. Some species of hoverfly and bees will be on the wing at the first sign of warmer weather. Plant species that are particularly good early nectar sources include snowdrops, crocus, primrose, winter heather, bluebells, grape hyacinth and the spring blossom of fruit trees.
So, as we enter the colder months of the year, spare a thought for our butterfly friends and dream of the hazy days of summer and the butterflies that will bring. Have a great winter!
Thank you to Nick Self, Wild Landscapes Project Officer
Wiltshire Wildlife Trust
Wild Landscapes
