For her birthday last November, our neighbors gave P a butterfly kit from Insect Lore. These kits are awesome in that the package comes with a large net/butterfly home and a COUPON for caterpillars, so (as a parent) you get to decide when your house is ready for new "pets." We waited until summer to order the caterpillars, who came in a white jar with viewing windows. Everything they need to become chrysalises stays in the jar with them so all you have to do is watch and wait for cocoons to form (i.e. the perfect "pet"). Once the caterpillars make their cocoons (on a paper disc in the jar) you just remove the disc and pin it to the wall of the butterfly home and wait for metamorphisis to occur. So easy. Every day the girls couldn't wait to wake up and check out their new caterpillars. We had so much fun that we ordered a second batch of caterpillars. Plus, all of us felt something magical when releasing our newly-formed butterflies into the world.
Since the butterflies were such a hit, I decided to order a "ladybug farm" from Insect Lore, figuring the kids would enjoy raising ladybugs and I would enjoy releasing an army of warriors onto the aphids that keep eating my basil plants. The ladybugs came as teeny tiny babies in a test tube. We then dumped them into the farm and all we needed to do was keep them moist and not-too-hot (and keep T from attacking them). We had a great time watching our new pets transform from eggs to larva to pupa to adults, then we opened the top of their farm and released them in our garden. Unfortunately, they didn't make the best army (i.e. my basil still has holes in its leaves) so I will need to raise more. Maybe equip the next set with weapons??
HAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE!! Hope you all had a good weekend!
You can really buy things like this these days? :o)
ReplyDeleteI remember that we had caterpillars in school and watched them transform into butterflies- I loved it. And now my daughter had the same in her daycare with silk-caterpillars they found, fed and watched. It really is magical. And I would love to grow some ladybugs :o)