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Common UK butterfly identification and facts
Amy Lewis • 22 Jul 2019
Content editor
Our native butterflies are under serious threat. Habitat loss, increasing levels of pollution and changing weather patterns have had a huge impact on our native species. That's why it's more important than ever to support them in our gardens and green spaces.
You can do your bit for local butterflies by making our simple butterfly home. This one is an enclosed wooden structure with narrow slits in the front which mimic the splits in the bark of a tree.
Butterflies will use the house to shelter from bad weather and predators, as well as for feeding if you leave some food out for them.
Make sure children are fully supervised and power tools are operated by an adult.
Place your butterfly house in a sunny but sheltered spot so that it is protected from the wind. It should be around four to six feet above the ground and near nectar-rich flowers which will act as a good food source for visiting butterflies.
You can help to attract butterflies to your butterfly house by using non-toxic paint to decorate the box with brightly coloured flowers or by adding a layer of bark to the front to make it look a bit more like a tree.
You can also entice butterflies into the house with a sugar solution:
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