DIY Monarch Butterfly Nursery!

The “Honey-Do List” goes on (and on and on…..). My wife and daughter like to “rescue” Monarch Butterfly caterpillars from birds and other predators so they will have a chance to turn into Monarch Butterflies. The caterpillars are typically found on milkweed leaves which the caterpillars feed on. They are gathered (leaf and all – plus additional leaves) and placed in a “nursery” until they transform into butterflies and then released.

Up until now, a wimpy, net-like, store-bought unit was used but it was so light, it would get blown over quite easily and suffer other damage as well. My wife found a few pictures of these Monarch Butterfly Nurseries online and forwarded them to me. She said: “I want one something like these.” What you see in this video is the result. You might wish to make one for your own yard or garden!

There was not any formal plan or drawing to work from. I just put this together based upon a few pictures my wife sent me from the internet, and whatever scrap materials I had around my workshop.

Materials purchased out of pocket: One pair of 1-1/2" x 3/4" hinges and an eye hook latch from a local hardware store, plus some fine screen mesh (the type used on screen doors) from Amazon. We also purchased a quart of exterior grade acrylic enamel locally because my wife was extremely specific with respect to the color she wanted (she did not like any of the colors I already had in leftover paints). Total out-of-pocket expenses came to around $40.00(US) with the biggest expense coming from the paint and the screen material.

Here's the video:

https://youtu.be/HoxVzIi2dUg