PRE-ORDER 2025

These butterfly kits were such a success last year! It is a perfect project for classrooms, care facilities, homeschoolers, etc. 

Your larvae kit includes:

• 8-10 Painted Lady Butterfly Larvae
• Specially formulated caterpillar diet for larvae to eat in the temporary rearing container
• An accessory kit with a feeding vial (it has an X in the lid) for the adults, paintbrush(s), and info pamphlet

You will need (not provided in the kit):

• A flight cage for the adults (also available at The Barn)
• A misting bottle with water, for spraying the chrysalis and the adult butterflies later on
• Sewing or safety pins
  
• Food for when your adults emerge (sugar water, orange/watermelon slices)

THE PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLY

The Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) is one of the most widespread butterfly species in the world (even the Yukon!). They are a migrant (like the Monarch), but travel irregularly, and don't have a set destination. A female can lay around 500 tiny bright blue eggs during her adult life of two weeks. She will lay only on host plants specific to her species: stinging nettle, thistle, and mallows/malvas, including hollyhock. The butterfly phase completes a four-part life cycle (egg, larvae, pupae, adult). Unlike many butterflies, this species does not become dormant during the winter and cannot survive heavy frosts or colder conditions. Therefore it migrates to warmer climates in winter. For more info, click here.

The caterpillar project will take a total of 3-4 weeks before you release your metamorphized butterflies! 

Detailed information comes with your kit, and here are additional instructions.

BEFORE you place your order, please consider your schedule and the commitment required to raise these critters.

** ORDERS ARE NON-CANCELLABLE **

Live kits should be available for customer pickup approx May 5/6 (TBC). 

You will receive updates via email from The Barn.

Our butterfly kits come with Live Arrive guarantee and we entrust our previous cargo to none other than Air North. Please remember we are dealing with living animals and nature is not always perfect. In the wild, survival rates would naturally be very low, with only around 5% of insects surviving to adulthood. In captivity and with proper care, you should expect a much higher rate of survival. Last year our butterfly guardians reported almost a 95% survival rate! Please follow your instructions carefully, and incorporate the volatility of insect life into your plans. We do not recommend assigning a single insect to a single participant, as some of them will not make it. It is always best to observe insects as a population. 

Do you have a special occasion where you would like to release live butterflies (and not worry about raising them)? Please send us a message.

Educators in schools - we know you typically pay by school visa. Please send us a message and we can assist! Have questions? Please reach out!

We are proud retail partners of Butterfly Wings & Wishes, a sustainable, ethical Canadian company.