BUTTERFLY KITS, NEW - BUTTERFLY HOUSE & FEEDER, NEW - BUTTERFLY FOOD & ATTRACTANT & INSECT STUDY CENTRE. "I had to write to let you know how thrilled my grandchildren were with the butterfly kits. They couldn't wait to get out of bed to check on the progress of the caterpillars, all of whom turned into beautiful butterflies. I was invited down for the release of the butterflies this weekend and the children have been telephoning to let me know that they are still around. This is the most marvellous introduction to the wonders of nature and I will definitely be re-ordering for my younger grandchildren." Best wishes Marjorie Condie Butterfly Kits - Breed butterflies and then release them in YOUR garden with these Butterfly Kits. These kits allow children and adults to enjoy watching all the stages of butterfly development from caterpillar to Painted Lady Butterflies. And once you have enjoyed studying them you can release these native butterflies straight into your garden. As the butterflies are to be released, the kits can be used between March and September. NEW Classroom Butterfly Kit - Our Butterfly Kits have always been popular for use in the classroom and now we have a Classroom Kit which allows EACH student to have their own caterpillar. Each Classroom Kit comes with :- A mesh Pavilion which hangs, so everyone in the class can see the butterflies within (but is also safely out-of-reach). A certificate for 33 Painted Lady caterpillars with food. 33 vials, lids and caterpillar food and full instructions. Order these kits at anytime of year - the caterpillars are available from March until September.. Painted Lady Butterflies - Her scientific name is Vanessa cardui, L. They are a migrating butterfly which can fly thousands of miles in there search for food. They lay upto 500 eggs and their larvae feed on weeds such as nettles and hollyhock. Once you have released your butterflies, they can often be seen for several days in the vicinity of there release - especially if you have a butterfly friendly garden and / or feeder. Left : Adult painted lady butterfly - only 2 hours old. All of these kits comes with everything you need to watch the development of Painted Butterflies from caterpillar to butterfly. Watch the caterpillars feed on the food supplied , grow & spin silk before turning into chrysalides before watching the final transformation into butterflies. Once this has happened you can feed and study the live butterflies for a few days before releasing them into the garden. Butterfly Garden - This colorful and reusable butterfly garden allows you to study 5 Butterflies from caterpillar to Butterfly. Kit includes everything you need :- Butterfly garden - colourful and re-useable. A certificate for 5 Painted Lady caterpillars and food inc. freepost envelope. Pipette for feeding Full instructions / assembly guide Butterfly Pavilion - This 3ft mesh pavilion allows you to study 10 Butterflies development from caterpillar to butterfly. Kit includes everything you need :- A 3ft (95cm) high hanging mesh hatching habitat A certificate for 10 Painted Lady caterpillars and food inc. freepost envelope.  Pipette for feeding Full instructions / assembly guide NEW Classroom Butterfly Kit - Raise a butterfly for each of your students! This new kit is designed especially for classrooms and comes with :- A mesh Pavilion which hangs so everyone in the class can see the butterflies within (but is also safely out-of-reach of sometimes too-enthusiastic hands). A Certificate for 33 Painted Lady caterpillars with food inc. freepost envelope. 33 vials, lids and caterpillar food.  Full instructions  What happens once you receive your kit? :- Once you have received you kit and you are ready to start caring for your caterpillars - it will take 3 - 5 weeks from caterpillar to butterfly - SEND OFF your pre-paid voucher in the freepost envelope included in the kit. Within 7 - 10 days you will receive through the post your caterpillars and all the food they will need. Caring for your caterpillars - Once your caterpillars arrive, keep the caterpillars upright and out of direct sunlight. The caterpillars do not need anything other than the food supplied in the cup. Keep the food in the jar sterile by keeping the lid on the cup at all times - the small air holes in the lid of the cup will provide plenty of air. Simply watch as the caterpillars eat, spin silk and grow to many times their original size. They will stay as caterpillars for up to 2 weeks - but normally 7 days depending on temperature - 24c / 76f is the ideal temperature. Left - Caterpillars as they arrive in the post.. A fascinating change - When the caterpillars are ready to become chrysalides, they will climb to the top of the cup and hand upside down attaching themselves to the paper disk inside the lid. After a day of hanging the chrysalis emerges from the caterpillar and after a further 5-6 hours the chrysalis shortens hardens and a beautiful sheen of bronze and gold appears. The gold tipped chrysalides will remain like this for 10 - 12 days before becoming butterflies. When your chrysalides have formed it is time to move them into either your butterfly garden or pavilion. Left : Chrysalides hanging from the paper disc in the cup. The birth of the butterfly - Attach the paper disc with the chrysalides to the wall of either the pavilion or garden. After 7 - 14 days the chrysalides will darken and you will be able to see the colours of the butterflies through the shell. As the butterfly emerges, it will rest while pumping its wings to full size. After 1 or 2 hours the wings will be full sized and hard, the butterfly is now ready to fly. Now you can decorate the inside of your pavilion or garden with flowers, twigs & leaves. You can keep your butterflies now for 2 - 3 days feeding them sugar solution (sugar and water) or fruit before releasing them in the garden. Left : A newly released butterfly in the garden.. Both of these butterfly kits are designed to be re-useable, and you can re-order caterpillars anytime between March and September and repeat the whole process. NAME DESCRIPTION PRICE ADD Butterfly Pavilion includes certificate for 10 painted lady caterpillars £29.99 Butterfly Garden includes certificate for 5 painted lady caterpillars £18.99 Caterpillar refill re-use your kit - 5 caterpillars on their own. Available NOW. £11.99 Classroom Kit NEW - includes certificate for 33 caterpillars £59.99 Classroom refill NEW - 33 caterpillars, 33 vials, lids, food and full instructions £39.99 Also available - NEW - Ladybird Breeding Kit - Newly designed for 2008, it now comes with a pop-up mesh breeding chamber. The kit contains everything you need to breed your own Ladybirds (Adalia Bipunctata) , which can then be released in the garden. Ideal for children, schools or a unique gift - perfect for the Green Gardener. Produce your own ladybirds to release in your garden to tackle your pest problems with this fascinating ladybird breeding kit. The kit is easy and fun to use and all ages will enjoy watching the larvae grow. Watch as the larvae pupate and the ladybirds develop before your eyes. The ladybird breeding kit - comes complete with :- A newly designed pop-up breeding chamber. An educational poster A certificate for your first 30 ladybird larvae. Send off the freepost voucher included & you will receive over 25 ladybird larvae (pictured left), all the food & instructions. Transfer the larvae to the breeding chamber & add the food. The whole process of raising adult ladybirds from larvae takes around 30 days. The larvae will feed, grow & shed their skins 3 x before pupating. After a further 6 to 8 days, the adults emerge & at first the adults are yellow but within a few hours their rear wings will harden & change red. The adult ladybirds can then be studied for a few days before releasing them in the garden to tackle all your soft bodied pests. NAME DESCRIPTION PRICE ADD Breeding Kit Everything you need to breed ladybirds £19.99 Breeding Kit refill 30 Ladybird larvae and food - Available NOW. £9.99 NEW - Butterfly House and Feeder - Many species of butterflies are becoming rare due to the loss of their habitat. By providing them with food and shelter you can help to stop their decline. This attractive house & feeder is made from solid FSC timber and combines a safe over-wintering house with a central feeder. Butterfly House and Feeder - The house provides a year round home in which butterflies and moths can roost, breed and hibernate. The sponge feeder on the front can be soaked with either our own butterfly food (see below) or use sugar / water solution, which will not only sustain them but help attract them to the house. The feeder may also be used by bumble bees in early spring when food is scarce. Siting - Simply position in warm sheltered spot which gets the morning sun. Butterflies will use the house for roosting. Small tortoiseshell, peacock and comma butterflies will use the house for hibernating. Silver winged fritillary may also use the house to breed in - they will lay eggs in the box and chrysalis could form on the roof. "Fantastic website - my 6yr old daughter LOVED her butterfly house last year!" Louise Baser NEW - Butterfly Food - A unique blend of foods and vitamins suitable for feeding wild butterflies and moths. Use from spring onwards - simply mix 1 rounded teaspoon with water until fully dissolved and pour the mixture onto the feeder sponge. NEW - Butterfly Attractant - Based on a natural plant extract it can be used to attract butterflies to a feeder or over-wintering house. The attractant should be used from spring onwards and is supplied as a liquid in a small tube and once in position it will keep attracting butterflies for up to 3 months (depending on weather conditions). Open the tube and pour a 3rd of the tube onto a porous surface such as cotton wool. sponge or wood and leave in a sheltered, secure position. NAME DESCRIPTION PRICE ADD NEW - Butterfly House & Feeder A safe over-wintering house with a central feeder. £24.99 NEW - Butterfly Food 2 x sachets. £5.49 NEW - Butterfly Attractant 2 x tubes. £5.99 Gift Boxes - Solve your present problems the easy way with our gift boxes - full of our best selling products, delivered in a gift box, ready wrapped and save money too!! The boxes can be sent to you or why not have them delivered direct to your friends or relations. Boxes available are :- Ladybird Gift Boxes Grow your own Gift Box Bee Gift Box Butterfly Gift Box CLICK HERE to find out more. Solar Insect Theatre - Featuring a unique solar light which automatically turn on at dusk (and off at dawn) and will attract moths, butterflies, lacewings and other interesting flying insects. It also features solitary bee nesting sites and a large viewing window which allow you to keep track of what is being attracted by the lights. The Solar Insect Theatre is designed to attract insects and is NOT a trap - the insects are free to come and go!!!! They also make ideal gifts and are great for children who are fascinated by creepy crawlies. The solar light has a solar panel (pictured left) and storage batteries which charge up during the day and then the light switches on automatically at dusk (pictured right) and off again automatically at dawn. Site 1-2m above the ground, out of prevailing winds and where it will catch the morning sun. Solar Insect Theatre - Constructed from solid timber (FSC Certified), the Solar Insect Centre features a chamber with a hinged door in the side and a large viewing window. There are also holes drilled above and below the main chamber to attract solitary bees such as mason bees. The main chamber has a solar light fitted in the top to attract butterflies, moths, lacewings etc which can be studied though the large viewing window. The main chamber comes fitted with a small landing branch already fitted but it can also be filled with suitable plant material to attract daytime flying insects such as butterflies and ladybirds i.e. insert Buddleia to attract butterflies. The centre can be used to overwinter ladybirds, lacewings and solitary bees - simply fill with straw, bark or dry leaves in the autumn. Height 32cm x Width 20cm x Depth 17cm and weighs 1.4kg NAME DESCRIPTION PRICE ADD Solar Insect Theatre Height 32cm x Width 20cm x Depth 17cm and weighs 1.4kg £34.99 Both the Butterfly house and butterfly feeder are part of the Green Gardener Wildlife range, which is designed to encourage wildlife to feed, breed and over-winter. Why not check out the rest of the range by clicking below :-