Our butterflies are in danger! Can you help to save them?

Butterflies are some of the loveliest insects that can be found in the British countryside. They are, however, in danger with their numbers reduced by pesticides, used by both farmers and gardeners, and by loss of their habitats for building sites. As people living in a seaside resort, we are keenly interested in how our local butterflies are doing so we want your help! Can you keep a watch out for butterflies in the local area and tell us about any unusual ones that you see?

Some of our butterflies were very common, like the peacock shown on the right, but now they are much scarcer and becoming even harder to find. If you looked at a buddleia bush in years gone by, you would have seen lots of different butterflies, like peacocks, red admirals, commas, painted ladies and lots of other species. This summer, my wife and I have been dismayed by the lack of butterflies on our bush, which is a very large one. There are several reasons for the decline in butterfly numbers, but the two biggies are habitat destruction, with lots of sites now being used for housing or industrial projects, and pesticides.

What can we do about it?

The first thing to remember about butterflies is that they don't have wings in their larval form - the caterpillar stage. This is the time when they come into conflict with gardeners, particularly when the adult lays their eggs on what is, to them, simply a food plant, but may be the gardener's pride and joy. When the caterpillars hatch, they begin to munch on the leaves and the gardener's response is to treat the plant with pesticides. Pretty soon after, the plant looks healthy again but an entire generation of butterflies has been wiped out in the process. So what can we do? The first thing to do is to identify whether the plant is being eaten by caterpillars or by other insects. If it is caterpillars then you will want to stop them spreading to other plants nearby. The way to do this is to turn the affected plant into what is essentially a butterfy farm, a talking point for your friends and a means of ensuring that your garden will be visited by the beautiful adults when they finally emerge from their pupae. All you have to do is to stake the plant between four bamboo canes or dowels, then wrap the canes with a fine, soft muslin, tying it off at the stem to confine the caterpillars to just the one plant. You will also need to fold the edges together and staple them to seal the bag, so to speak, or stitch the edges together for absolute security. In addition to making the farm, you will need to keep an eye on the caterpillars' growth and do a little bit of research into the species. What you need to know is where the caterpillars will make their pupae. Some species burrow underground - so they must be able to reach it - while others will make a cocoon on the plant itself. Still others will look for shelter and hiding places so, when the time comes, you will need to make suitable arrangements or all your work will be for nothing.