Raising butterflies
A cup of caterpillars or a few from your own herb pots, a mesh habitat, and about three weeks of watching one animal turn into another.
What it is like
Raising butterflies means keeping a few caterpillars indoors through the whole change: they eat, hang, turn into chrysalides and, a week or so later, come out with wings. A kit of painted ladies is the usual start. The caterpillars arrive in a cup with their food, and nothing much is asked of you except a spot out of the sun and a mesh habitat for the butterflies.
It is a hobby of short, daily looks. The caterpillars grow visibly from one day to the next, and the butterflies come out over a morning or two, hang while their wings fill and then start to walk and fly. Children follow it easily, and many adults find the timing hard to resist checking.
The second step is wild caterpillars. Black swallowtails lay single pale yellow eggs on parsley, dill and fennel, so a herb pot on a balcony can produce caterpillars of your own. Those need fresh leaves every day and a clean tub, and they go back to the garden they came from.
The hobby comes with rules about where butterflies may be moved and released, and with a live debate among scientists about rearing monarchs at home. Small numbers, local caterpillars and a check of the rules before any release keep it a gentle hobby for the butterflies as well as for you.
- A session
- Five minutes a day: a look, a photo, fresh leaves for wild caterpillars.
- A week
- Daily checks for about three weeks per batch.
- Season
- Spring to early autumn, when caterpillars are about and live kits are posted.
Indoors or out · Solo, For two, With kids
Kinds and styles
Caterpillars posted in a cup with their food: the simplest start, and the one most schools use.
Black swallowtail eggs and caterpillars on parsley, dill and fennel, raised on fresh leaves from the same plants.
One or two local caterpillars raised on cuttings of the plant they were found on, then released there.
A few eggs from your own milkweed. The Xerces Society suggests no more than ten a season, and the rules are changing.
Planting host plants and nectar flowers so butterflies raise themselves outside, with no habitat at all.
Recording eggs and caterpillars in the garden for citizen-science projects instead of bringing them indoors.
Is it for you?
You will probably love it if
- You want to watch a metamorphosis from start to finish, a little every day
- There are children in the house who like a project that changes daily
- You grow parsley, dill or fennel, or could put a pot of it on a balcony
Maybe not, if
- You want an animal that stays for years; an adult painted lady lives about one to two weeks
- Three weeks of looking in every day does not fit your life
- You would rather not handle live insects or their droppings
What to buy first
- 01Pop-up mesh habitat, about 24 in tallAir, a wall to hang the chrysalides on and room for the butterflies to open their wingsFind it on Amazon$14
- 02A cup of five painted lady caterpillars with foodThe food is already in the cup; the caterpillars need nothing else until they pupateFind it on Amazon$28
- 03Curled parsley or dill, two potsFood for black swallowtail caterpillars, if you raise wild ones from your own garden$6
- 04Clear plastic tubs with lids, reusedOne small tub per wild caterpillar keeps them apart and easy to cleanFree
- Everything you need to beginAbout $10 a month after that$48
Typical US prices for entry-level gear, rounded. Last checked October 2026. How we get the numbers
The Amazon links open a search for that type of item, not a product chosen for us, and the prices in the list are our typical figures, or the listing of the shop a line names, not Amazon's price for any listing. If you buy through one we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you; as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
What to buy next
- 01Second mesh habitatKeeps a kit batch and wild caterpillars apartFind it on Amazon Two batches at once
- 02Hand lens, 10xEggs and first-instar caterpillars are tinyFind it on Amazon Week one
- 03Fennel and dill seedHost plants grown from seed for swallowtailsFind it on Amazon Spring
- 04Small soft paintbrushLifts them without squeezingFind it on Amazon Moving tiny caterpillars
No prices here on purpose: these are later buys, and what to spend depends on how far the hobby has taken you. The Amazon links work like the ones above: a search for the type of item, and a possible commission for us at no extra cost to you.
Butterfly kits compared
A kit is a habitat plus a cup of painted lady caterpillars with their food. Three versions from Insect Lore, the maker of the Butterfly Garden.
| Model | Type | Specs | Who it suits | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Insect Lore Butterfly Garden with Live Cup of Caterpillars | Habitat and 5 caterpillars | The habitat with a cup of five painted lady caterpillars and everything else needed; ages 4+; Insect Lore recommends expedited shipping in extreme temperatures | A first raise, with the caterpillars shipped with the kit | Find it on AmazonMaker's page |
| Insect Lore Butterfly Garden with Two Cups of Caterpillars | Habitat and 10 caterpillars | The same kit with two cups, ten caterpillars in all; ages 4+ | A classroom or a family that wants more to watch | Find it on AmazonMaker's page |
| Insect Lore Butterfly Garden Habitat | Habitat only | Pop-up nylon mesh habitat 12 in tall; collapses flat; zip-open top; strap for hanging; washable and reusable; no caterpillars included | A second raise, or caterpillars you order or find separately | Find it on AmazonMaker's page |
How we put this together. Three kits compared on what Insect Lore states on its own product pages. We have not raised a cup from each side by side. Before you release the butterflies, read the release rules on this page: bought butterflies fall under state and USDA rules. Checked on 26 October 2026. There are no prices in this table: the Amazon link searches for the exact model, and we may earn a commission if you buy through it.
From a cup of caterpillars to butterflies on the wing, step by step
Painted ladies are bred in schools for teaching (Wikipedia), and a kit is the simplest way to watch the whole change. This guide goes from the cup to the chrysalis, the butterflies and what to do with them, with timings from Carolina's care steps and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension. Release rules come from USDA APHIS and your state.
Warning: Before you start Wash your hands after handling caterpillars, leaves and frass. Rules on moving and releasing live butterflies differ: in the US, USDA APHIS issues permits for moving live butterflies between states and for release, and lists the species it will consider; check your state agriculture department too. The North American Butterfly Association argues against releasing bought butterflies, outside schools. The monarch was proposed for listing as threatened by the US Fish and Wildlife Service in December 2024; check the Service's monarch page before you raise or release any.
Live caterpillars travel by post in a cup with their food. One US seller suggests waiting if daytime temperatures where you live are below 50°F or above 85°F.
Keep the cup in room light, out of direct sun. The caterpillars eat the food in the cup for 5 to 10 days, then climb to the paper under the lid and pupate (Carolina).
Once a chrysalis is attached, leave it alone for at least two days, then tape the paper inside the top or the side of the habitat so the chrysalides hang as they did (Carolina).
The adults come out 7 to 10 days later (Carolina). Let them hang and dry their wings. The drops of fluid on the paper below are the waste of the pupal stage, called meconium.
Give them sugar water on cotton (2 teaspoons of sugar in a cup of water), changed every other day (Carolina). Keep them in the habitat for their one to two weeks, or release them where the rules allow.
Inside the habitat
From the front: the mesh habitat with the caterpillar cup on the floor, the chrysalides hanging from the paper taped to the top, a feeder and a butterfly drying its wings.
- A Chrysalides 7-10 days On the paper from the cup lid. Step 5 →
- B Drying adult 1-2 weeks Wings expand, then dry. Step 6 →
- C Caterpillar cup 5-10 days Food inside; keep shut. Step 3 →
- D Sugar-water feeder 1 to 4 Cotton, not an open dish. Step 7 →
Steps 1-3Caterpillars
- Step 1 of 8 · Caterpillars
Choose where the caterpillars come from
Painted lady caterpillars come in a cup with artificial food; black swallowtails lay single pale yellow eggs on parsley, dill and fennel (Wikipedia), so a herb pot can supply your own.
Most people: a painted lady kit (a first go).
Start here A painted lady kitBest forA first go
Five caterpillars and their food in one cup; nothing to feed until they pupate.
Black swallowtails from your herbsBest forGardeners
Eggs or small caterpillars from your own parsley, dill or fennel, fed fresh leaves.
MonarchsBest forNot for a first go
Only a few, from your own milkweed; numbers and rules are under review.
Not for a first try - Step 2 of 8 · Caterpillars
Set up the habitat
A pop-up mesh habitat about 24 in tall gives air and a wall for the chrysalides. Keep it in room light, out of direct sun, which overheats the cups (Carolina).
Goes wrong: The cup in the sun. A closed cup in direct sun gets too hot.
- Step 3 of 8 · Caterpillars
Let them eat
Kit caterpillars eat for 5 to 10 days without the cup being opened (Carolina). Wild caterpillars get fresh host leaves every day, one to a tub, with frass cleaned out.
Most people: leave the kit cup shut (painted ladies).
Start here Leave the kit cup shutBest forPainted ladies
The food is in the cup; opening it only lets mould in.
Fresh leaves dailyBest forSwallowtails
Fresh leaves of the plant they were found on, every day.
Goes wrong: Wilted leaves and frass. A tub that is not cleaned grows mould.
Steps 4-5Chrysalides
- Step 4 of 8 · Chrysalides
Wait for the chrysalides
The caterpillars climb to the paper under the lid, hang and pupate. Leave each chrysalis alone for at least two days once it is attached (Carolina).
- Step 5 of 8 · Chrysalides
Move the paper to the habitat
Tape the paper inside the top or the side of the habitat so the chrysalides hang as they did (Carolina). Black swallowtails spend the winter in the chrysalis stage, so the last ones of the summer may not come out until spring (Wikipedia).
Goes wrong: Moving chrysalides too soon. Two days first.
Steps 6-8Butterflies
- Step 6 of 8 · Butterflies
Let the butterflies dry
Painted ladies come out 7 to 10 days after pupating (Carolina). Leave them to hang while their wings expand and dry. The fluid on the paper is meconium, the waste of the pupal stage (Wikipedia).
- Step 7 of 8 · Butterflies
Feed the adults
Dissolve 2 teaspoons of sugar in a cup of water and soak cotton or paper with it; change it every other day so it does not mould (Carolina).
Goes wrong: An open dish. Butterflies land in liquid and drown; use cotton or paper.
- Step 8 of 8 · Butterflies
Keep them or release them
Warning: NOTICE Check your state agriculture department and USDA APHIS before releasing bought butterflies. For monarchs, check the US Fish and Wildlife Service, which proposed listing them as threatened in December 2024.
Adults live one to two weeks (Carolina). In the US, USDA APHIS issues permits for moving and releasing live butterflies and lists the species it will consider; states add rules. The North American Butterfly Association argues against releasing bought butterflies outside schools.
Most people: keep them in the habitat (kit butterflies where release is not allowed).
Start here Keep them in the habitatBest forKit butterflies where release is not allowed
They live out their one to two weeks with sugar water and flowers.
Release where you found themBest forWild caterpillars
Swallowtails go back to the garden they came from, on a dry day.
In shortIf it goes wrong
- The cup in the sun.
- Step 2 · Set up the habitat
- Wilted leaves and frass.
- Step 3 · Let them eat
- Moving chrysalides too soon.
- Step 5 · Move the paper to the habitat
- An open dish.
- Step 7 · Feed the adults
How you get better
- First batchFive painted ladies
A kit from cup to butterflies, about three weeks.
- First summerSwallowtails from your parsley
Eggs from your own herbs, raised on fresh leaves and released where they were found.
- Second summerA butterfly garden
Host plants and nectar flowers so the next generation needs no habitat.
- After thatRecords and science
A diary of what lays on which plant, and counts for citizen-science projects.
- Keeping the cup out of the sun
- Telling instars apart
- Finding eggs on host plants
- Feeding cut host plants
- Cleaning out frass
- Moving chrysalides safely
- Making a sugar-water feeder
- Keeping a photo diary
- Checking release rules
Small things that help
- Keep the caterpillar cup in room light, never in sun.
- Do not open a kit cup; the food and the caterpillars are sealed in on purpose.
- Leave each chrysalis alone for two days before moving the paper.
- Change sugar water every other day.
- Raise wild caterpillars one to a tub.
- Release only where you are sure it is allowed.
Beginner mistakes
- 01Opening the cupKit caterpillars are sealed in with their food. Leave the lid on until they have pupated.
- 02An open dish of waterButterflies land on liquid and drown. Soak cotton or paper instead.
- 03Wilted leavesWild caterpillars need fresh host leaves. Old ones dry out and grow mould.
- 04Too many in one tubCrowding spreads disease. One wild caterpillar per tub.
- 05Releasing far from homeButterflies released away from where they came from can mix populations. Release locally, where allowed.
Two common first butterflies
| Painted lady (kit) | Black swallowtail (garden) | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the caterpillars come from | Bought, in a cup with food | Eggs or caterpillars on your own parsley, dill or fennel |
| Caterpillar food | Artificial food in the cup | Fresh leaves of the carrot family, every day |
| Caterpillar stage | 5 to 10 days | 10 to 30 days |
| Chrysalis to butterfly | 7 to 10 days | Varies; the last brood of the year spends the winter as a chrysalis |
| Wingspan | 2 to 2.5 in wings | 6.9 to 8.4 cm |
| Release | Check state and USDA rules for bought butterflies | Where you found them |
Why people quit
- 01The cup in the sunDirect sun overheats a closed cup and kills the caterpillars. Room light is enough.
- 02Moving chrysalides too soonA chrysalis needs about two days to settle before the paper is moved. Wait.
- 03A dirty tub for wild caterpillarsOld leaves and frass grow mould within days. Clean the tub when you change the food.
Words you will meet
- Instar
- A caterpillar stage between two moults.
- Frass
- Caterpillar droppings.
- Chrysalis
- The pupa of a butterfly.
- Meconium
- The waste of the pupal stage, released when the adult comes out.
- Host plant
- The plant a caterpillar eats and its mother lays eggs on.
- Osmeterium
- The orange forked gland a swallowtail caterpillar shows when disturbed.
- Eclosion
- The adult coming out of the chrysalis.
Questions people ask
How long does a painted lady kit take?
The caterpillars eat for 5 to 10 days and the butterflies come out 7 to 10 days after pupating (Carolina), so about two to three weeks from the post.
What do the butterflies eat?
Sugar water on cotton or paper, 2 teaspoons of sugar in a cup of water, changed every other day (Carolina).
Can I release the butterflies from a kit?
It depends on where you live. USDA APHIS controls moving and releasing live butterflies in the US, and states add their own rules. You can also keep them in the habitat for their one to two weeks.
Is the red fluid blood?
No. It is meconium, the waste of the pupal stage that the adult gets rid of when it comes out.
Can I raise monarchs?
Only a few, from your own area: the Xerces Society suggests no more than ten a season. The monarch was proposed for listing as threatened in the US in 2024, so check the US Fish and Wildlife Service first.
Where to go next
- 01BeekeepingAnother insect to keep, for years rather than weeks, with honey at the end. $530 to start
- 02BirdwatchingThe same habit of watching closely, with binoculars, outside. $161 to start
How it compares
| Raising butterflies | Beekeeping | Birdwatching | Carnivorous plants | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start cost | $48 | $530 | $161 | $27 |
| Each month | $10 | $15 | Free | $3 |
| Space | A tabletop | A yard | Anywhere outside | A sunny windowsill |
| Noise | Quiet | Low | Quiet | Quiet |
| First result | About 3 weeks | A year to the first honey | Same day | A few weeks |
| Mess | Frass and old leaves | Propolis and the odd sting | None | None |
Where to learn more
- 01Carolina Knowledge Center: Getting ready for butterfliesA school supplier's care steps for painted ladies, from cups to feeders.
- 02USDA APHIS: Butterflies for releaseWhich species USDA will consider permits for, and the monarch rule.
- 03Penn State Extension: Raising monarchs at homeWhy scientists ask for small numbers and local caterpillars.
Sources: Carolina Knowledge Center, Getting ready for butterflies · University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension, Painted lady butterfly · USDA APHIS, Butterflies for release · Penn State Extension, Raising monarchs at home: more harm than good? · US Fish and Wildlife Service, Monarch (proposed threatened, December 2024) · North American Butterfly Association, There's no need to release butterflies · Wikipedia, Vanessa cardui; Papilio polyxenes; Maria Sibylla Merian; Butterfly house; Meconium
Researched and written by the Fjords Team.