Butterfly in December!

Worztron

Hi.

A relative of mine was out gardening. Later she saw a butterfly (moving sluggishly) on the kitchen floor.
Should this butterfly have already flown south or was it disturbed from it's hibernation?
Is there any way to help it? Can I bring it indoors and feed it?
It looks like this (not actual butterfly):


Its colors are faded.

aoife2k

I actually had two of these in my house recently. While I was doing the washing up, one popped out from behind the blind and there was another in the spare bedroom.

Thought it a bit strange alright, but I did what I would usually do with a bug/butterfly I found in the house... put it out the window! There's probably a few hanging round because it was so mild compared to other years anyway!

Worztron

aoife2k wrote: »

I actually had two of these in my house recently. While I was doing the washing up, one popped out from behind the blind and there was another in the spare bedroom.

Thought it a bit strange alright, but I did what I would usually do with a bug/butterfly I found in the house... put it out the window! There's probably a few hanging round because it was so mild compared to other years anyway!

But wouldn't leaving them inside the house give them a better change of surviving?
Or even putting in the garden shed.

DBB

That is a small tortoiseshell, which overwinter in snug crevices and furnishings in houses and sheds. I'm afraid putting him outside in the weather is almost certainly his doom.
If you disturb them, either leave them be to go back to their sleepy spot, or find them another spot in a well-insulated shed.

Hellrazer

Had a couple of Wasps in the house last week--seems the mild winter has kept them alive longer.

Graces7

Last winter we had two large torties that hibernated in the house. Sometimes they would emerge and walk across the floor to the window, to the sun, but then vanish again.

In spring, one became desperate to be outside. Its wings were torn and tattered. Very gently we put it in a jam jar and placed it in a large clump of winter flowering heather that some bees were already using. Added the lid with sugar water. Of course it died, but happy out there.

Still getting big flies occasionally..

Worztron

Here are a couple of photos of the butterfly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_Tortoiseshell

Birdnuts

Not suprising really given the record breaking mild November - This month has been colder but nothing like last year. In any case the next 2 weeks look very mild again so expect more of our insect friends to wake up from hibernation.

Worztron

I left the butterfly on my window sill. This morning I noticed her/him (is there a way to tell?) lying sideways. I presumed it had died but when I went to move it, its wings moved.

Should I just put it out in the garden shed or leave it be?

Would sugar water be of use?

Worztron

The little guy is still around. Here is a photo taken today.

He has a jar lid of sugar water and as you can see in the photo, an orange segment.

anniehoo

What a great picture. Tbh ive no clue how to feed butterflies, but googling here you seem to be doing the right thing with the orange segments and sugar water.

Graces7

Honey is great too, or jam.

baords dyslexic

If it had been outside it might have ended up inside the Bat I saw flying around at dusk when I was walking the dog (20th December :eek:).