Butterfly Feeders UK: A Complete Guide

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There’s something truly magical about watching a butterfly, isn’t there? One minute, a flash of vibrant colour flits past the corner of your eye, and the next, it’s settled gracefully on a flower, its delicate wings opening and closing like a tiny, living piece of art. For centuries, these beautiful insects have captivated us, inspiring poets, artists, and anyone with a love for the British countryside. From the striking Peacock with its eye-like spots to the cheerful orange of a Comma, our native butterflies are a vital and cherished part of our natural heritage.

But here’s the thing: our butterflies are in a bit of trouble. Changes in our landscape, from housing developments to different farming methods, have meant fewer wildflowers and safe places for them to live. The good news? You and I can make a real difference, right from our own back gardens, patios, or even a humble window box. It’s easier than you might think to turn your little patch of the world into a haven for these winged wonders.

This guide is all about one of the most direct ways you can help: using a butterfly feeder. We’re going to explore everything you need to know to become the host of the most popular butterfly café in your neighbourhood. We’ll cover why feeding them helps, what to put on the menu, how to choose the right feeder, and where to place it for the best results. We’ll also bust a few myths and share some simple secrets that professional conservationists use. So, let’s get started and invite some of Britain’s most beautiful pollinators over for a feast.

Why Bother with a Butterfly Feeder? Nature’s Nectar and When It’s Not Enough

You might be thinking, “Don’t butterflies just get everything they need from flowers?” And most of the time, you’d be right. Flowers produce nectar, a sugary liquid that’s like a high-energy drink for butterflies, giving them the fuel they need to fly, find mates, and lay eggs. A garden bursting with nectar-rich plants is, without a doubt, the best way to support them.

However, life for a butterfly isn’t always a banquet. There are times when nature’s larder can run a bit bare.

The ‘Nectar Gap’ in British Gardens

Think about the typical British year. We have a glorious burst of flowers in late spring and early summer—bluebells, primroses, and buzzing buddleias. But what about very early in the spring, when butterflies like the Brimstone or Small Tortoiseshell emerge from hibernation, desperate for their first meal? Or in late autumn, when Red Admirals are still on the wing but most flowers have faded? These periods are often called the ‘nectar gap’. A well-stocked feeder can be a lifesaver during these lean times, providing a reliable source of energy when natural sources are scarce.

A Helping Hand for Tired Travellers

Some of our most beloved butterflies are impressive migrants. The Painted Lady, for instance, travels all the way from North Africa to spend its summer with us. Imagine that journey! By the time they arrive on our shores, they’re exhausted and in desperate need of refuelling. A feeder can offer that instant, life-saving energy boost, helping them recover and continue their incredible lifecycle. It’s like offering a cup of sugary tea to a weary traveller.

More Than Just Sugar: The Minerals Butterflies Crave

While nectar is their primary fuel, butterflies also need salts and essential minerals. You’ve probably seen a group of butterflies gathered on a patch of damp mud or a compost heap. This behaviour is called ‘puddling’, and it’s how they ‘drink up’ vital nutrients that aren’t found in nectar. Some butterfly feeder recipes, especially those using overripe fruit, can provide these minerals, offering a more complete diet than just sugar water. This is particularly important for male butterflies, who pass these minerals to females during mating to help give their eggs the best start in life.

So, while a garden full of flowers is always the number one goal, a butterfly feeder is a fantastic backup. It’s a reliable, all-season service station that ensures no butterfly in your neighbourhood ever has to fly on an empty stomach.

What’s on the Menu? The Butterfly Buffet Explained

Forget trying to guess what a butterfly fancies for dinner. Scientists and gardeners have figured out two main recipes that are guaranteed to be a hit. They’re both simple, cheap, and use ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

Option 1: The Classic Sugar Water Solution

This is the most straightforward and popular choice. It mimics the natural nectar butterflies find in flowers.

The Perfect Recipe:

It’s crucial to get the ratio right. Too weak, and it won’t provide enough energy. Too strong, and it can actually dehydrate the butterflies. The ideal mix is one part sugar to ten parts water.

Measure the Water: Bring ten tablespoons of plain tap water to a boil. Boiling it first helps the sugar dissolve completely and kills any bacteria that might be lurking.
Add the Sugar: Remove the water from the heat and stir in one tablespoon of regular white granulated sugar. Don’t be tempted to use brown sugar, honey, or artificial sweeteners. Brown sugar contains molasses, which can be difficult for butterflies to digest, and honey can ferment and grow harmful mould. Artificial sweeteners have no nutritional value at all.
Cool Completely: Let the mixture cool down to room temperature before you put it in the feeder. This is very important – hot liquid can damage the feeder and, more importantly, harm any butterfly that tries to drink it.

That’s it! Your homemade nectar is ready to serve.

Option 2: The Fruity Feast

Many butterflies, especially species like the Red Admiral, Comma, and Peacock, absolutely love rotting fruit. As fruit breaks down, it ferments, producing sugary, alcoholic juices that are irresistible to them.

What to Serve:

Overripe Bananas: Mash one up with a fork until it’s a goopy paste. You can even leave the peel on.
Juicy Oranges or Watermelons: A few juicy slices work wonders.
Squashed Pears or Peaches: Any soft, sweet fruit that’s past its best is perfect.

You can even give the fruit a little boost. Some people like to add a splash of fruit juice (the not-from-concentrate kind) or even a tiny drop of beer or wine to speed up the fermentation process and make it extra fragrant. The smell is what attracts the butterflies from far and wide.

A Word of Warning: Cleanliness is Key

Whichever recipe you choose, keeping your feeder clean is non-negotiable. Sugary solutions and rotting fruit can quickly become breeding grounds for mould and harmful bacteria, which can make butterflies sick.

Sugar Water: Change the solution every 2-3 days, especially in warm weather. Give the feeder a thorough scrub with hot water (and a little bit of vinegar for a deep clean) each time you refill it.
Fruit: Replace the fruit as soon as it starts to look mouldy or completely dried out.

A clean feeder is a safe feeder, ensuring your garden café has a five-star hygiene rating.

Choosing Your Feeder: A Buyer’s Guide

Walk into any garden centre or browse online, and you’ll find a surprising variety of butterfly feeders. They generally fall into two main types, each with its own pros and cons.

Type 1: The Jar or Bottle Feeder

This is the classic design you probably picture in your head. It looks a bit like a hummingbird feeder or an upside-down bird drinker.

How it works: A container (usually a glass jar or plastic bottle) holds the sugar water solution. This container is inverted, and the liquid fills a shallow tray below. A central ‘wick’ or sponge soaks up the solution, creating a surface from which the butterflies can easily drink using their long, straw-like tongue, called a proboscis.
Pros:
- Keeps nectar clean: The enclosed container protects the main supply of sugar water from rain, debris, and bird droppings.
- Holds more liquid: You don’t have to refill it quite as often as other types.
- Reduces evaporation: The liquid doesn’t dry out as quickly on a hot day.
Cons:
- Can be tricky to clean: You’ll need a bottle brush to get right inside and scrub it properly.
- Can attract wasps: The sweet, exposed liquid on the wick can sometimes be a magnet for wasps and bees, which might scare the more timid butterflies away.

Type 2: The Plate or Dish Feeder

This is a much simpler design, essentially just a shallow dish or plate where you can place fruit or a nectar-soaked sponge.

How it works: You place slices of overripe fruit directly onto the plate. Alternatively, you can soak a sponge in your sugar-water solution and place that in the middle of the dish.
Pros:
- Incredibly versatile: Perfect for offering both fruit and sugar water.
- Easy to clean: Just a quick rinse and a scrub, and it’s good as new.
- More natural for fruit-eaters: Mimics how butterflies would feed on fallen fruit in an orchard.
Cons:
- Exposed to the elements: Rain will dilute your nectar solution, and it will evaporate quickly in the sun.
- Needs frequent refilling: You’ll have to top it up and change the fruit more regularly.

DIY Butterfly Feeders: A Fun and Frugal Option

You don’t need to spend a lot of money to get started. It’s incredibly easy to make your own feeder with things you already have at home.

Simple Plate Feeder: Find a colourful plastic plate or the lid of an old jar. Place it in a sunny spot and pop some mashed banana on it. Done.
Hanging Sponge Feeder: Take a new, clean kitchen sponge (a bright yellow or red one is ideal). Soak it in your sugar-water solution. Thread a piece of string through the corner and hang it from a tree branch or a hook.
DIY Jar Feeder: Take a small glass jar (like a jam jar). Punch a small hole in the centre of the lid (an adult should do this with a hammer and nail). Fill the jar with sugar water, screw the lid on tightly, and hang it upside down. A small amount of liquid will drip out and cling to the lid, allowing butterflies to feed.

Whether you buy a fancy one or make your own, the most important factor is colour. Butterflies are highly attracted to bright colours, especially yellow, red, orange, and purple. A brightly coloured feeder will act like a giant neon sign saying, “Best food in town, this way!”

Location, Location, Location: Where to Put Your Feeder

You’ve chosen your feeder and mixed your signature nectar. Now, where do you put it to attract the most customers? Placing it in the right spot is just as important as what you put in it. Think like a butterfly: you want somewhere warm, safe, and easy to find.

Rule 1: Follow the Sun

Butterflies are cold-blooded insects. They rely on the sun’s warmth to give them the energy to fly. A feeder hidden away in a shady corner will get very little traffic.

Find a sunny, sheltered spot: The ideal location is one that gets at least four to five hours of direct sunlight during the middle of the day.
Protection from the wind: A blustery spot will make it difficult for butterflies to land and feed. Place your feeder near a wall, a fence, or some shrubs that can act as a windbreak. This creates a warm, calm ‘microclimate’ that they will love.

Rule 2: Make It Visible

Butterflies navigate the world through sight and smell. You need to place your feeder where they are likely to spot it.

Hang it near nectar-rich flowers: If you already have plants that butterflies love (like buddleia, lavender, or verbena), place the feeder nearby. Butterflies visiting the flowers will easily spot the extra treat you’ve left out for them. It’s like putting a new café right next to a popular pub.
Height matters: Place the feeder at about chest height. This makes it visible above lower-growing plants and also makes it easy for you to clean and refill. Hanging feeders from a tree branch or a shepherd’s crook garden hook works perfectly.
Add extra colour: To make your feeder stand out even more, you can tie some brightly coloured ribbons (yellow or red work best) to it. The movement of the ribbons in the breeze will help catch their eye.

Rule 3: Keep It Safe from Predators

Your garden is a complex ecosystem, and butterflies are, unfortunately, a food source for other animals.

Avoid areas with lots of bird activity: Try not to hang your butterfly feeder right next to a busy bird feeder or birdbath. While birds and butterflies can coexist, you don’t want to invite your guests to a spot where they might become lunch.
Watch out for ants: Ants love sugar just as much as butterflies do. If you find your feeder is being overrun by them, you can create a simple ‘ant moat’. If your feeder is hanging, you can buy a small cup-like device that hangs above the feeder. You fill it with water, and the ants can’t cross it. For a plate feeder on a post, you can stand the post in a small dish of water.

By thinking carefully about placement, you’re not just putting out food; you’re creating a five-star dining experience that will have butterflies flocking to your garden and, most importantly, coming back day after day.

Beyond the Feeder: Creating a True Butterfly Paradise

A feeder is a fantastic addition to your garden, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. To create a truly thriving habitat that supports the entire lifecycle of a butterfly, you need to think bigger. A garden that is a real haven for butterflies provides not just food for the adults, but also food for their babies (caterpillars!) and safe places for them to shelter and reproduce.

1. Plant a Nectar-Rich Buffet

The single most effective thing you can do is to plant a wide variety of flowers that provide nectar from early spring right through to late autumn. This ensures a continuous food supply, supporting different species as they emerge throughout the year.

Early Spring: Grape Hyacinth (Muscari), Aubretia, and Primrose are vital for butterflies coming out of hibernation.
Summer: This is the peak season. Buddleia (the famous ‘Butterfly Bush’), Lavender, Marjoram, Verbena bonariensis, and Scabious are all butterfly magnets.
Late Summer & Autumn: Sedum (now called Hylotelephium), Michaelmas Daisies (Asters), and Ivy provide crucial late-season fuel for Red Admirals and hibernating species.

Choose a mix of flower shapes. Different butterflies have different length tongues, so a variety of flat-topped flowers (like Sedum) and long, tubular flowers (like Verbena) will cater to everyone.

2. Don’t Forget the Caterpillars!

Remember, every beautiful butterfly starts life as a hungry caterpillar. And caterpillars are often very fussy eaters. The adult butterfly needs to find the exact right ‘food plant’ to lay its eggs on. If you only provide nectar, you’re running a restaurant but not a nursery.

Stinging Nettles: Don’t pull them all out! A patch of nettles in a sunny corner is the only food source for the caterpillars of the Peacock, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, and Comma butterflies.
Grasses: Leave an area of your lawn to grow long. Many of our brown butterflies, like the Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, and Speckled Wood, lay their eggs on various types of wild grasses.
Holly and Ivy: The Holly Blue butterfly lays its eggs on the flower buds of Holly in the spring and Ivy in the late summer.
Bird’s-foot Trefoil: This pretty, low-growing plant is the food for the Common Blue butterfly caterpillar.

By including these plants, you’re not just feeding visiting butterflies; you’re helping to create the next generation.

3. Provide Shelter and Water

Butterflies need more than just food. They need safe places to rest, shelter from the rain, and spend the night.

Log piles and sheds: A pile of logs, a gap under the shed, or even a dense patch of ivy provides the perfect spot for butterflies like the Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell to hibernate over winter.
A sunny spot to bask: A flat stone, a patch of bare earth, or the top of a wooden fence post in a sunny spot will be used by butterflies to warm up their flight muscles in the morning.
Provide water: A shallow dish of water with pebbles or marbles in it for butterflies to land on will give them a safe place to drink without the risk of drowning. This also helps them get those essential salts and minerals they need.

By combining a well-maintained feeder with a thoughtfully planted garden, you create a complete ecosystem. You’ll not only see more butterflies, but you’ll know you’re playing a crucial role in supporting their entire, incredible lifecycle, from tiny egg to magnificent winged adult.

A Final Flutter of Encouragement

Creating a garden that welcomes butterflies is one of the most rewarding things you can do. It’s a simple act that connects you directly with the beautiful, wild nature right on your doorstep. From mixing a simple sugar solution to leaving a patch of nettles to grow, every small step you take makes a big difference.

A butterfly feeder is your invitation, a signpost that tells these winged jewels your garden is a safe place to rest and refuel. But the real magic happens when you combine it with the right plants and a little bit of wildness. You’re not just feeding butterflies for a day; you’re building a home for them and helping to secure their future for generations to come.

So, get started. Put out that feeder, plant a pot of lavender, and wait. Before you know it, your garden will be alive with the silent, dancing colours of Britain’s beautiful butterflies. And there’s truly nothing better than sitting back with a cup of tea and watching the show you helped create.