Welcome To Our General FAQs
Welcome to our FAQ page, where we provide answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we receive about raising and releasing monarch butterflies. To help you find the information you need, we’ve organized our FAQs into specific categories related to our online store, products, and other services.
For more detailed information about each topic, be sure to visit our blog, where you’ll find a wealth of resources on butterfly care and conservation. And if you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, or have a question we haven’t addressed, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at info@monarchbutterflies.ca. We’re always happy to help!
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- General FAQs
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- Painted Lady Butterfly Raising Kits
- Shipping
- Dedicate Butterflies for Release
Misting butterfly pupae with water is generally not necessary and can sometimes do more harm than good. Butterfly pupae do not need to be hydrated in the same way as caterpillars or adult butterflies. They get all the moisture they need from the process of metamorphosis itself.
However, if the environment where you’re keeping the pupae is very dry (like indoors with artificial heating), a light misting can help maintain a more humid environment. Here’s how to do it safely:
- Light misting: If you decide to mist, do so sparingly. Use a fine mist spray bottle and mist once a day from a distance to avoid over-wetting the pupae. Over-watering can cause mold or harm the developing butterfly.
- Timing: Mist in the morning so the environment has time to dry out. Never spray directly onto the pupae.
- Check conditions: Ensure the habitat maintains a humidity level of around 60-80%, depending on the species.
If the air feels too dry but you’re unsure about misting, placing a damp sponge in the enclosure can also help maintain humidity without directly wetting the pupae.
Please see our blog post for that goes over this information in detail: How to Feed your Butterflies: A Simple Guide
For comprehensive written instructions and accompanying video, please refer to our blog post. Caterpillar – Build a Painted Lady Butterfly Raising Kit Instructions
Unfortunately, we cannot ship the Painted Lady Butterflies Raising Kits prior to the scheduled shipping season, which typically ranges from late April to June and again from late August to September. Please note that this timeline depends on weather and seasonal factors each year and is determined by the order placement and payment priority. Prior to shipping your order we will notify you via email.
If you suspect that your insects may have perished, we understand your concern and want to assist you promptly. To address this issue, please follow these steps:
- Email our team at info@monarchbutterflies.ca with your concerns about the well-being of your insects.
- Our dedicated butterfly specialist will carefully review your email and respond to your inquiries. To help us better understand the situation, please provide clear and visible photos of all the insects, even if it requires submitting multiple photos. High-quality images can aid us in assessing the condition of the insects.
- Along with the photos, please include a detailed description of the insects’ current state and any relevant observations you have made. The more information you can provide, the better it will help us in our assessment.
Our team is committed to ensuring your satisfaction and the health of our butterflies. We will do our best to address your concerns promptly and provide you with appropriate feedback and guidance.
Absolutely! Our butterfly kits are specifically designed to be used in various environments, including homes, classrooms, senior homes, or any setting where you wish to experience the magic of butterflies up close.
Whether you’re an educator looking to enhance your classroom’s learning experience or an individual fascinated by the wonder of butterflies, our kits offer an excellent educational and immersive opportunity.
To learn more about the proper care and usage of our butterfly kits, we encourage you to refer to the product’s care instructions. These instructions will provide you with all the necessary details on how to set up, maintain, and ensure the well-being of the butterflies throughout their life cycle.
We understand your desire for flexibility in choosing a specific date for receiving our monarch or painted lady kits. However, due to the unique nature of our products and the consideration for the well-being of the butterflies, we are unable to accommodate requests for selecting precise shipment dates.
The shipment of our monarch or painted lady kits depends on several factors, including the prevailing weather conditions at the time of shipping, ensuring the insects safety and health during transit. Additionally, to maintain fairness for all our valued customers, orders are processed and shipped based on the order they are placed in.
Rest assured, we are committed to providing you with the best possible experience, and we will make every effort to ship your order promptly and ensure its safe delivery.
Before we ship your order, we will send you an email notification to inform you of the estimated shipping date, giving you ample time to prepare for the arrival of these delightful butterflies.
For more comprehensive information about the shipping timeline, kindly refer to the ordering page and click on the “Shipping” tab. There, you will find the most up-to-date details available. In case you choose to follow up with our team via email regarding shipping, please be informed that the information provided on the shipping tab will be identical to the response you receive via email. We strive to maintain consistency and accuracy across all communication channels.
In some cases, butterfly wings may not fully expand or may remain crumpled after hatching from the chrysalis. There are several reasons why this might happen:
- Genetic or developmental abnormalities: Sometimes, a butterfly may have genetic mutations or developmental issues that affect the proper development of its wings. This can result in wings that do not expand fully or do not develop normally.
- Environmental factors: The conditions inside the chrysalis or the surrounding environment during the pupal stage can impact wing development. If the chrysalis is subjected to stress or suboptimal conditions, it may affect the wing expansion process.
- Injury during emergence: The process of emerging from the chrysalis can be challenging, and the butterfly may encounter difficulties while pushing its way out. In some cases, this struggle can lead to wing damage, causing them to remain crumpled.
- Premature emergence: If a butterfly emerges from the chrysalis prematurely or if the chrysalis is accidentally damaged before the butterfly is ready to come out, its wings may not have had enough time to develop fully.
- Inadequate time for wing expansion: In some species, the wing expansion process can take several hours. If the butterfly is disturbed or disrupted during this time, it may not have sufficient time to complete the expansion, leading to crumpled wings.
Butterflies with crumpled wings may have difficulty flying or may not be able to fly at all, which can significantly affect their ability to forage for food, escape from predators, or find suitable mates. Unfortunately, butterflies with severely deformed wings may have reduced chances of survival in the wild.
If you encounter a butterfly with crumpled wings and want to help, it is essential to handle them with care. However, in many cases, the best course of action is to allow nature to take its course, as attempting to intervene may cause more harm than good.
No, we do not offer any other insects besides monarchs and painted ladies. Our focus is on providing experiences centered around these two beautiful butterfly species. We take pride in offering monarch and painted lady butterfly kits, as well butterflies for release including various related products and services to enhance your butterfly-raising and releasing experiences.
Monarchs and painted ladies are popular choices due to their accessibility, adaptability, and significance in butterfly conservation efforts. Both species are known for their fascinating life cycles, captivating colors, and their ability to bring joy and wonder to people of all ages.
We currently operate as an online store and do not offer orders for pick up. All orders must be placed through our secure online platform on our website.
Our seamless online ordering process allows you to browse through our diverse range of butterfly-related products, including live butterflies for release, butterfly rearing kits, butterfly frames and more. Once you have selected the items you desire, simply add them to your cart and proceed to checkout.
During checkout, you will provide your shipping address, and we will take care of the rest. We entrust the reliable services of Canada Post to ship your order directly to your designated location, ensuring safe and timely delivery.
We understand that some customers may prefer to pick up their orders in person for various reasons. However, at this time, we are unable to make an exception to our shipping policy, as it enables us to efficiently serve customers across different regions.