I don’t want to “rain” on anyone’s parade. But I do want my fellow gardeners to be well-informed and to make sound buys for their gardens.

Are the butterfly houses or hibernation boxes just another gimmick? A ruse to separate us from our hard-earned cash?

We all have seen one or two of these charming abodes sitting about at a garden center, nursery or greenhouse.

Typically, the are sweetly decorated, most charming, I might add, two feet tall and half a foot deep.

On its face are long, narrow slits two inches long and half an inch wide.

These openings are to let in the butterflies seeking refuge.

Standing looking at this darling rectangular box, we all can picture just such a structure placed somewhere – in our gardens.

In a spot surrounded by robust, voluminous clumps of flowing herbs, annuals and perennials.

Copious amounts of butterflies, all of which are landing, crawling, fighting frantically amongst themselves trying to crawl inside.

In one’s butterfly garden this would seem an apt focal point.

But in reality, have you ever really seen a butterfly enter or even live in one of these structures?

Housed inside quite snugly are maybe a solitary spider, with its webby nest full of egg pouches, or a nest of comfy yellow jackets which, at this point, they must be very angry about now by your disturbance of their “bee” business.

Butterflies most often seek their shelter from the weather under some snuggy leaf litter or on a tree’s bark or branches.

A tree acting like a great umbrella. Very few drops of rain ever penetrate, reaching the ground beneath.

There, too, the butterfly rides out any gusty winds that may reach the tree’s core.

Now, as far as hibernating, only a few butterfly species choose this method of “wintering over” – some as eggs or as adults or as caterpillars.

And the few adults which do hibernate/overwinter will seek out their own shelter, roofing under a bit of loose bark, a mulchie leaf litter, inside a hollow tree or at the core of a pile of logs or perhaps in an unheated shed or an outbuilding.

Did you ever think by clearing away all those dried-up leaves and flower stalks you were throwing away butterfly eggs and caterpillars, plus lots of other beneficial insects as well?

And all those stalks and leaves are great places for lots of “good” creatures to overwinter/shelter as well.

But if you must have one, which are quite charming, its site by the way is very crucial.
In a semi-shaded area, securely mount to a post, enveloped by neighboring host or nectar plants.

Luck be with you.

A butterfly might actually crawl in, seeking refuge and protection from weather and predators.

But then again, maybe not.

If you are buying one to actually provide housing, don’t waste your money.

But if you want one to complete your butterfly garden, by all means.
•••

“Butterflies don’t like them. It doesn’t matter what you place inside to try to attract them because butterflies just won’t use them. I know this from first-hand experience. I have maintained a few dozen butterfly boxes for several years, and the only residents were spiders and wasps.”

— Rick Mikula, author of “The Family Butterfly Book”

Nancy Wiersma of Dowagiac writes a weekly column.