7 Ways to Attract Caterpillars to Your Garden

If you love butterflies, you should know that you can’t enjoy butterflies without caterpillars, right? Attracting caterpillars to your garden is important, as those caterpillars will later turn to butterflies which not only look beautiful but can help pollinate the planet as well. If you want to know how you can make caterpillars feel more welcome in your yard, take a look below at 7 Ways to Attract Caterpillars to Your Garden so you can be sure you are doing all you can to lure them!

7 Ways to Attract Caterpillars to Your Garden

1. Plant caterpillar friendly plants. If you want to attract caterpillars, you need to plant the items they like to eat and lay eggs on. These plants include Milkweed, Clover, Nasturtium, and Dogwood. A yard with these plants is more likely to attract caterpillars, and planting all of these items will ensure you get a variety of butterflies hatching in your yard.

2. Don’t use pesticides. Pesticides don’t know good insects from bad, so they will kill any bugs that come into your yard, even caterpillars. Avoid using pesticides in your yard or chemical products in general. It will make your yard more eco friendly and invite the caterpillars in.

3. Try caterpillar attracting herbs. Did you know that certain herbs can help attract caterpillars? They sure can! Dill, Fennel, and Parsley are all caterpillar attracting herbs and will certainly call these creatures to your yard. Butterflies also enjoy them so you can plan on them returning to visit.

4. Provide a woody area. Caterpillars prefer dark and woody areas, so keep an eye out for them under shrubs and in thick foliage. Anywhere you can provide ground cover will also be a haven to them and invite them to visit. They prefer rustic landscaping so don’t fret if your yard isn’t manicure perfect!

5. Keep bird feeders away. Birds love to eat caterpillars, so if you are trying to attract them either don’t put out bird feeders or place them in the opposite end of the yard far away from your caterpillar attracting plants. This way the birds won’t scare the caterpillars away or eat them before they have a chance to lay eggs.

6. Don’t disturb the caterpillar eggs. When you see eggs on leaves and foliage take care to not disturb it. Don’t touch the eggs and if you are worried about extreme weather, you can cover the plant with cloth or a bucket if one fits. The same goes for chrysalises once you see them. Take care to guard them and protect them from extreme weather, kids, and pets.

7. Try some ornamental grasses. Ornamental grasses are a safe haven for caterpillars and they tend to be attracted to them. If you have space in your landscaping, try some ornamental grasses. There are many varieties to choose from, in all sizes and colors to suit your needs and design tastes.

Are you ready to attract caterpillars to your yard and enjoy butterflies by the dozen? Then give these tips for attracting caterpillars to your yard a try so you can enjoy the show.