• Home
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
  • Blog
  • Prep-Ahead Meals Cookbooks
  • Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • Gardening
  • Kid’s Activities
  • Gluten-Free Recipes
  • Budgeting Tips
↑

Premeditated Leftovers™

Prep-Ahead Meals, Cooking Tips, and Frugal Living

  • Cookbooks
    • Prep-Ahead Breakfasts and Lunches
    • Prep-Ahead Meals From Scratch
  • Recipe Index
  • Members Area
    • Member Login
    • Join Us
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Recipes
  • Gluten-Free Recipes
  • Lifestyle
  • Garden
  • DIY
  • Kids
  • Budget

You are here: Home / Gardening / How to Make Butterfly Nectar

How to Make Butterfly Nectar

April 26, 2021 by Jody 29 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.
143549 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
How to Make Butterfly Nectar

Use this recipe for how to make butterfly nectar to make butterfly food to place in your yard.

diy butterfly nectar recipe

Besides the myriad of beautifully colored and wonderfully scented flowers that you can plant throughout your garden and yard, there are a few other things you can do to draw butterflies in and keep them coming back.  Making them feel welcome with food and shelter works for relatives and butterflies alike.  One thing is to offer them butterfly nectar scattered about, hanging in trees, or placed in shallow dishes tucked in shady spots.   It costs very little to make butterfly food and takes just a few minutes. Children love helping to put together this simple recipe for butterfly nectar and watching the parade of winged wonders that will surely pass by your yard.

How to Make Butterfly Nectar Recipe

Supplies:

  • Sponges
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • twine or string

items needed to make butterfly nectar

Directions:

  1. In a small saucepan bring 1 cup of water to a boil, stir in sugar and simmer until dissolved.
  2. Remove from heat and cool completely.
  3. While the syrup is cooling cut sponges into 4 smaller rectangles.
  4. Cut or poke a small hole in each sponge.
  5. Cut 8″ length of string and thread through a sponge.
  6. Dip the sponge in syrup until full, allow excess to drip from the sponge before hanging on limbs, porch railings, or anywhere else you want to leave a “drink station” for your winged friends.

butterfly nectar recipe

Alternatively, you can place several sponges in a shallow dish with the syrup mixture and place the butterfly food in your garden.

how to make butterfly nectar recipe

Be sure that you also have plants in your yard for the butterflies as well as the plants that the caterpillars will need to feed on after hatching. Research the butterflies that are common to your area, and what plants they need for their full lifecycle, then add those plants to your yard. You don’t want to use this butterfly nectar to attract butterflies to your yard if you cannot support them.

Printable Butterfly Nectar Recipe

Print
5 from 3 votes

Homemade Butterfly Nectar Recipe

An easy recipe for nectar to attract butterflies to your yard.
Author: Jody

Materials

  • Sponges
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • twine or string

Instructions

  • In a small saucepan bring 1 cup of water to a boil, stir in sugar and simmer until dissolved.
  • Remove from heat and cool completely.
  • While the syrup is cooling cut sponges into 4 smaller rectangles.
  • Cut or poke a small hole in each sponge.
  • Cut 8" length of string and thread through a sponge.
  • Dip the sponge in syrup until full, allow excess to drip from the sponge before hanging on limbs, porch railings, or anywhere else you want to leave a "drink station" for your winged friends.

More Ways to Attract Butterflies:

How to Make a Butterfly Puddler

6 Frugal Ways to Attract Butterflies to Your Yard

Attracting Butterflies with Butterfly Bushes

Originally published April 27, 2014. Updated on April 26, 2021.

143549 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Comments

  1. Lois says

    March 13, 2025 at 6:16 am

    5 stars
    Will this attract a lot of ants?

    Reply
  2. Connie says

    May 31, 2024 at 8:29 pm

    5 stars
    Can’t wait to try this!!! Thank you for sharing!!!!
    Truly I appreciate your

    Reply
  3. Lynn says

    May 11, 2024 at 2:37 pm

    5 stars
    I would love to try it this for the butterflies. However I am concerned it would attract bees. I feed the hummingbirds in a hummingbird feeder and would love to enjoy the butterflies without planting flowers they like. Any suggestions?

    Reply
  4. Georgia Sellers says

    June 19, 2022 at 7:46 am

    I bought a Milkweed plant back in May. I have kept in my house as I wanted it for a house plant. Today there was a caterpillar on one of the leaves. I put it outside in the sun under a caterpillar tent. It seems too late for a Monarchs, so any suggestions would be appreciated. Do I just leave it outside and hope for the best? I have never raised butterflies before. I am so excited!!

    Reply
  5. Jennifer says

    June 26, 2018 at 6:21 am

    My son has rescued a malformed winged monarch butterfly. Not sure what to do with it, so we made up nectar, soaked a sponge in it and created a habitat for it to live out the rest of its days. We’re giving it fruit and have placed a flowering plant stem in the tank. I feel bad keeping it in a tank but I think it would die quickly in nature given it’s malformed wing. My son is a kind hearted soul and has rescued many animals and insects. Thanks for your informative post for providing food to wildlife. Sometimes they really need the help!

    Reply
  6. Cheryl says

    October 17, 2017 at 5:30 am

    From experience I can tell you this…..it it a heck of a lot harder to raise butterflies than it seems. Chemicals, and even natural insectices, are deadly to butterflies. They are such fragile babies. I would say that a water-only puddler is a wonderful idea for most of us. I get butterflies by watering my garden overhead (not tomato plants – they don’t like their leaves wet). I don’t put out sucrose or fructose food because it will attract every other insect in the area, also. Butterflies don’t like contaminated food or fluid sources anymore than we do. You have to decide if you want to do battle with unwanted insects everyday. I do grow milkweed, but the constant infestation of aphids and ants is horrific and wearisome. Butterflies won’t lay eggs on infested plants. Read, read, read, especially before educating youngsters. There is so much ‘knowledge’ that I have had to unlearn. And finally, don’t use artifical sweeteners. The butterflies will be fooled alright…..and they will die. Plant an attractive landscape that you like and are willing to care for daily, and you will see butterflies, just maybe not hoards of them. That’s OK; Leave some for my yard ; ) Bless all of your efforts.

    Reply
  7. lisa says

    March 11, 2017 at 11:11 am

    This looks like a nice idea but I would add that I would SERIOUSLY clean a new sponge before using for this–there is always weird soapy stuff that comes out of fresh sponges. Repeatedly soak a new sponge in fresh water and squeeze it out many times before using it for this project.

    Reply
  8. Max says

    April 11, 2016 at 8:21 am

    It’s a Nice idea Jody but is it good for butterflies to eat industrial processed sugar?
    Instead of natural sugar from flowers???
    I Think it’s better to plant plants good for honey, it attracts them a lot and doesn’t do any harm to their health and DNA.
    In the peace of Christ,
    Max

    Reply
    • Zoey says

      June 26, 2016 at 8:54 pm

      Plant butterfly weed and milk weed . These are natural butterfly food. These are indegenous to the area. Butterfly bushes are imported. The butterfly’s will thank you

      Reply
      • Nancee says

        January 11, 2017 at 9:36 am

        Your responses to people: “plant butterfly weed and milk weed” show that you are not very knowledgeable about the subject of what plants to use to draw butterflies to one’s garden.
        “Butterfly weed is milkweed (one word)” Yes, there is a butterfly bush that the butterflies and hummers love, but it’s just one of many.
        The host plant, the plant that the female Monarch lays eggs on, is the only plant that the Monarch caterpillar can eat. For 14 days, the Monarch caterpillar eats, growing up to 2500 its size as a hatchling. It then forms a Chrysalis (jade with gold dots) and in about 10 days, the Monarch butterfly emerges. Hopefully. If left in the garden, the Monarch has a low survival rate. Predators, parasites, and pathogens limit how many Monarchs will survive from egg to butterfly…only 1-2% will survive.
        And then we have the well-meaning, but unfamiliar person extending advice that is completely wrong.
        Max, you are right. It is not suggested that sugar water should be available to Monarch butterflies. The cut fruit idea is used, but you have to be consistent in removing the fruit pieces every day, and washing and sterilizing any sponge or container with any fruit juice they may rest in. Pathogens will grow quickly and actually kill the butterflies.
        Please, Zoey, educate yourself on this subject or suggest a site that will have the correct answers. You are actually setting up death traps for butterflies.

        Reply
        • Lynn says

          March 23, 2017 at 2:13 pm

          Why do you have to be so mean and patronizing ? We get it , you are very knowledgeable – this is the same mixture that we feed hummingbirds!

          Reply
          • Tom says

            May 13, 2018 at 6:50 pm

            Nancee besides being an ass, you are also wrong or at least incomplete in your descriltion. I have monarch chrysallis, 3 of them currently that are green not jade and they are dill before settling into my parsley to transform.

        • Cindy says

          January 8, 2019 at 12:54 pm

          Nancee you are so rude. You don’t need to put someone down to get your point across.

          Reply
          • Brenda says

            May 2, 2021 at 11:38 am

            You are all being Sensitive Sally’s. It was good info.

  9. Hilary says

    June 10, 2015 at 6:08 pm

    Bees are a necessity for plants and the earth, hopefully it does help bees, too.

    Reply
  10. tracy grisdale says

    May 30, 2015 at 3:52 pm

    some wonderful ideas for the classroom

    Reply
  11. G says

    May 20, 2015 at 11:10 am

    Just like with hummingbird feeders, this will attract ants. You may not want it too close to your home.

    Reply
  12. Kathy says

    March 31, 2015 at 5:30 am

    Doesn’t this butterfly nectar attract bees too?

    Reply
  13. Marie says

    March 26, 2015 at 5:54 pm

    I would love to try this, but was wondering the same thing, seems like they would dry out fast in the heat.

    Reply
  14. kim says

    March 25, 2015 at 7:53 am

    How often are the sponges changed and are they sanitized and reused?

    Reply
  15. Nicole Elliott says

    May 10, 2014 at 7:42 am

    This looks like so much fun! We have lots of “nasty” sweet loving critters here in Texas–have you had any problems with wasps, hornets, or bees being attracted to these?

    Reply
    • Jody says

      May 10, 2014 at 7:44 am

      Sometimes Nicole, they do attract other unwanted pests. you get some thorns with the roses :(. So far I have not seen any this season, but just lots of butterflies and the random beetle we have to rescue out of there.

      Reply
      • Michelle says

        March 25, 2015 at 9:05 am

        How often would you need to rewet these with the solution? Is this something you would need to do daily or would it be good for a few days? Thanks!

        Reply
    • Maria Gonzalez says

      September 6, 2016 at 7:03 am

      We have problems with snails, help

      Reply
      • Donna says

        February 4, 2017 at 8:32 pm

        Put beer in dishes. They drink the beer and die.

        Reply
  16. Desi Powell says

    April 30, 2014 at 3:50 pm

    Hello, I am 13 years old turning 14 in November. I love to garden, i love the outdoors, i also love animals with all my heart (God first of course),go fishing with my ‘special’ friend, and want to be a hunter. I would like to know how to keep chickens. My family has 10 acres of land, 2 dogs, 2 cats, and 2 rats. (All of which are mine). And my mom and I are thinking of getting chickens. And quiet a few of them. (About 10-15) I just wanted to know if you prefer any specific chicken coop, able to hold a good amount of chickens or 2 good sized coops. (Or at least a chicken coop plan, which is a whole lot cheaper).

    Thank You for your time,

    Desiree

    Reply
    • Linda says

      May 31, 2014 at 5:50 pm

      Desiree: About Chickens. There are so many coops but I wanted to say plant peppermint around the coup. Most mice and rodents don’t like peppermint so it helps keep them out of the coup. Nothing is one hundred percent guarantee. But also place chickens in the chicken nest to help keep the mice out. If you put chicken coup in the pinterest search or just chickens you will get a lot of ideas about raising chickens.

      Reply
    • Jan Jones says

      January 16, 2016 at 5:44 am

      Desiree

      I hope you get the chicken they are so much fun and a lot of work. My grandson & I (along with his Dad’s help ) raised 12 baby chick’s (which we bought at the local farmers store) we used metal water tank with a drop light for about the first 6 weeks in side the barn and covered the top with boards on each side with a piece of wire across th middle. Put shaving in the bottom to clean out daily then we moved them to a well fenced area of chicken wire coup lots of different styles. Kept the critters out Good luck ours laid eggs after about 4 to 5 mths. We had alot of FUN

      Reply
    • Gmielk says

      June 17, 2016 at 9:43 pm

      I would suggest the basics. Gated yard, roofed and walled safe house. bedding, lg. waterer, and food dispenser. Then there’s the lice, mites and other meds they need until 6 months, then it’s you preference to be organic or not. Once they are older you can choose to let them into your grass yard to forage for insects and such cause that’s what chickens do. Hope this helps:)

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Search

Prep-Ahead Breakfasts and Lunches by Alea Milham

Recent Articles:

How to Start Your First Garden

2 ways to start composting easily

3 Ways to Start Composting

How to attract wild birds to your yard.

Tips for Attracting Winter Birds

Prep-Ahead Meals from Scratch Where to Buy

BROWSE:

  • Blog
  • Cookbooks
  • Recipe Index
  • Members Area

ABOUT:

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure

Welcome. I'm Alea!

On Premeditated Leftovers I share simple recipes made with whole foods, practical shopping tips, time saving techniques, and meal planning strategies. I also share tips for minimizing food waste, so more of the food that is purchased ends up on the table.

While volunteering as a budget counselor, I realized that food is the element of most people’s budgets where they have the greatest control. I set out to develop low-cost recipes from scratch to prove it’s possible to create delicious meals on a limited budget. Eating well while spending less is about more than just creating recipes using inexpensive ingredients; it’s about creatively combining ingredients so you don’t feel deprived and are inspired to stick to your budget.

Copyright ©2025, Premeditated Leftovers™. All Rights Reserved.
Design by Pixel Me Designs