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This creature has over a million scales on its body, it has a tongue which when unrolled is the same length as its body, and it has taste buds on its legs!
It's a butterfly – beautiful and brilliant.
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If you'd like to attract your own butterflies, read on to find out how to make your own butterfly feeder – guaranteed to attract loads of butterflies.
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Here it is!
The brightly coloured background is designed to attract butterflies, just like a flower does. |
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These golf tees contain sugar water, which is just like the nectar of a flower.
And butterflies love to drink it! |
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Butterflies have a secret power that we don't. They see the world very differently from us.
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Have a look at these flowers – plain and orange, right?
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Wrong!
When the studio lights are turned off and special ultraviolet lights are switched on, whole new markings show up.
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They were invisible at first, but the butterfly can see them perfectly well.
Butterflies use the markings a bit like landing lights on an aircraft runway – the markings guide the butterfly to the nectar in the centre.
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Just like the flower, the butterfly feeder comes complete with ultraviolet runways to direct the butterflies to the sugar water in the golf tees.
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The runways were drawn using special ultraviolet pens like these.
You can get them from art shops, or certain newsagents.
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To make the backing card, draw a set of butterfly wings like this.
Or, click here for our template.
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Cut the shape out, and make four holes for the golf tees – two on either side.
Remember to pop a ball of modelling clay underneath so that you don't damage your work surface!
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Now you can decorate.
Experiment with different designs and colours. Blue and yellow are good colours to use, but try to avoid using red – because butterflies can't see that colour very well!
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When the backing card is complete, add on the runways using the special UV pen.
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Next, add the golf tees.
Push them through the holes in the card and secure them in place with tape on the back.
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Now you can stick the feeder into the ground – the golf tees will keep it nice and sturdy. |
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Finish off by adding sugar water to the golf tees.
To make some, just dissolve some sugar in warm water.
Don't make it too sweet – one part sugar to ten parts water should be fine! |
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Grab a drinking straw and pop it into the sugar water.
Then put a finger over the hole in the straw at the top – that'll keep the water in the straw… |
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…transfer the straw to the golf tee, and when you take your finger off, the water drops out. |
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So whether you put your butterfly feeder on a window box, or in the garden – why not Do It Yourself?
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