Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardening: I've got a question??, 1 by guspuppy

guspuppy wrote:
I have not tried this but saved the recipe to try this summer. I found it on one of the forums. This might work for what you want.
Kathy

Butterfly bait
from a post by TexasPuddyPrint, Edinburg,TX:

Will let you in on a secret we use down here - we use Butterfly Bait to attract the fruit feasters. We find a large variety of butterflies eating at bait stations - Blomfield Beauty, Gray Cracker, Guatemalan Cracker, an assortment of Leafwings, Question Marks, Hackberrys, Emperors, Blue Waves, Red Rims, Band Cell Sisters, Red Admirals, Banners, Malachites, Satyrs...oh, I can't remember them all...but the stuff really pulls them in.

The mix is simple: Mash a few pounds of ripe bananas, a pound of brown sugar and 1 bottle of Guiness Stout beer. Just put everything in a blender and mix it up. Use it fresh or let it ferment in an old milk jug for several weeks to a year! I keep a gallon of it in my south Texas garage (temperature warm up in there!) and open the lid every couple of days or to vent it so it won't explode. As I use it I mix up a new batch and add it to the jug.

I have several pieces of firewood (with bark) hanging from my trees. I used a saw to cut out some grooves into it so the butt-bait will stay put and run off. Many of the folks out at the butterfly gardens just pour it on old tree stumps or fence posts.