JACKSONVILLE, Fla. ā Greetings from the Butterflies and Brews garden! By the way, has anyone seen the brews yet? Me either.
Our little garden continues to grow and it is looking great.
Recommended Videos
Our success with releasing pretty pollinators, not so much.
RELATED: We have our first Monarch caterpillar! | Building a friendly place for pollinators, Richard Nunn style
Our Painted Lady butterflies emerged from their cocoons and were looking great. They were tucked between the other plants with two small bowls of sugar water and clean water. The plan was to give them 24 hours in their bird-net-protected home before releasing.
The next morning, I noticed some of the surrounding plants had been moved. The bird net was open and the butterflies were GONE!
The secured bird net was open, the water and sugar water containers were empty and only a few wings remained of around a dozen Painted Ladies.
In the soil, clear raccoon prints.
Yup, a little bandit got on the stationās outdoor kitchen patio and had a snack and a drink.
I can just imagine the little furball looking for a snack. It must have been like popcorn or chips in a bag -- a dozen little morsels. Then it washed them down with the water. Maybe the sugar water was dessert.
After discovering the banditās gain and our loss, I received an email from viewer and butterfly enthusiast Beth Higgins. It lifted my mood and inspired me to try this again.
Since early March, Beth has released over 70 beautiful Monarch butterflies. She also shared some of her pictures.
So here we go again. Take two. I will keep you posted, and if you find the Brew for the garden, let me know.