How to Become a Butterfly Farmer

So, you think you want to be a
butterfly f
f farmer?

(c) Association for Butterflies; Research, Conservation, Farming, and Gardening 2012 www.forbutterflies.org

Do you have what it takes?
A love of butterflies
A love of butterflies
Good customer relations skills
Time (lots of it!)
(
)
Patience
Perseverance
Flexibility
Start‐up money
Willingness to learn
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Realistic expectations


You need to have a love
for
f butterflies
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You will be handling butterflies, pupae, caterpillars and eggs. Butterfly
farming is a “hands‐on” profession. You must be willing to be a real
farmer in every aspect since you will be actively involved in every part
of a butterfly’s lifestage.


You need to have good
customer relations skills
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Do you like working with people? To be successful in your business, you
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will deal with many different types of people. You should possess the
personality to be accommodating, pleasant and ethical. You need to be
able to deal with several situations at one time. Your phone skills will
sell your product.

You need to devote much time
to your business
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Butterfly farming is very labor intensive! You must be available 7
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days/week during your season. All four life stages need care at all times
and you are responsible for their survival. This cannot be emphasized
enough.

You need patience

You will need to be patient with your customers, answering
their questions time and again, over and over. You will acquire
patience as you raise your butterflies, since Mother Nature
cannot be manipulated to suit your needs. You will need to
have patience until your business becomes financially secure,
as you cannot expect t b
t
t to become rich overnight.
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You will need perseverance

You must be willing to keep trying…trying to improve your skills,
trying to produce top‐quality butterflies, trying to make your business
the best it can be. You will wear many hats. You are the butcher, the
baker and the candlestick maker. It is up to YOU to persevere in the
face of calamities unpleasant customers butterfly diseases bad
calamities,
customers,
diseases,
weather, missed shipments, and any number of obstacles that a
butterfly farmer will encounter.


You need to be flexible

Your schedule is determined by the needs of your stock. Caterpillars
need to be fed on a regular basis. Their containers need cleaning
constantly. Adult butterflies need to be exercised and fed on a
schedule. You are the one who will see to it that this happens.
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Are you disciplined enough to own your own business? Can you
adjust to irregular hours? Are you able to devote many hours to the
many aspects of butterfly farming?

You need start-up money
start up

How much? The amount depends on the size business you want
to start with. It is recommended that you start with a small
business. In other words, don’t quit your day job right away.
Taking into account supplies, plants, stock, website expenses,
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fees, advertising, marketing, computer and office‐related
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expenses, the amount can be estimated from between several
hundred dollars to many thousands of dollars.


You need to be willing to learn

You should learn everything you can about raising butterflies. Reading
books,
books searching the internet taking courses experimenting observing
internet,
courses, experimenting, observing,
asking questions, and being inquisitive are a few ways to learn about it.
Butterfly farming is an exciting business and there is a wealth of
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information out there! Association For Butterflies offers courses to help
you: http://www.forbutterflies.org/raising‐butterflies‐course/

You need to have
realistic expectations
When first starting out, you should set realistic goals for your new
business. Don’t
business Don t expect to get rich and retire within 3 years! Don’t
Don t
expect to gain fame as a world-famous butterfly farmer! Don’t
expect to become the biggest butterfly farmer in the U.S. during
your first year! DO expect to grow your business and gain much
personal satisfaction from helping people experience the joy of a
butterfly release. DO expect that you will make mistakes, but that
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you will be able to correct them. DO expect to have many p p
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y people
willing to help you and know that you can take advantage of their
expertise. The Association For Butterflies is a great way to start!


Necessities
>Supplies for raising caterpillars
>Host plants and/or diet to feed caterpillars
>Host plants and/or diet to feed caterpillars
>Containers for caterpillars
>Eggs, caterpillars, pupae and/or butterflies to begin
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Helpful tools for raising
caterpillars
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Good quality magnifying glass
Number 2 soft paintbrush
Tweezers with flat edges (forceps)
Tweezers with flat edges (forceps)
Misting bottle (for later use with pupae)
An area to raise them
Misting bottle
Containers
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5 oz. clear cups

Caterpillar
Caterpillar
“castles”

Since newly‐hatched caterpillars are very tiny, you will probably need a magnifying glass
to see them (unless you have X‐ray vision) .
A paintbrush is helpful when you need to move your caterpillars from one container to
another.  You avoid touching them with your fingers and you can sterilize the paintbrush
easily.
You can use forceps to also move larger caterpillars.  These are inexpensive and can be
purchased at an insect supply company.
A good‐quality misting bottle is handy when you are working with the pupa (or chrysalis)
stage. Pupae need misting with water to keep them hydrated.
You need a designated space to raise caterpillars that can be easily disinfected.   It can be
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a room, a closet, a tabletop, or someplace that is out of the way of normal everyday
activities.
It is recommended that you purchase several “Caterpillar Castles” to raise caterpillars.
These containers are portable, can be disinfected and are long‐lasting.   They provide
adequate airflow.  You can also go to a Dollar Store and buy a similar container.  If you are
raising Painted Ladies, you will not need these containers, only plastic cups.
raising Painted Ladies you will not need these containers only plastic cups

You will spend the majority of your time with the caterpillar stage
of the butterfly’s lifecycle.  Many species are in the caterpillar (or
larvae) stage for about 3 weeks.  You must not be squeamish
larvae) stage for about 3 weeks You must not be squeamish
about handling them, you will need to be careful, you will need to
learn when not to touch them and how to move them.  You will
need to learn how to feed them, either with their “host” plants or
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with a special diet that can be ordered from a reputable source.
Each species behaves differently and you must learn the specifics
prior to raising them.  The AFB offers courses on how to raise
healthy butterflies.  Take advantage of them!
Painted Lady caterpillar
molting on its host plant
thistle

It is recommended that you start raising Painted Ladies when
you first begin.  Painted Ladies are hardy, pretty, and easy to
raise.  They can be raised in Solo cups or an equivalent.  Of
course, you may try raising Monarchs or other species.  To do so,
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you will need to learn the distinct characteristics of the
species…how they behave, what they eat, peculiarities specific
to the species, etc.

Painted Lady
adult


Once your caterpillars have become pupae and then have
emerged as adult butterflies, you will need an area in which to
keep the adults.  They need light, airflow, hydration (misting) and
food.  They need to be able to exercise their wings.  A
“Caterpillar Castle” is good for this purpose.  The butterflies can
Caterpillar Castle is good for this purpose. The butterflies can
be removed easily but cannot escape from the castle. The fine
mesh will deter predators. Larger ones are available for
purchase; castles even come in sizes that allow a person to walk
purchase; castles even come in sizes that allow a person to walk
into it!  Some farmers  have used an outdoor tent for a flight
area.  A tent mimics a natural environment and can be sited in an
area that is convenient for you.


“Host” plants are plants that caterpillars eat.  Every species of
butterfly caterpillar is plant‐specific.  Some only eat one type of
plant.  Some eat several different plants.  Depending on the
plant Some eat several different plants Depending on the
species you plan to raise you will need to become very familiar
with these plants and how to grow them.  Caterpillars in the last
stages (instars) eat A LOT and you need to have a good quantity
(
)
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of host plants to feed them.

Monarch caterpillar
Monarch caterpillar
eating milkweed


“Nectar” plants are flowering plants from which adult butterflies
drink nectar.  Many flowers are nectar‐rich, which attract
butterflies.  A butterfly farmer can also feed adult butterflies
butterflies A butterfly farmer can also feed adult butterflies
fermenting fruit, a sugar water solution, prepared nectar,
Gatorade, or other nutritional tidbits.

Gulf Fritillary nectaring
on pentas


An area is needed to grow your host plants.  This can be a
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greenhouse, your back yard, in pots in a screened porch or other
suitable place.  You have more control over the quality of the
plants if they are grown inside. Plants are always subject to
plants if they are grown “inside ”  Plants are always subject to
problems, whether it is poor soil, undesirable insects,
unpredictable weather, or gardener neglect; whether they are
raised indoors or outdoors.  Depending on where you live, the
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plants will need protection from winter weather.  The health of
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your caterpillars depends on the health of your plants!
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Common Milkweed in
Common Milkweed in
bloom  (Host plant for
Monarchs)


You will need to acquire knowledge of how to grow healthy plants to feed your
caterpillars.   Working knowledge of which plants grow best in your soil, climate, and
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,
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conditions will yield better plants than those that do not adapt well.  Native plants are
better than non‐natives.  Native plants have the advantage of requiring less work on
your part, less watering (thereby saving on your water bills), are less susceptible to
pests and thrive in your conditions.  You should be able to assess your situation so that
pests and thrive in your conditions You should be able to assess your situation so that
you will make fewer mistakes growing your plants.  Concentrate on those plants that
do well in your area.  Each climate zone produces plants that will attract adult
butterflies and feed native butterfly caterpillars.  If you live in North Dakota, you
probably will not be able to attract or raise Zebra Longwings, which is a southern
species!  A good garden book appropriate for your area is invaluable.


Where do I get my start-up stock?
If you live in northern climates, you may wish to wait until spring to begin
raising caterpillars. You CAN raise them indoors in the wintertime b t th
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but they
cannot be released when the temperatures are below 60-65 degrees.
In the spring, you can wait until a female butterfly lays eggs on her host plant
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purchase eggs, larvae, p p or adult
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pupae
and then collect the eggs. Or you can p
butterflies from another butterfly farmer. Generally, those who live in
southern states begin their season earlier in the year. You should decide
which stage you want to begin raising and that will depend on whether you
have enough host plant material to feed the caterpillars Caterpillars eat A
caterpillars.
LOT! They eat more than you would ever expect. You are responsible for
them so you need to make sure you have enough food to feed them for this
part of their lifecycle. Nothing is worse than running short of their food plant
and you having to drive around looking for more plants! This step is very
important!

Red Admiral caterpillar on
its host plant, nettle


Butterfly life stages ~ egg

Painted lady Swallowtail


Caterpillar (larva)
p
(
)

Black Swallowtail                                     Giant Swallowtail

Long‐tailed Skipper                                            Monarch

Chrysalis (
Ch
li (pupa)
)

Black Swallowtail

Painted Lady

Variegated Fritillary

What if I don’t have enough
butterflies to
b tt fli t fill my orders?
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At times, you may find that you are running short of the number of
At times, you may find that you are running short of the number of
butterflies you need to complete an order from a customer.  This may
be due to many factors, but don’t panic!  It is always possible that you
may be able to purchase butterflies from another butterfly farmer at
wholesale prices.  If you have become a member of Association For
Butterflies, you are automatically added to an emailing list and you
can post your request there.  If there is any excess stock available,
butterfly farmers are usually willing to sell any extras.  Some farmers
will even “drop ship” them for you.  “Drop ship” means they will send
the butterflies to your customer directly.  You will agree on the price
with your supplier.
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You will be successful
if you are diligent
You not only need knowledge of plants, caterpillars and butterflies, you will
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need to be organized to conduct your business.  You will need a place to keep
files, a computer, a printer, written material, a calendar, business cards,
financial information and many other incidentals that help keep your butterfly
business operating efficiently.


Keep an up-to-date calendar
up to date
You need to keep track of your orders and shipping schedule.  A desk calendar
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or one on your computer will help organize this.  Don’t rely on your memory!
A written record is essential.  Your written records in a  journal also keep track
of what life stages your butterflies are in.  If problems arise with your stock,
you may be able to trace when your stock became non‐viable and where you
obtained it.


Keep track of your
income and expenses
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There are many ways of doing this and you will need to find what works best
for you and your business.  You can open a business account at a bank for
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your checking account.  You can open a Paypal account online to accept
orders.  You can use your own personal checking account, but it is
recommended that you keep personal accounts and business accounts
recommended that you keep personal accounts and business accounts
separate.  Search your area for the best bank that is business‐friendly.
Whichever way you decide to manage your income and expenses, you will
HAVE to be diligent in keeping accurate records.  Pay your bills on time.  If you
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purchase stock from other butterfly farmers, they appreciate it if you pay
their invoices promptly!


Credit cards
You may decide that it will be convenient for your customers to pay for their
orders with credit/debit cards.  You will therefore need a terminal that
orders with credit/debit cards. You will therefore need a “terminal” that
accepts card payments.  A terminal may be obtained through your bank, from
a discount club, or from another source.  It requires a telephone line (which
can also be your primary line) and a small printer to print out receipts.  Many
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customers want to pay with their cards, so this may be a worthwhile
investment.  There are charges associated with this service, so check around
for the best deal.


Computer and Printer
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A computer and printer are necessities if you want to run an efficient
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business.  The computer allows you to communicate with your customers and
other butterfly farmers, take advantage of online discussion groups, find
information, etc.  Your printer is also a valuable tool, enabling you to print
invoices and labels, instructions on how to care for live butterflies, etc.  These
two items are probably the most important to the success of your butterfly
business.  It is not necessary to have the fastest and latest models; you will be
able to do as much with the equipment you already have.  An internet
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connection is a must, too.  Your email address is important as it allows people
to find you.  You should also consider having a website………..

www.buyyourbutterfliesfromme.com

Your Website
You can operate your butterfly business without a website, but having one will
open up a whole new world of possibilities.  You will be able to advertise your
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butterflies to the world!  It is possible for a person with good computer skills to
construct their own site.  You may also wish to hire someone with the knowledge
to construct one for you.  Begin with a simple one, with only several pages:
to construct one for you Begin with a simple one with only several pages:
(1)  a home page explaining your business with pertinent contact information,
(2)  a page showcasing what you are selling and how much you charge
(3)  a page explaining your policies and guarantees
(4)  a page for ordering butterflies
(5)  any other info you think customers need to know.

www.isellthebestbutterflies.com
www isellthebestbutterflies com

Business Cards
Any good businessperson knows that an important tool in advertising his/her
Any good businessperson knows that an important tool in advertising his/her
business is an attractive business card.  You can make your own on your
printer, you can order some online which will look more professional, or you
can go to your local copy shop and have them made for you.  VistaPrint has
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good deals and you may want to check them out online.   Carry them with
you at all times.  Include them in your orders.  Tack them up on bulletin
boards.  Send them to your friends and relatives, potential customers and
other business people.


Other Options
You may decide you need additional help in setting up your business.  There
are many free services available in most communities or online.  SCORE is an
experienced group of retired executives that provides counseling and
workshops to help people get started.  They will help you develop a business
plan.  Take advantage of people’s expertise and learn all you can.  This will
help make your task easier.


Your B i
Y
Business N
Name
Choose your new business name very carefully.  Make sure it reflects what you
will be selling.   Consider applying for an EIN (Employee Identification Number)
which identifies business entities.  You can apply online.  It is a free service
through the IRS (www.irs.gov).   Register your business name with your state.
You want to investigate the state tax laws to see if you need to charge tax on
your sales and how to report it.  Later, you may want to think about
trademarking your business name to prevent unscrupulous people from stealing
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it.  This would cause you innumerable headaches!  A trademark can be obtained
through the U.S. Patent Office.  Again, a group such as SCORE can help you.

“Beautiful Butterflies by Beulah”

Shipping Account
If you intend to ship your butterflies out of state and/or in your state, you
should consider one of the well known shipping services and open an
should consider one of the well‐known shipping services and open an
account.   Butterflies and the other life stages are mostly shipped overnight.
UPS and FedEx are mainly used by butterfly farmers, which can cost less.  The
USPS is rarely used. You can save money by printing your own shipping labels
rather than having a local mailing center do it for you.  You will need to
investigate the best service.  Think about how far it is to drive to the pickup
location.  You can also pay to have the carrier pick up your packages.   You will
need to learn how to best pack your livestock.  The best place to learn is to
take an online course through the Association For Butterflies!  Courses are
offered periodically and you can sign up at www.forbutterflies.org.


Packing and Shipping
It is very important that your precious livestock is packed and shipped in the
most efficient and safe manner before it leaves your hands.  You must not be
squeamish about handling butterflies, eggs, caterpillars, or pupae.  Learn the
correct way to pack butterflies in envelopes by picking them up by their
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“shoulders” with wings closed above their bodies.  You may make your own
envelopes from paper or purchase glassines that will ensure the butterflies
are secure in transit.  Butterflies are NEVER sent to a customer loose in a
are secure in transit Butterflies are NEVER sent to a customer loose in a
container!


Packing Materials
You will need to invest in ice packs and styrofoam coolers.  Coolers can be
pre‐formed or consist of a cardboard box with pre‐cut styrofoam sides that fit
together.  Make it easy on yourself  by choosing one of these styles rather
than cutting the styrofoam yourself.  The coolers and ice packs can be
purchased in quantities online, where you will get a discount.  Buy the
smallest coolers you can in which the butterflies will comfortably fit.  You can
also check with local veterinarians for small boxes they want to recycle.
also check ith local eterinarians for small bo es the ant to rec cle
Again, your customers will pay for shipping charges and the larger and heavier
the package, the more you will need to charge, possibly  resulting in fewer
butterflies they will buy.
butterflies they will buy
Recommended size
of the styrofoam
container is 8x8x8
and fits into a
cardboard box of
the same
dimensions


Shipping Permits
Butterfly farmers are regulated by the USDA  Animal and Plant Health
Butterfly farmers are regulated by the USDA Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) .  All shipments across state lines require a permit.
A permit is required for every state to which you ship and the permits are
free.  Shipments within a state do not require a permit.  Many of your
customers will be from out of state and to comply with regulations and avoid
extremely high penalties, you will need to apply for your permits as soon as
possible.  There are nine species that can be shipped, but not all can be sent
to every state and not all can be raised in every state.  The butterflies need to
be indigenous to the state where they are raised and the state where they
will be sent.  You can apply online for PPQ526 permits.  It takes up to three
months for them to be processed so it is imperative to begin working on them
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soon. Permits are issued for 3 years and then they need to be renewed.
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/permits/login_epermits.shtml


Nine permitted species that can be
shipped across state lines

Monarch
Mourning
Cloak


Networking helps your business
How will you spread the word that you are in the butterfly business?  Explore
many options and choose a couple that will help the most.
A few examples include:
FACEBOOK
LinkedIn
Twitter
Emailing lists that discuss butterflies
Blogs
Social media is important to your marketing strategy and continues to
Social media is important to your marketing strategy and continues to
become more so.  Use keywords on your pages and in your promotional info.
Decide how often you will post messages to your “fans.” Analyze the results
from your efforts. If you don t have experience with social media, seek help
from your efforts If you don’t have experience with social media seek help
and research the various venues yourself.  Think about whether you can
afford to place ads via Google and/or Facebook.  You want your website to
move up in the rankings and there are ways you can make this happen.   Join
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Association For Butterflies!

Advertising your business
You are in business to make money!  You will make money if people know you
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are selling butterflies.  It is your job to promote your business in any legal way
you can so you can stay in business.  Investigate marketing and advertising
courses in your community.  Check out courses offered by the Association For
Butterflies.  Use your computer to take classes via the internet.  Look around
at other businesses to see how they are advertising their wares.  At times,
you may want to donate butterflies to a good cause for more exposure.
Advertising is a large part of making your business successful and you will
Ad ti i i l
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become the expert, knowing what works and what doesn’t.
Magnetic car sign

Virginia’s state insect
license tag
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Continuing Education
Your quest for knowledge about butterflies will be ongoing.  You will NEVER know
everything there is to know about butterflies.  But you must be open to new ideas and
learn everything you can, continuously.  Join butterfly associations.  Many states have
organizations devoted to learning about native butterflies.  Visit other butterfly
farmers, if possible.  Hands‐on learning is very worthwhile.  Participate in butterfly
farmers if possible Hands‐on learning is very worthwhile Participate in butterfly
conventions and if you can, intern at a butterfly farm.  Visit butterfly exhibits.  Buy
butterfly books and read them.  Put your computer to good use and search, search,
search for butterfly‐related topics.  Take courses to increase your knowledge of
butterflies.  Become a Master Gardener or Master Naturalist through your Cooperative
Extension office, if you can.  Take part in Association For Butterflies courses.  These will
be some of the best classes you’ll invest in.  Think of your tuition as an investment in
your business.  At some point you will be teaching others about butterflies.  Your
your business. At some point you will be teaching others about butterflies. Your
instruction will help your customers have the best release possible.   Be an
ambassador for the butterfly release industry, promoting positive  images.


Summary
Traits needed to become a butterfly farmer
Supplies
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Raising caterpillars
Host and nectar plants
Plants and stock
Plants and stock
Life Stages
Business essentials
Shipping and permits
Shipping and permits
Promotion and education

Slides  1‐11
Slides  12‐14
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Slides  15‐17
Slides  18‐20
Slides  21‐22
Slides 21 22
Slides  23‐25
Slides  26‐35
Slides  36 40
Slides 36‐40
Slides  41‐43


We hope this presentation will help you decide whether butterfly farming is
for you.  The world of butterflies is a rewarding one in many ways.  If you do
become a butterfly farmer, know that there are many people willing to share
their expertise to help make your job a bit easier.
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This presentation is the property of Association For Butterflies.
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Copying is prohibited.

How to Become a Butterfly Farmer

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