Monarch Butterfly Kit

Raising a Monarch butterfly is an educational and satisfying accomplishment. A Monarch butterfly kit allows you to do just that in the easiest and safest way possible. Just imagine, single-handedly raising a caterpillar to one of those beautiful insects you often see flying around. Not only will it be fun, but you will also be able to see every stage of the Monarch butterfly life cycle .

You might not be aware of this, but taking a Monarch into your care is helping to preserve the butterfly population. When you take one into your home and raise it from a caterpillar to a butterfly, you automatically increase its lifespan by anywhere from 10% to 90%. Imagine that!

If you want to save some baby Monarchs from threats by raising them at home, be sure to create a safe environment first. One of the best ways to do this is by using a Monarch butterfly kit. A kit makes your task much easier, and you get the same immense satisfaction at the end.

There are many kits available on the market these days. These are the four options we would recommend.

Insect Lore Butterfly Growing Kit Toy

If you are looking for something on the more affordable end, then you might want to check out this Insect Lore Butterfly Growing Kit Toy . This kit can be fun to use if you have kids. But even if you don’t, you’re still welcome to try it. It can be just as fun without children.

What you get with this Monarch butterfly kit:

This butterfly kit comes with a pop- up mesh habitat. This gives you a great view of the butterflies you are raising. It is about 11.5 inches tall and can be used over and over again. You will also get a feeding pipette and very detailed instructions on how to use the kit.

By buying this Monarch butterfly kit, you will also get a voucher for five living Monarch caterpillars! But keep in mind that these will be shipped to you separately, and there is an additional charge for processing. Also, unfortunately, the live caterpillars can’t be shipped to Hawaii. In fact, you can only get them shipped to you in the USA and Alaska.

Why you should try this Monarch butterfly kit:

With its mesh habitat, this butterfly kit will allow you and your family to watch the amazing lifecycle of the Monarch butterfly with ease. You’ll see every step of the process: from caterpillar to chrysalis, and from chrysalis to beautiful butterfly. If you keep the butterflies in the kit after they hatch, you can also see them lay eggs and begin the next generation.

The feeding pipette makes it very easy for you to feed your very own baby butterflies. And in about three weeks, you’ll be able to see the rewards of your efforts. And Insect Lore has been shipping their caterpillars to homes and classrooms for nearly 50 years; so you can rest assured they know what they are doing.

This kit makes it very easy for you to start the growing process. The live caterpillars will be delivered to you in a cup that’s already filled with caterpillar food . Once they arrive, there’s not much you’ll need to do at first. Just put them somewhere safe and leave them. That’s it. Anyone can do that, right?

What other customers are saying about this Monarch butterfly kit:

Based on what other buyers are saying, you might want to consider this kit. The general consensus is that the kit is extremely fun to use. Quite a number of reviewers said that this butterfly kit is ideal for young kids and grown-ups alike; this is because it is so easy to use. Not only that, but it is very educational.

One customer warned about hidden fees when buying this kit. Basically, what the customer was saying is that you’d have to pay a processing fee to get the caterpillars shipped to you. Despite that fact, this customer was completely satisfied with the product (customer gave a 5-star review!).

Another customer noted that the mesh kit was poorly made. But with some minor adjustments, it worked perfectly. This and most other customers who had something negative to say still ended up satisfied in the end.

Insect Lore Live Butterfly Pavilion

If you want something a bit larger and with more caterpillars, then the Insect Lore Live Butterfly Pavilion may be just what you are looking for. This kit is a definite upgrade from the toy kit, and it is still on the more affordable side. While this kit might be a little pricier, many users agree that it is well worth the cost.

What you get with this Monarch butterfly kit:

This butterfly pavilion comes with a mesh habitat that allows you to easily observe your handiwork – or just the wonders of nature. The mesh habitat in this package is reusable and is about 2 feet tall! That’s a lot of space for your butterfly farm.

In this package, you will also receive an “eyedropper” for feeding the insects . You also get a certificate for ordering up to 10 baby caterpillars. These are shipped directly to you with an additional shipping and handling fee – and food for the caterpillars is included.

Finally, the kit comes with a detailed activity guide for you to use, as well as detailed instructions on how to use the kit to keep the insects safe.

Why you should try this Monarch butterfly kit:

This kit is definitely something extra special. Once you’ve purchased it, you get a certificate for up to 10 baby caterpillars. That’s a lot of caterpillars to play with. Not only that, but you are given a guarantee. If at least 6 of the 10 caterpillars don’t survive through the metamorphosis phase, you will be sent a new batch to work with.

It’s very easy for you to observe the butterfly lifecycle with this kit. This is because of the mesh material that makes up the kit. Also, the kit is about 2 feet tall. With that size, it is easy to grow a fairly large number of butterflies.

One other thing you should know about the kit is that it has a zippered entry, which makes it very easy for you to reach inside the cage as necessary. Also, the feeding eyedropper provides a very convenient way for you to feed the new butterflies.

What other customers are saying about this Monarch butterfly kit:

Most customers seem to agree that this kit is absolutely worth the price. According to reviews, the kits are very easy to use and are suitable for adults and kids alike. One customer griped about the hidden shipping fee for the baby caterpillars… then gave the product a 4 star review.

There was one customer who believes that the quality of the kits have been reduced significantly from last year. This customer said that the kits she bought last year are still holding up perfectly. But the ones she bought this year fell apart even though they were being handled with care. One other thing you might want to take a note of is that one reviewer mentioned how difficult it was for him to open the containers containing the caterpillars. On top of that, he mentioned that care must be taken when opening the kit to prevent damage to the chrysalises.

Insect Lore Butterfly Garden Gift Set

If you are looking for a unique gift idea for a friend or loved one, then this Insect Lore Butterfly Garden Gift Set is for you. The package comes with interesting butterfly themed bonus items, making it an excellent choice for a gift. Not to mention, just the very experience is a gift in itself.

What you get with Monarch butterfly kit:

The Deluxe Butterfly Garden Gift Set contains a large mesh habitat, which is very handy for butterfly viewing. The mesh habitat measures in at 12 inches high and 6 inches wide. This is a lot of space for you to raise your caterpillars into butterflies.

The package also comes with a special chrysalis station, giving you a convenient way to hang your Monarch chrysalises . You’ll also get a flower-shaped feeding pipette. This is very useful as it doubles as a cup holder.

If you want to buy the deluxe kit, keep in mind that the live caterpillars ship with the kit. There are no vouchers to claim them. So, it is a good idea to time your purchases properly to ensure the caterpillars are delivered in the ideal weather.

This package also has some neat throw-ins that make it ideal as a gift, such as a butterfly wind up and 3D butterfly stickers.

Why you should try this Monarch butterfly kit:

The deluxe butterfly habitat makes for a very interesting gift – for youngsters and grown-ups alike. However, because of the bonus items that come with the kit, it might be better for you to give it to a child as a gift even though an adult might be able to appreciate the small extra touches.

Another reason you should consider this kit is for ease of viewing. The 12 by 6-inch mesh habitat provides more than enough space for the caterpillars, and it makes butterfly viewing easy and very comfortable.

If you want a somewhat fancy way to hang your chrysalises, then you should definitely get this kit. It comes with its own separate “deluxe” chrysalis station. This, admittedly, gives you an attractive way to hang your chrysalises. Using this station puts your chrysalises on full display!

One more thing to consider is the fact that you get the caterpillars at the same time as the kit. So, there’s no need to wait for the caterpillars to be delivered before you can start using the kit. You can start your project right away!

What other customers are saying about this Monarch butterfly kit:

The majority of buyers reported that they were satisfied with their purchase, claiming that the entire project was both fun and educational. Based on the reviews, nothing much needs to be done once the kit arrives; you just follow the simple instructions given, and that’s it.

There were quite a number of customers reporting that all the caterpillars were dead upon arrival. And then others noted that the caterpillars arrived alive, but died after a few days. Also, almost all the reviewers mentioned that the caterpillars were much tinier than they would have expected.

Something else you might want to keep in mind is that one reviewer mentioned that the entire package was delivered in pieces; the product was damaged in transit.

Still, even if you do receive dead caterpillars or a damaged product, Insect Lore will send you a replacement or a new batch of caterpillars.

Insect Lore Deluxe Butterfly Garden

This Insect Lore Deluxe Butterfly Garden is very similar to the garden gift set. There are some subtle differences between the two, but they both have pretty much the same features. Also, this kit is on the pricier side of the scale, so keep that in mind when you are making a purchase.

What you get with this Monarch butterfly kit:

In this kit you will get 5 baby caterpillars delivered directly to you. The caterpillars come in a cup filled with more than enough food for them to live.

You will also receive a mesh habitat for viewing your butterflies when the time is right. This is a pop-up mesh habitat and can be used over and over again. The mesh habitat measures 11.5 inches high.

The deluxe chrysalis station is also a feature of the kit. So is the feeding kit. This makes it easier for you to feed the butterflies once they emerge. If in doubt on how to use the feeding kit, there’s a detailed instruction manual included for you.

Why you should try this Monarch butterfly kit:

When buying this kit, you get the live caterpillars delivered to you along with the kit. Other kits have a voucher that you’d use to send off for the caterpillars after receiving the kit itself. Not only does immediate shipping mean you can start your projects as soon as possible, but it also means no extra fees for shipping the caterpillars separately.

Another reason to consider this product is the deluxe chrysalis station. This separate station provides a very attractive and safe way for you to display your chrysalises and clearly see your progress.

Also, as expected, you get a mesh habitat so that you can easily see the insects’ progress. Another point to note is that the habitat is reusable, and you are able to buy just the caterpillars and food in the future. You can also find your own caterpillars and raise them in the kit.

The mesh habitat is large enough for the butterflies to stay comfortable; it also makes viewing the insects enjoyable.

What other customers are saying about this Monarch butterfly kit:

Quite a number of customers said that this kit was a fun project. One woman went as far as saying that she thinks it’s a great opportunity to educate younger kids on the lifecycle of butterflies. For the most part, customers were very pleased with the kit.

One customer even said that he gets multiple kits each year; that’s how satisfied he was with it. He, as well as other reviewers, thinks this is a good kit to use in a classroom setting – especially for smaller children. There are, however, kits meant for the classroom that you could also consider.

Even with all those positive reviews, though, there were still some customers who seemed dissatisfied. One customer said that all five caterpillars mysteriously died even though she followed all the instructions. Another one said that the caterpillars lived to transform into butterflies, but then they got stuck in the mesh and died shortly after.

If most of your caterpillars don’t make it to the butterfly stage, Insect Lore will send you another batch of caterpillars free of charge.

Conclusion

Raising Monarch butterflies can be very exciting for children and very rewarding for adults. Not only is it enormous fun for you to watch, but when you take these tiny caterpillars into your care, you drastically increase their chances of survival. You can even populate your yard with Monarchs by releasing them once they hatch from their chrysalises. The Monarchs will fly south to survive the winter, but then they will return to your home in the spring!

But if you are going to undertake such a project, it’s best to do it the right way. Monarchs need very specific conditions to thrive. The best thing you can do is to use a Monarch butterfly kit. There are so many of them on the market, and each one offers something unique: from a “deluxe” chrysalis station to vouchers for purchasing caterpillars. You can even share the experience with family and friends as a unique gift idea.

References:

• https://texasbutterflyranch.com/2013/04/05/how-to-raise-Monarch-butterflies-at-home/
• https://www.stillbeingmolly.com/2017/05/18/insect-lore-original-butterfly-garden-review/
• http://www.insectlore.com/live-butterfly-kits