Help! Butterfly stuck in my basement!

[Cody]

There is a Butterfly currently stuck in my basement and I am not sure what to do. It is attracted to the light at the moment, and is alive and moving. What should I do? Should I leave it alone or do something?

The butterfly is Yellow, I am not sure of the exact Species. I will try and photograph it. What is a butterfly doing up here in the middle of February?

[Halton Hills]

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There are species of Butterflies that do in fact hibernate as adults.

It may have awoken with the warm temperatures over the past few days.

It's possible it was hiding in a crevice on the exterior of your home and then mistakenly found it's way inside.

This is much like the Cluster Flies that appear and congregate around your windows in the spring (if you have that problem)

I guess it's even possible it rode in on the south blowing winds from elsewhere.

You can catch it in a small container and put in your fridge and try to force it to go dormant again.

It would not likely survive if you put it directly back out side now in the sub-zero temps.

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[Cody]

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There are species of Butterflies that do in fact hibernate as adults.

It may have awoken with the warm temperatures over the past few days.

It's possible it was hiding in a crevice on the exterior of your home and then mistakenly found it's way inside.

This is much like the Cluster Flies that appear and congregate around your windows in the spring (if you have that problem)

I guess it's even possible it rode in on the south blowing winds from elsewhere.

You can catch it in a small container and put in your fridge and try to force it to go dormant again.

It would not likely survive if you put it directly back out side now in the sub-zero temps.

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Thanks Halton Hills.

Here are pictures of it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/46490307@N04/5460211512/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/46490307@N ... otostream/

Cody

[feathered]

Like Halton Hills said, the milder weather might have fooled him into waking up... butterflies in that family (Pieridae) are very hardy but it wouldn't make it out there now.

[Bird Brain]

A question for the butterfly people ... is this a Clouded Sulphur?

[Bluffs Birder]

Hi Cody,

Your butterfly is actually a Cabbage White, an extremely common butterfly in southern Ontario.

Sorry I don't really have any experience with trying to keep butterflies alive over winter so I guess I'd have to agree with Halton Hills and try causing it to go dormant again.  Perhaps someone else might have a better solution.

Walter

[Bird Brain]

Hi Walter.  Thank You for identifying this butterfly! ... guess I should have known from the first picture and thinking "Oh, that looks like a cabbage leaf".  :lol:  The colour threw me off though.

[Axeman]

I've been infested with some very tiny moth...when they first started appearing about a month ago, I thought "cool...bet that gopher isn't going to see his shadow"...well maybe 50 moths later, the gopher didn't see his shadow but I'm starting to worry where these things came from and umm...is this going to be a problem...will I look like the emperor in new clothes?

[Halton Hills]

I've been infested with some very tiny moth...

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They are most likely Meal Moths......also called Grain or Flour Moths.......so all your clothes should be safe...... :roll:

This means you don't have any excuse to run around naked with corn broom in hand while blabbering incoherently......

These are not to be confused with the larger store-bought "Mealworms" used to feed birds or reptiles........which turn into Darkling Beetles.

The Meal Moth larvae or "worms" you're looking for are only about a 1/4 inch long.

Check all opened boxed or bagged food in your cupboards / pantry ......looking for moths, caterpillars or webbing.

If you find any of the above.....discard the food......throw it in a garbage bag and take it outside.

More than likely though......the source will be your stored birdseed.

Look very very closely and I'll bet that is where you'll find the evidence.

If so......the seed needs to be put in a sealed container......or better yet......dump the entire lot on the ground under your feeders.

The worms are harmless and the birds will enjoy them.......plus the cold will stop them in their tracks (the worms)

Any new seed you buy will need to be kept sealed as the moths are now looking for places to lay eggs.

The key is.......if you stop the cycle......they will eventually disappear.......  :wink:

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[Cody]

UPDATE:

Hello everyone,

Thanks for the help in identifying the Butterfly, and the tips on what to do with it. The butterfly was very active on Sunday night, and has since dissapeared. We are not sure where it went, but there are many places for a small butterfly to hide in our basement. If I see it again, I will update everyone.


Cody

[Craig McL]

so I am sorey but I could not see the photos posted of this But I wood think
that a Cabbage White no way     thay do not over winter   any wear   so I
go with the axeman  ( hahahah I almost bout a dobbal head axe today )
with Moth on this one I have seen wight moths flying all reedy this year

But if it was a cabbag wight   do you have cabbages in your basment ??

Craig

[Halton Hills]

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I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding here.....

I believe Axeman's comment about "moths" was not in reference to the original post by Cody.

The photo that Cody provided was definitely a Butterfly......as echoed by others.

The Cabbage White is very cold hardy and has one of the longest seasons of any butterfly and remains active until the first hard freeze.

It has been known to emerge during mid-winter mild spells......even though they don't technically hibernate as adults...... :roll:

If this one found it's way into a relatively warm hiding spot in the fall.....it's possible it became "active" when the temps climbed above normal.

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[Luv2Bird]

If you have grain moths ... put any wool clothing in plastic bags or you will find holes!!  I had some of these in a can of birdfood and they got into everything .. including wool carpet.  Very difficult to get rid of them.

[Halton Hills]

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Grain or Meal Moth (larvae) only feed on grain products and foodstuffs.....nothing else.

The White-Shouldered and Brown House Moth are the ones that feed on wool and protein-based carpets......as well as foodstuffs and grains.

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