Special Offers
Pure Silk hanks These are English reeled 20/22 Denier raw silk hanks produced at the Lullingstone Silk Farm and Worldwide Butterflies.
These fine silk hanks were reeled on the same hand reeling machine, the only one in
The size and weight not standard but the illustration shows a hank picked at random. This is a unique product!
Special temporary promotion price.
NETTING Fine Black Nylon 5 metres 170cm wide
Was £18.95 (£3.79/m) SPECIAL SALE PRICE now £13.95 (£2.79/m)
Ideal for covering box tops, cages, netting replacement and making sleeves. This soft netting is ideal for making field nets.
This netting is durable, resists tearing and deterioration in UV light. It is fine enough to keep out minute flies and parasites.
NETTING Fine Black Nylon 10 metres 170cm wide
If you are thinking of making a netting structure, cage covering and replacement or making sleeves for rearing larvae, this is the ideal netting.
Soft and easy to use. Durable, resists tearing and deterioration in UV light. It is fine enough to keep out minute flies and parasites.
NETTING Fine Black Nylon 20 metres (2 x 10m) 170cm wide.
Was £53.90 (£1.90/m) SPECIAL SALE PRICE now £39.95
Ideal for large structures, flight areas etc.
Use for cage covering or making sleeves for rearing larvae.
This netting is durable, resists tearing and deterioration in UV light. It is fine enough to keep out minute flies and parasites.
Ordering in 20 metre lots brings the price down very low! A lot less than £1.90 per metre, 170cm wide. Probably an unbeatable price.
Marsh Fritillary Eurydryas aurinia
The butterflies fly from May into June. Eggs are laid in large clusters on the underside of Devil’s Bit Scabious.The larvae Feed on Honeysuckle (wild is best), Teasel Snowberry or the natural foodplant Devil’s Bit Scabious. The larvae live in a tightly formed web, growing only a little before they hibernate in autumn.
EARLY Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io)
Due to massive breeding, prices are currently reduced. See even lower prices for 20, 50 or 100 larvae!
Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell populations are seriously depleted recently, due to the butterflies waking in the mild winter and dying of starvation. This is a a chance to help local Peacock populations.
The larvae live in tight clusters on the tips of nettle. Young larvae do best on potted nettle. Keep the pots outside until needed indoors for the first larvae. When the larvae are larger, keep them caged on cut stems of nettle in a jar of water. Pupae are formed in a matter of weeks, hanging from the cage top. Butterflies emerge in about 3 weeks. They can be kept for a few days in a cage with flowers for nectar, then released into the wild.
Keeping two species of larvae together on the same foodplant? It is sometimes possible, but their way of life may differ and we recommend keeping them separately.
Peacock Butterfly (Inachis io)
Take advantage of this good season and help native butterfly species. Have the fun of watching them develop, pupate and hatch. Then release the butterflies to enhance the local butterfly population.
Young larvae should be started on growing nettles where they live in a tight cluster. When the larvae are larger, keep them caged on cut stems of nettle in a jar of water. Pupae are formed in a matter of weeks, hanging from the cage top. Butterflies emerge in about 3 weeks. They can be kept for a few days in a cage with flowers for nectar, then released into the wild.
Peaock larvae need fresh nettle, growing if possible. Below we suggest a possible alternative, but growing nettle is the strongly recommended rearing method.
If you wish to rear the larvae in plastic boxes, while they are small, they can be kept on a lining of absorbent paper, with a sizeable sprig of fresh, un-wilted nettle. The paper lining must be changed and fresh food given EVERY day (including weekends). Place the previous day’s food with larvae on the new paper liner, add a fresh and adequate sprig of nettle, and the larvae will transfer themselves to the new food. Give them entire nettle stems with leaves, not leaves alone. Close the lid and keep the box out of sunlight. The closed container keeps the foodplant fresh. No holes are needed because there is more than enough trapped air for larvae to breathe. Never allow excessive condensation, nor mould. The size of box should be chosen according to the size and number of larvae being reared. The size 5 box is large enough to house them once they have grown for a week or two. For smaller larvae the Size 8 is appropriate. When the larvae have become too large for the box, they can be kept in a cage, with the nettle kept fresh in a jar of water. The pupae are formed hanging from the top of the cage and the foodplant.
