Fruit salads for butterflies is the sweetest trend I've spotted this summer – it takes just minutes to create, costs nothing, and keeps these busy pollinators hydrated in extreme heat

I don't know about you, but the recent extreme temperatures have taken a toll on my garden. Some of my plants have become seriously dehydrated, and my lawn is looking a little less vibrant than before. While trying to revive my garden, I've realized my plants aren't the only things struggling in the summer heat – wildlife also need help staying hydrated. So, I started doing some research into how to help them and stumbled across the sweetest idea: a fruit salad for butterflies.

This is the perfect garden project for anyone wanting to attract butterflies to their yard. It consists of putting out a dish of a wide range of sweet and juicy fruits for butterflies to eat and drink from. Not only does it provide hydration, but it also gives these busy pollinators some natural sugars that energize them. Plus, it's a great way to use up those bruised and slightly spoiled fruits you won't eat yourself.

A fruit salad for butterflies is also a great companion to butterfly puddlers, a water source for this beautiful winged wildlife. It's easy and can be free to do, and you're likely to spot a range of different butterflies coming to enjoy it. Here's how to make one.

How to make a fruit salad for butterflies

This wildlife garden idea can be recreated in just a few minutes, and you don't necessarily need to purchase anything extra for it. All you need is:

• A wide range of fruit
• A shallow dish, like a plate or this bird bath dish from Amazon

But, before jumping in with how to make a fruit salad for butterflies, let's take a closer look at why fruit is a valuable resource for butterflies during hot weather:

Why is fruit good for butterflies?

There are a couple of reasons why fruit is a good resource for butterflies: the juice offers hydration, and the natural sugars provide energy.

'Butterflies use their proboscis to sip flower nectar, but they can also use it to sip fruit juice,' explains biologist and garden expert Aidan Charron.

The reason butterflies need energy during extreme heat is that the warmer temperatures can leave them feeling drowsy. This is the same reason why fruit is also a valuable resource when helping birds in a heatwave.

'At a time when many of us are suffering from intense heat, due to climate change, butterflies are suffering too and will always appreciate it if you leave them fruits to sip on,' Aidan says.

'In particular, fruits like strawberries, very ripe bananas (out of the skin), mangoes, oranges, and watermelon are ideal as they are juicy,' he adds.

Aidan Charron

Aidan is the Associate Director of Global Earth Day and an expert in ecology. He has a Bachelor of Science in Biology, with a concentration in Tertiary and Freshwater studies with a minor in Geographic Information Systems, from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, and specialises in reducing plastic waste

How to make a fruit salad for butterflies

There are only a handful of steps in this DIY solution.

You need to first select your fruit, which you can of course pick up from your local supermarket. Put in an order of fruit from Walmart here.

Or, use fruit sitting in your fruit bowl that is too ripe for you to enjoy. Alternatively, you can pick a harvest fresh from fruit trees in your yard.

You then want to ensure all the fruits are sliced open for the butterflies to access. Those in skins, like oranges and bananas, can also be peeled for easier access.

You simply then display your fruits in your shallow dish or plate, and that's it.

For a fun twist, you can use these metal kebab skewers from Amazon to hang fruit kebabs in trees for butterflies. When doing this, make sure to cut the fruit up into smaller pieces so they don't fall off the skewer.

As for how long to leave the fruit out for, you don't need to worry. Rotting and extremely ripe fruit is an excellent resource for butterflies, and is often sweeter for them. You may just want to keep a watchful eye for if your fruit is attracting rats and other pests you don't want nearby.

FAQs

What's the best time to put out a fruit salad for butterflies?

If you want to avoid attracting rodents and other nocturnal pests with fruit you leave out for butterflies, you may wish to put it out each day early in the morning when these pests aren't active.

Bonus tip: 'To avoid attracting ants, put your fruits in a shallow bowl with a tiny bit of water at the bottom, as ants can't swim,' says biologist and garden expert Aidan Charron.

There are many other ways to help butterflies in your yard, too. Try planting a butterfly border, for example, or simply incorporate just a few of the best plants for a butterfly garden in your yard. You can even sprinkle these butterfly wildflower seeds from Amazon in your yard to attract them.

Other essentials to help butterflies in hot weather