I had a butterfly fluttering around my kitchen today (a brimstone).It turns out that they hibernate indoors sometimes, and then wake up if something warms them up. I never knew.
Simon Pedley ● 4d3 Comments
We often tend to be so obsessive about cleaning up all fallen leaves and all cobwebs around windows and doors at the end of the year without considering the fact that there are insects like those butterflies hibernating. We also have fewer cooler outhouses and woodpiles and less ivy and other plants which sometimes aren't considered to be acceptable in our gardens. These can be plants which are the only food plants and chosen homes and hibernating places of some butterflies, moths and other insects.This from the Natural History Museum was a couple of years ago:https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2022/may/uks-flying-insects-have-declined-60-in-20-years.html
Philippa Bond ● 2d
They can be disturbed when they have chosen a seldom used room to hibernate but can be helped back into settling down again to hibernate. They apparently don't need feeding just a dark cool place.https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/butterfly-winter-adviceor Butterfly Conservationnwebsite.
Philippa Bond ● 3d
Yes my neighbour see one in his log store so move it to a safe place.
Janice Evans ● 3d