How to Hold a Butterfly Without Hurting Its Wings

Have you ever wanted to hold a butterfly but were afraid you might damage it? In this episode of the Butterfly Farmer, John takes a closer look at the best ways to hold a butterfly without hurting it.
If you've enjoyed this video please Subscribe (thanks everyone!): bit.ly/2CGvvcD
#how to hold a butterfly
#butterflies
#leaning
#nature
#lifeofabutterflyfarmer
- - - - - - - - -
The Butterfly Farmer || Explore the wonderful world of butterflies with John - a professional butterfly farmer in the Southeast USA. John gives viewers a close-up look at these amazing creatures utilizing his several butterfly houses. John has the added bonus of unexpected creatures showing up at his doorstep - you never know what may happen!

[@mariateran932]

I just release my first ever Monarch. I can't tell you how glorious it felt. I've been feeling joyful all day. Just sharing. Thanks

[@Itsirenicgaming]

I just released mine today with my students, one didn't want to leave me hand!

[@lepidlover0557]

The butterfly the whole time he was holding it: o-o *kicks legs*

[@Poetry4Peace]

👁️👄👁️👣 dam no kick emojis lol

[@1LosTemplarios1]

I saw this video today, a butterfly was all wet from the rain and i picked it up and put it where the sun reached. It gained energy and flew away like half an hour later. :) thank you!

[@thebutterflyfarmer1509]

I am so glad this video was helpful to you!

[@LunarCatKan]

So glad this video exists! Found an injured butterfly earlier that had lost half of one of its legs and I picked it up by one wing and put it on my hand before realising that could hurt its wings, searched for a video on how to hold a butterfly properly and this helped me with putting it on a flower safely without hurting it!

[@natashialefay]

amazing! thank you for explaining!! Today my first of four swallowtails hatched and the video helped me get it out of the butterfly habitat and into freedom ♡

[@Inaayacute]

i like butterflies

[@Guydude777]

Short and informative! Thank you very much.

[@HIIIIIIlllllIII]

I have an injured butterfly and I tried one of these and it worked! I have trouble holding her as she only has one wing and three legs and the only wing she has is damaged. I am now able to safely help her from the healthy butterflies trying to play with her and being able to feed her. Thank you!

[@fourseasonsnorth]

Thanks for the video Butterfly Farmer John! Some really wonderful information and well explained.

[@thebutterflyfarmer1509]

I'm glad you liked it! Great videos yourself!! We always enjoy them.

[@nicoledepietro8940]

I love your channel so much omg

[@juderangel]

Excellent work! Thanks for the nice information. I'm a biology student, and what I am most passionate about are butterflies, which I want to dedicate myself to. You are very inspiring to me. Greetings from Mexico :)

[@thebutterflyfarmer1509]

Thank you, I really appreciate your kind words! I hope you will follow your passion. Butterflies are truly awesome animals! Are you from Mexico originally? Your English is very good.

[@karlc2869]

How many swallowtails do you have?

[@gibson9408]

I've been raising monarchs for the last three yrs. This yr I have some late bloomers and will need to feed them before they are released. Great info on how to handle them. Thank you

[@zerokei9403]

Thanks for a very informative video. My wife and I are raising monarchs in Australia, and there’s very little reliable information available locally. All the best! 👍

[@axolotl374]

I did this before and then it absolutely trusted me

[@sewwandiwarnakulasuriya9825]

thank you

[@AspienPadda]

I've been waiting for this one! Thanks for making it!

[@thebutterflyfarmer1509]

You are welcome!

[@karlc2869]

@@thebutterflyfarmer1509 Dude, I'm afraid of butterflies but what is your fave butterfly?

[@fruitypuffpie1585]

@@karlc2869 why are you afraid of them?

[@karlc2869]

@@fruitypuffpie1585 I have been afraid of them since I was an infant/baby. I mean, their wings scare me so whenever I see one on TV, I change the channel or when I see them in books, I flip the pages. In this internet era, everytime I watch a butterfly video, I scroll down to the comment section.

[@Latebloomershow]

Thank you!!

[@snitcheyes411]

A video from the Butterfly Farm? It's gonna be a good day!

[@thebutterflyfarmer1509]

Thanks!

[@UptightWither]

Getting to the time of year where lots of butterflies are getting into our house and I want to let them out safely, thank you for this

[@ia_official]

WoW thank you!

[@user-yf1te6xq5l]

This made me save a butterfly from inside an office.you made my day!❤

[@jasminefaison9800]

Thank you so much for this QUICK and informative video. I accidentally left four monarchs chrysalis in my house. I want to make sure after I went there the trouble of growing them this far they are able to still be healthy butterflies when I release them.

[@TheSynergyChannel]

Thank you so much! My second Caligo atreus Vinnie hatched today and the first one, Flappie, I think did not eat well and passed away after only a few weeks. So I need to be more actively assisting. But I’m terrified of hurting it :( I feel more guilty than I can handle already

[@yondaime17]

Man those tigers are slick!

[@SteveKershaw]

The internet is great, I need to know this, and you did the video just for me😂 thanks

[@usamakhan5679]

Thanks.

[@adityanandula]

This is really such a nice! video. Thank you for the explanation .

[@thebutterflyfarmer1509]

You are more than welcome!

[@argirobatis]

I love butterflies I am an Young entomologist I have a butterfly garden with milkweed and plants that butterflies Love

[@sweetpeacraft5243]

Thank you for sharing this! I've started to raised monarch, swallowtails, and gulf fritillary butterfly in my yard for couple years. I live in Huntsville AL and wonder if pipe vine swallowtail are found in north AL? I never saw any since I moved here, as I remembered you also live in AL so I hope you can help me. Thanks!

[@thebutterflyfarmer1509]

Yes, they are native to North AL, but are only found in areas where their host plants grow.

[@wolfbear7]

Thank You. I love them but especially Monarchs, which have seemed to follow me all my life. I plant milkweeds for their preferred food, and just love to watch and appreciate them. I have visited the Transition Habitat in Piñon Hills, California which is run by some friends. I respect almost all life. Sorry, certain flies and mosquitos are on my shit list because they hurt people with disease. Even then I don't want them to suffer so I make certain they are 100% dead quickly. What an amazingly beautiful and sometimes horrible world we live in. I work in contributing towards making this a better place however I can. We must all hang together. THE TIME HAS COME TO SHOW PEOPLE that NOBODY IS NOBODY!

[@SolidSiren]

I got to see Monarchs migrating through Ventura CA several years in a row. It was incredible. It seemed like tens of thousands of them flying together, and they just KEEP coming!

[@SolidSiren]

I wish I could appreciate ALL life, but insects (other than butterflies) just repulse me. I will relocate an insect or spider in my house if i can catch it without touching it, but some i kill.

[@denisef1153]

Thanks for this info. I am raising monarchs but the problem is when I bring the cage outside and open the door, the butterfly doesn’t leave. He will go try and hide in the corner. He’s not sick or anything and he can fly in the cage. Now he just needs to fly away and enjoy his life.

[@Poetry4Peace]

Woow jus soo informative videos where hav ya gone?

[@markgriff9265]

Hello John, did you make your enclosure or is it a kit that you purchased? If it is a kit, could you tell me where you got it? Also, what size is it? Thank you.

[@susan88888888able]

!!!HELLO!!!!! we have a bunch of chrysalis hatching. How soon after coming out should we try to have him walk on our hand. I don't know exactly what Tim ehe hatched. Is it ok to do when wings and full but possibly not dry yet? I don't want to touch his wings just have him walk onto something so we can move him into a releasing tent. Thanks

[@rinkakanwar7899]

Is butterfly colour print on your hand

[@Joseph-kj1ok]

Is it the same method for smaller butterflies? The butterflies in my country are half the size.

[@HonestLettuce]

A few months back i found a butterfly on the ground struggling the get onto its legs (It was on its wings.) Now this was bad because it was in the back street. and the road was all rough and had small stones. I did know butterflies where delicate, so i helds a finger to it. brushing one of its legs to get it's attention. Once it grabbed on and i got it upright. it actually flew onto my shirt. which was cute. But obviously i didn't want to imprint it on me. so i just put it near a flower. But just that 2-3 minutes lifted my spirits up.

[@SolidSiren]

I don't think a butterfly will imprint on you. Especially a grown one. They can form simple relationships with humans though.

[@makewithmegma]

👌👍

[@vettedwarrior7054]

What kind of screen is covering your flight house?

[@ammtojii]

I almost have a heart attack by attempting to handle it like that cuz the butterfly can't get thru our window

[@jasonwebb1882]

I always was told that the dust was what made butterflies able to fly. I didnt know that there were scales on the wings. Thank you for educating me. Momma was wrong!!!! Lol. Waterboy humor.

[@tylercruz2628]

Thanks for the help because my Gulf fritillary chrysallis might open soon

[@thebutterflyfarmer1509]

I am glad it was helpful. Enjoy your gulf!

[@tylercruz2628]

@@thebutterflyfarmer1509 Thanks!

[@AnubisGG64]

I recently saw a butterfly with just stubs of its wings left and some how its still able to fly please explain this to me and thank you.

[@94Endgameboy]

So you can hold a butterfly like a Dorito and this do not seems to bother them at all

[@ItzBloxyGaming]

I found a butterfly today with only a wing and a bit of the other wing, is there anyway I can help it?

[@sonalimaity2794]

I took out a butterfly just after it came out of cocun.its wings were soft then and while walking on my hand one of its wings folded.after some hours i found that that wing was broken when i tried to bring it out of the box where i kept it.but i didn't hold its wings. Is taking it out while having soft wings and folding of the wings is the reason of its broken wings?

[@Louyou2]

From what I've been reading and watching their wings need times to dry. I think some thing gets pumped into their wings and then it takes time for them to dry.

[@karlc2869]

I'm a butterfly phobic but what type of swallowtail is that?

[@strangeknight4974]

sir,i have found a swallowtail butterfly egg (in india),i am feeling as it is prasited by the wasp,so do you have any solution to save the caterpillar inside the egg?,please reply sir

[@mohiniprashantkulkarni6779]

Yes I have the same problem,please tell some solution

[@ahnadiri]

once it's parasitised there's nothing you can do, unfortunately

[@Therian715]

:(my butterfly died, so my granny made it into a picture❤😞

[@landonthebugkidfansmore1203]

That’s how I hold butterflies

[@Hello123epy4u]

When are you gonna post again it's been 2 years

[@melyrivv]

Thx , theirs a butter fly stuck in between my window and curtain

[@shut_up700]

SURE TIME TO SQUEEZE A BUTTERFLY IN MY HOUSE

[@youknownothingjohnsnow7475]

i've heard that touching a butterfly wings should (if at all) be done by holding them between fingers, not with fingertips due to the oil that is most present on fingertips and is very damaging to the wings. anything about that?

[@thebutterflyfarmer1509]

I hold them both ways, and I have never noticed a difference. It is a good idea to have clean hands though. I prefer the fingers because you are less likely to let the wings slip, and that is how I see the most damage.

[@madhukiranshetty5029]

nice how

[@madhukiranshetty5029]

nice how did you catch

[@awesomeblaze2640]

I found an injured butterfly. What should I do to take care of it?

[@Tallerixoo]

How did it go?

[@awesomeblaze2640]

@@Tallerixoo It lasted a couple of days. Just died today.

[@adalynnlerma6249]

I touch a baby one by the rings and I almost killed it and I named it! 🥰

[@chip-tip3771]

Is this the same for moths?

[@thebutterflyfarmer1509]

Yes, although moth scales are a little more fragile. You don't want to hold them long.

[@chip-tip3771]

Alright, thanks! My mom might get me luna moths soon so i just wanted to know in advance to make sure i don't hurt them

[@c0qu3tt.]

i cant find a butterfly:(

[@clkcnasdjhcjibi7236]

2:17 step one failed lol Can’t even get near one without them flying away

[@minhthanhvo809]

I tried to hold a butterfly but it flew away fast :(

[@professionaldonkey5777]

I am really scared of butterflys

[@moracle3991]

I put my finger next to it to crawl but it flew away instead, I just want to bring it out of my house though

[@thebutterflyfarmer1509]

Probably need to go with the 2nd option on that one.

[@mariateran932]

The only window suitable is in my small kitchen near dish rack and sink, on the adjoining counter. Is this in any way dangerous to my health ? -- near food and all. Clueless. If anyone knows--thanks.

[@Itz.Aouxiia]

My butter fiy wash thes

[@sage14319]

I want to touch the butterfly near me but Im scared

[@thebutterflyfarmer1509]

You definitely don't need to be scared. If you are careful you won't hurt the butterfly at all, and they are completely harmless and really gentle creatures!

[@ophadamia2579]

First time touching it

[@ophadamia2579]

The safest point to hold a butterfly is to hold it where the wings connect to the thorax.

[@bobfourn01]

Not sure the way you grabbed the butterfly from the cage was the right way. You can damage their legs if you pull them off the net to fast. I prefer putting all my fingers around the butterfly untill it let’s go of the net. I learned this the hard way as I did damage some of their legs doing it your way. What do you think?

[@SolidSiren]

He literally works with them every day. I think he knows what he's doing.

[@SolidSiren]

Maybe you cannot handle them with as light a hand as him

[@robvolsky5336]

Anyone: How do you control aphids on milkweed?

[@denisef1153]

Pinch them between your fingers (gross) Use a hose and spray them NEEM organic oil. It kills then and though organic it can hurt the butterflies. I didn’t know this and I sprayed the plant. Next day I had a caterpillar walking around. Thought he would die but he didn’t. He became a beautiful, very large monarch. I also heard NEEM oil can kill the monarch eggs. This didn’t happen to me either.

[@positivevolution]

Good to know how to do it right, if necessary, but I wish that unless it's for some conservation purpose, people would observe but not touch animals as much. As humans I think we often feel our enjoyment or entertainments is more important than their desire to live safe, natural, and unbothered by us. It would be nice to teach our children to observe, take photos, study, but not to capture and play with wild creatures.

[@gehadyasser1001]

Am i the only one here who literally screams once I see a butterfly or any insect approaching me? Their legs are so long and kinda disgusting to touch u..

[@gehadyasser1001]

Finally someone who gets me lol 😂

[@AnubisGG64]

My parents lied to me !!!! you can hold them without killing them.

[@philipoconnor4263]

Not the best way to handle a butterfly! The way butterfly collectors have historically handled butterflies which they don't want to fly away. If you don't mind if the butterfly flies off, which you shouldn't unless a collector or someone with a commercial interest in the specimen like a television presenter. In his handling of butterflies he removed large amounts of the butterflies scales which would impact both it's ability to reproduce large amounts of eggs and to fly. Research suggests netting and handling butterflies reduces egg production by females. If you just want to look closer at a butterfly, place a fore finger gently under the legs until the butterfly walks or settles on the finger. Butterfly Farmers as the name suggests are commercial farmers of butterflies and are not too concerned about the butterflies beyond their commercial value.