# New Business_Butterflies



## cmzaha (Mar 27, 2016)

My daughter that used to make decent money with her B&B products seems to be giving up. She told me she is taking off at least 6 months, she is frustrated with the competition and all the DIY sites. 

This is the daughter that had to have so many teeth extracted and implants. Grandma paid for the implants and extractions but now she needs to earn at least 17k for the crowns. With hubby still out of work she is panicked with sales only trickling in these days. B&B product sales are really slowing down these last couple of years. 

On the brighter side, she has turned to selling Painted Lady Caterpillars, Lady Bugs and will be adding in Praying Mantis, and Swallow Tail Butterfly caterpillars. LOL, my 7 yr old granddaughter was up-selling the Lady Bugs!! My daughter said, "every time she talked them into the larger container of Lady Bugs". Well last night she had a fantastic night at the market. Her booth was 10 deep with people and she sold almost $400 in butterfly kits, and has teachers booking demos. Her first week which was last week was also good but this week was fantastic. She has also added in some spectacular Fairy houses she makes. I am so praying this works for her.


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## KristaY (Mar 27, 2016)

It's always scary to change business or career paths but it sounds like its going well. I had no idea the butterfly business could be so profitable, lol! I'm happy to hear she's on the right path to getting the dental situation taken care of too. This is exciting news and I hope the new business continues going well!


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## cmzaha (Mar 27, 2016)

KristaY said:


> It's always scary to change business or career paths but it sounds like its going well. I had no idea the butterfly business could be so profitable, lol! I'm happy to hear she's on the right path to getting the dental situation taken care of too. This is exciting news and I hope the new business continues going well!


Thankyou, now if everyone could maybe say some prayers maybe we can get her hubby back to work. Dental work is not exactly there but we are trying. Grammy just cannot help anymore


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## shunt2011 (Mar 27, 2016)

I hope her new adventure is a huge success and prayers her husband finds work and she can get the dental work done.


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## snappyllama (Mar 27, 2016)

Best wishes for your daughter on her new business venture! I'm really sorry to hear that the B&B business isn't going well for her. I cannot imagine how tough it must be with the tiny margins and each week's newest DIYer selling below cost.

I actually had a butterfly release at my wedding (instead of birdseed). Each butterfly was in individual cardboard packets. Guests opened their packet and out crawled a butterfly that stretched its wings  then fluttered off. It made for a lovely end of the ceremony.


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## dibbles (Mar 27, 2016)

Best wishes going out for continued success in the butterfly business. Your daughter has been through so much and I really hope this works out for her. It sounds like she is a hard worker, and really deserves it. Things beginning to go right is maybe a sign that her husband will be back at work soon.


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## TBandCW (Mar 27, 2016)

Best wishes for success for your daughter!  I've never heard of a "bug" business so I think she has a niche!


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## Rowan (Mar 27, 2016)

I'll add my prayers in to everyone else's and hope this business takes off and flies along with the butterlies She really deserves the success, and so do you


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## cmzaha (Apr 3, 2016)

Thankyou everyone. Her sales last night went up from the week before. It is amazing, she had people 10 deep lined up at her booth. My sales doubled last night also from her sending them over to check out our "other business". It was a great night. Hopefully we get to stay at the market, as I mentioned in my Needing Karma thread. She even had a customer order an exotic Mantis to the tune of $50. We took a picture of the amount of customers and visitors to her booth to send the city. Oh yeah, I am getting a Ghost Mantis to put in a Bio Bubble I am setting up tomorrow!  Don't ask what the hubby thinks about it....

Darned kid she just made my love of critters re-emerge. Mom taught her well. We won't talk about how much money I spent raising tadpoles to little froggies. My darling kids collected the tadpoles from a puddle and brought home a bucket full. I was told it was not possible to raise them to full frogs. Wanna bet, we had at least 100 babies we transported back to their natural habitat. Shhhh....don't tell fish and game


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## KristaY (Apr 3, 2016)

Congrats Carolyn on such a great night! Here's to continued good Karma for the market, your soap and daughter's butterflies. :clap:


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## lenarenee (Apr 3, 2016)

That is wonderful news! I certainly hope you both get the karma and success you deserve.

Ghost mantis?  Exotic mantis?  Gotta google those...I love praying mantis (manti?)


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## cmzaha (Apr 3, 2016)

lenarenee said:


> That is wonderful news! I certainly hope you both get the karma and success you deserve.
> 
> Ghost mantis?  Exotic mantis?  Gotta google those...I love praying mantis (manti?)


Look up Orchid Manti they are gorgeous


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## navigator9 (Apr 3, 2016)

You know how it is at fairs and markets, a lot of the same type of vendors over and over. To have something that's so unique will surely be good for business. I can see them now, lined up at her booth! Best of luck to you both.


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## snappyllama (Apr 3, 2016)

Out of curiosity, are folks buying the mantis to release in their gardens, or are they more like terrarium pets?


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## cmzaha (Apr 3, 2016)

The Manti that are indigenous to our area can be released but she is really selling them as a pet. The Exotics are pet only not to be released. She has a disclosure for them to sign that purchase the exotic ones. The Hornworms can be released as can the Ladybugs. Next week she is taking out some type of snail that will eats the destructive garden snails. These she is not raising at the moment. Will probably start after she finds more info about raising them. A local nursery gets the snails for her

Also when someone pays $50+ for a Manti I doubt they would release it


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## snappyllama (Apr 3, 2016)

Ha, I wasn't thinking about $50 for a single mantis buddy. Hehe...

I was wondering since I hope to start a vegetable garden after we move sometime this year (no point in trying up where I am now - I'd need to build a fortress first). I love the idea of releasing beneficial critters to give to give me a hand. I'll remember about your daughter's business and hopefully can place an order with her next year (if she ships to North Carolina)! 

Mantis are so much fun to watch - unless they are eating one another... <cue Circle of Life song>


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## cmzaha (Apr 3, 2016)

Yep, they are quite cannibalistic, but so cute and some are just plain gorgeous.


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## Rowan (Apr 3, 2016)

Wow, that sounds like great fun. You'll have to do markets together every time now! Just going off to look up orchid manti


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## TeresaT (Apr 3, 2016)

snappyllama said:


> Ha, I wasn't thinking about $50 for a single mantis buddy. Hehe...
> 
> I was wondering since I hope to start a vegetable garden after we move sometime this year (no point in trying up where I am now - I'd need to build a fortress first). I love the idea of releasing beneficial critters to give to give me a hand. I'll remember about your daughter's business and hopefully can place an order with her next year (if she ships to North Carolina)!
> 
> Mantis are so much fun to watch -_* unless they are eating one another.*_.. <cue Circle of Life song>



Actually, that's one of the things I find so fascinating about them.  They're cute as all get out, but vicious little buggers, too!  There's something fascinating about cannibalistic animals.  One minute they're having a nice little convo and the next, one's biting the head off the other sucking its brains out the neck.  Who does that?


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## snappyllama (Apr 3, 2016)

TeresaT said:


> Actually, that's one of the things I find so fascinating about them.  They're cute as all get out, but vicious little buggers, too!  There's something fascinating about cannibalistic animals.  One minute they're having a nice little convo and the next, one's biting the head off the other sucking its brains out the neck.  Who does that?



Ladies do... to their mates! I think the phrase I read was "she eats the male during copulation... putting to good use an otherwise wasted amount of protein".:twisted:


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## TeresaT (Apr 3, 2016)

snappyllama said:


> Ladies do... to their mates! I think the phrase I read was "she eats the male during copulation... putting to good use an otherwise wasted amount of protein".:twisted:



nom, nom, nom...pass the ketchup, nom, nom, nom...


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## Soapsense (Apr 11, 2016)

You mentioned Hornworms, I hope not the dreaded Tomato Hornworm....
Butterflies and Mantis sound pretty cool, good luck!!


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## cmzaha (Apr 11, 2016)

Soapsense said:


> You mentioned Hornworms, I hope not the dreaded Tomato Hornworm....
> Butterflies and Mantis sound pretty cool, good luck!!



Yep, Tomato/Tabacco morph into gorgeous Hawk Moths / Hummingbird Moths. They are really quite pretty catapillars and only bad when eating up your lovely tomato plants


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## navigator9 (Apr 11, 2016)

Since we're on the subject...I ran across this site recently. Amazing transformations! http://www.ba-bamail.com/content.aspx?emailid=19420


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## Soapsense (Apr 11, 2016)

OMG, just one can destroy my whole garden overnight, If you lived near me, I might have to buy them all up and ah get rid of them gangster style, lol


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## cmzaha (Apr 11, 2016)

navigator9 said:


> Since we're on the subject...I ran across this site recently. Amazing transformations! http://www.ba-bamail.com/content.aspx?emailid=19420


Aren't they some of the neatest caterpillars you have ever seen. 



Soapsense said:


> OMG, just one can destroy my whole garden overnight, If you lived near me, I might have to buy them all up and ah get rid of them gangster style, lol


LOL, they are voracious eaters. We feed them a chow not our tomato plants. These also did not come out of the garden. You should see what Silk Worms can do a  Mulberry tree. A full grown Silk worm can almost devour a grocery bag full of leaves overnight. 

I went to my daughters this morning to check on my Ghost Mantis and my Green Mantis. Oh my gosh they are growing so nice. Will probably bring the Green home next week. I am letting her take care of the Ghostie a little longer, it is still quite small. Fed them honey this morning


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## jblaney (Apr 20, 2016)

I love Praying Mantis!   That is so cool your daughter is selling them now.   I wish her much luck.

We have an ant farm going right now and last summer we hatched a bunch monarch butterflies.   If I had a garden, I would def. get some lovely Manti (Mantids?) to keep the bad bugs at bay.   My favorite bug for sure along with the Goliath Beetle.


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## nikkisessence (Apr 20, 2016)

So glad to hear about your daughter's business! Hope you are well.


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## cmzaha (Apr 21, 2016)

jblaney said:


> I love Praying Mantis!   That is so cool your daughter is selling them now.   I wish her much luck.
> 
> We have an ant farm going right now and last summer we hatched a bunch monarch butterflies.   If I had a garden, I would def. get some lovely Manti (Mantids?) to keep the bad bugs at bay.   My favorite bug for sure along with the Goliath Beetle.


I love my Ghost Mantis. But my darn kid called me and asked me to take my ghostie to market Friday. She thinks she is going to sell my Ghostie. Nope, do not think so... I remember you have the lovely Bug displays



nikkisessence said:


> So glad to hear about your daughter's business! Hope you are well.


Thankyou


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## samirish (Jul 4, 2016)

Sounds fascinating but Im confused. Can you post pictures of these and what do people do with these? At first I thought you were talking about painted rocks but now it seems like your referring to the actual bugs.  If thats the case, what do the customers do with these? If they release them, dont they just run off then? And if they are being sold as pets...what do the customers house them in at home? 
Anyhow, I wish your daughter the best. Lord knows dental work is sooo expensive.  It sounds like she may have found her niche!


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## cmzaha (Jul 4, 2016)

samirish said:


> Sounds fascinating but Im confused. Can you post pictures of these and what do people do with these? At first I thought you were talking about painted rocks but now it seems like your referring to the actual bugs.  If thats the case, what do the customers do with these? If they release them, dont they just run off then? And if they are being sold as pets...what do the customers house them in at home?
> Anyhow, I wish your daughter the best. Lord knows dental work is sooo expensive.  It sounds like she may have found her niche!


As for the butterflies she sells the caterpillars and food housed in a container the caterpillars can cocoon in. After the butterfly emerges most people let them go or they can purchase soft sided cages the butterflies can live in. Drawback is the cages are quite expensive to house butterflies. Most let them go since they are butterflies indigenous to our area. 

The Praying Mantis are very pesky to keep since they need individual housing since they are cannibalistic. The exotic mantis we sell go in spice containers ones we sell are in large revamped spice containers made to house them. They are considered exotics because they are not indigenous to our area so have to be sold as pets. I will post a picture after while of my Budwing in her terrarium. It amazes how attached you can get to a bug.







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My tank with my Budwing Mantis. Mantis is on the green arch near the bottom





Our molting tank


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## DeeAnna (Jul 8, 2016)

Thought of you, Carolyn, when my DH sent me a link to this article: http://www.vox.com/2016/7/6/12098122/california-pipevine-swallowtail-butterfly-population The article is about a San Francisco guy who is raising a rare California butterfly. If nothing else, just check out the photos of this gorgeous insect.


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## cmzaha (Jul 8, 2016)

DeeAnna said:


> Thought of you, Carolyn, when my DH sent me a link to this article: http://www.vox.com/2016/7/6/12098122/california-pipevine-swallowtail-butterfly-population The article is about a San Francisco guy who is raising a rare California butterfly. If nothing else, just check out the photos of this gorgeous insect.


Thankyou DeeAnna. Those are a gorgeous swallowtail. I sent the article to my daughter. He started out like Autumn (granddaughter) raising Painted Ladies.

At the moment Autumn is sidetracked with trying to mate a Budwing couple and not get her boy eaten!! She told me she is going to try today to mate them but I bet she chickens out!


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## jules92207 (Jul 8, 2016)

DeeAnna said:


> Thought of you, Carolyn, when my DH sent me a link to this article: http://www.vox.com/2016/7/6/12098122/california-pipevine-swallowtail-butterfly-population The article is about a San Francisco guy who is raising a rare California butterfly. If nothing else, just check out the photos of this gorgeous insect.



Omg... Those are amazing. ❤

The black and yellow swallowtail he is holding is my favorite butterfly.


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## KristaY (Jul 8, 2016)

Oh my gosh, DeeAnna. Those butterflies are gorgeous! I grew up in So Cal and was used to seeing lots of butterflies as a kid. We even had a classroom project where we raised them from egg to adult. I'm not fortunate enough to see as many now I'm in AZ but had an unexpected surprise a few weeks ago. We were golfing up in the mountains and a beautiful butterfly kept landing near us on a particular green. It was neon yellow, black and various shades of blue. My first thought (as always) was "I'd love to make soap with those colors"! Nature always gives me the best inspiration when it comes to color. 

Carolyn, good luck to Autumn and her bug mating project. Hopefully he survives the ordeal!


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