Beginners Seminar – So You Want to be a Butterfly Farmer!
So You Want to Be a Butterfly Farmer
8:00-8:30 Registration
8:30-8:45 Intro:
- What is a butterfly farmer
- Earning potential
- Ways to sell butterflies: wholesale/retail/other venues
8:45-9:15 How to get started:
- What are your goals?
- Which species will you begin with? (AFB’s Online Courses: Discount w/Pro Membership to AFB)
- Where/how to set up your rearing area: Temperature and humidity; lighting; ease of cleaning and disinfecting the area; separate areas for different stages; household pets and flea/tick meds.
- Overview: Method for rearing
- Association for Butterflies’ online courses
- Association for Butterflies Student Mentoring Program
9:15-9:30 Standard Operating Procedures
- Feeding at the same time everyday
- Consistent temp/humidity
- Cleaning cages
- Journaling
9:30-10:00 Procuring breeding stock and host plants or artificial diet.
- Selecting breeding stock
- Growing your own plant material / Food quality
- Having enough plant material / Planning ahead and substitutions
- Overview of plant pests and problems (more on Friday)
10:00-11:30 Getting Started With Rearing Part I
- Mating / Hand pairing
- Getting butterflies to lay eggs
- *Hands on gathering eggs
- *Hands on washing eggs/egg care
- *Hatching caterpillars and hands on transferring caterpillars
- *Hands on making diet/demo
- Feeding cats: plants vs. cuttings
11:30-12:00 Lunch by Best Boxed Lunches
12:00-3:15 Getting Started With Rearing Part II
- Rearing Techniques
- *Collecting pupae and how/where to emerge them
- How to keep emerged butterflies until shipping
- How to extend life cycle using coolers
- Overview of Disease (Advanced Disease Course: Free w/Pro Membership to AFB)
- Overview of Parasitoids (Beneficials Course: Free w/Pro Membership to AFB)
- *Hands on for OE screening – (Overview: OE Clean Screen Program)
- *Hands on packing eggs/caterpillars/pupae/butterflies
- *Packing & Shipping: AFB’s Online Course, FREE coupon code for those who attend this seminar
3:15-3:30 Break
3:30-3:45 Permits and filling them out:
- USDA approved
- Educational permits
3:45-4:30 Selling butterflies
- Join AFB
- Website: do you need one? Suggestions for platforms/hosting sites
- Marketing your business
- Building your business: schools, libraries, garden clubs (additional info Friday)