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Butterfly
Weddings
A subsidiary section of South
African Butterfly Breeding Association
A section 21 Company. Registration
No 2005/035553/08. P.O. Box 599,
Ramsgate, 4285.
Tel: (039) 314 9307 Fax: (086) 742 7951 Cell: 074 4225 587
Websites: (1)
www.sabutterflies.co.za (2)
www.sabba.co.za
Frequently
asked Questions
What are the best weather conditions for a release?
Butterflies can be released in most weather
conditions providing that they are released outdoors. If indoors, there
should be provision made for them to escape to the outside. They also need
to be released at least one hour before sunset, so they have sufficient
time to find shelter for the night.
Are
butterfly releases seasonal?
Yes, depending on the climate in your area.
The temperature needs to be at least warm for a successful release. The
best releases always take place in areas that are suitable for the species
released. Butterflies are available throughout the year and are bred from
locality type species.
Are
these releases safe for the environment?
Yes. Providing that the butterflies are
released in suitable environments in which they are able to find shelter
as well as host plants to help propagate existing butterfly colonies.
Is
this harmful to the butterflies?
Not at all. Butterflies are packaged
carefully and securely to ensure their safe arrival. When receiving your
butterflies, you also receive a specific set of instructions in caring for
their needs before they are released.
How
many butterflies should I order?
This greatly depends on the size of your
event or the amount of guests that will be watching/participating. For an
event consisting of 50 people, we recommend at least 1 per person. For
larger groups it is standard to order 100 butterflies for 100 or more
guests. Some people have ordered as many as 500 butterflies for
attendances of congregations of up to 1500 followers, but most people
order more or less depending on their preferences.
How
soon should I place my order?
We ask that you give us at least 12 weeks
notice to guarantee the availability of your order. We do understand that
orders will occasionally come up at the last minute, or without a 12 weeks
notice required, so we do make every effort to be able to fulfill these
orders, depending on availability. We ask that you contact us before
placing these orders to ensure availability.
How
are the butterflies packaged? Are they harmed during shipment?
The butterflies are packaged carefully and
securely, to ensure safe delivery and to prevent any harm coming to them.
They are placed in individual envelopes, and packaged in an insulated box
to keep them cool. As long as they are kept cool they will remain in a
dormant stage, preventing any damage to come to them. It is essential that
they stay cool while packaged. Instructions are provided for your
convenience. Special indigenous hand crafted release boxes are also
available at your request for the releasing of butterflies. Once the
release is complete, the bride and groom have a beautiful treasure chest
for treasured gifts, as a remembrance of this special occasion.
How
are butterflies shipped?
We always ship butterfly orders via
Overnight Priority flights to ensure safe arrival to you. This cuts down
the traveling time for the butterflies considerably to just a few hours or
less. Minimizing the time frame in which butterflies are kept in a dormant
state. You will receive the butterflies at the cargo section of your local
airport in good order.
How
do I care for my butterflies until the release?
You will receive your butterflies 1-2 days
before your scheduled release. They will be packaged in individual
envelopes inside an insulated box to ensure safe arrival. As soon as you
receive your butterflies, place them in a cool and dark place. This will
ensure that they will remain calm and dormant preventing their wings from
becoming damaged. Remove them from the cool area 1-2 hours prior to the
release so they can warm up. If you are having a mass release you can
remove them from their individual envelopes at this time and put them in
the release box. The transfer from the envelopes to the release box must
be done carefully and quickly. Butterflies can feign death and then
suddenly recover and take off. Be careful.
TIP: If you would like
your butterflies to linger for a longer amount of time after releasing
them, let them warm up for a shorter amount of time, approximately 30-45
minutes. After the release it will take a few minutes for their wings to
warm up completely, so they will often fly onto the nearest surface, which
could be your hand, shoulder or bouquet! This is always an exciting event!
What
type of butterfly release do I want?
The two most common types of butterfly
releases are mass and individual releases. They are both very exciting
ways to enjoy these beautiful butterflies, and can also be combined for a
taste of both. Neither method is charged extra.
Mass release
One exciting option for a butterfly release
is a mass release. Simply release a large amount of butterflies at the
same time from a box or basket. Your butterflies will arrive packaged
individually for their safety during transportation, and can be
transferred to the release box prior to the release. The amount of
butterflies you will need depends on the amount of guests at the event
and/or your personal preference.
Individual
release
Another option for your release is an
individual release. This is a great way to involve the guests at your
event, by giving each person one butterfly to release. At the time of the
release, each guest at your event will be given in a customized,
individual packet which will easily open to release a live butterfly!
When you receive
your butterflies, they will already be packaged in their individual
envelopes to be used for the release. Prior to the release, they can
simply be handed out to the guests.
Unsure about butterfly releases?
Position Papers by the International
Butterfly Breeders Association and South African Butterfly Breeding
Association, independently compiled and presented by: Melanie J. McCarthy,
(The Monarchy Butterfly Farm) and E. Whiteley, (Butterfly Sanctuary SA).
Recent
controversy – brought about by media reports and the statements of some
butterfly enthusiasts – has resulted in questions about butterfly releases
and whether they are harmful to the environment or to the wild butterfly
population. Here are some of those questions and our answers to those
questions follows:
Do hand reared butterflies carry
diseases that can pose a serious threat to wild butterfly populations?
There is no
basis in fact to support the statement that butterfly releases are harmful
to the wild butterfly population. As in all types of agriculture, disease
prevention in butterfly and moth farming is key to the quality product and
vital to a successful operation. Butterfly farmers do not release or use
for breeding any livestock that indicates the presence of disease. For
example, in the case of the Monarch butterfly, all responsible Monarch
breeders test for the presence of O. elektroscirrha protozoa, the disease
of most concern to the North American Butterfly Association. Commercial
breeders who do not maintain pathogen-free breeding conditions are out of
business in a season or less. Furthermore, predators, parasites and
pathogens have far more impact on wild butterfly populations where less
than 2% of all eggs are able to mature into adult butterflies. The same
applies to South African butterfly species.
In a recent
Associated Press article (written by Mike Branom dated 10/11/’99) Don
Lewis, Professor of Entomology at Iowa State University is quoted as
follows: “It has been a good year (1999) for butterflies in general and
we’re looking forward to a prolonged fall so we can enjoy the show.” Mr
Branom reports, also, that eyewitness accounts corroborate this with
reports of unusually high numbers of butterflies in September 1999. This
is evidence of a healthy wild butterfly population, even after years of
captive-bred butterfly releases. All butterfly populations, however, are
cyclical and are affected by many factors including unseasonable and
destructive weather conditions. E. Whiteley, also the author of 14 butterfly
books states " Areas that have had butterflies released, through weddings
has increased butterfly populations....... we are receiving many reports
from individuals taking a keen interest in butterfly conservation as well as
helping in the study of populations nearing extinction. Releasing butterflies
enhances their survival rate in areas being devastated by development and
ignorance of the butterflies plight....."
Do
the butterflies die during shipping?
It is rare that butterflies die during
shipping/transportation and breeders do everything they can to prevent
that from happening. The shipping policy of the IBBA and SABBA alike,
was developed to protect the butterfly from expiring en route to its
destination. The policy states that livestock will be packaged for
shipping/transportation in containers that provide protection from
temperature extremes, drop shock and compression injury. Professional,
established butterfly breeders would not be able to stay in business for
as long as they have if butterflies died during shipping/transportation.
Will
there be an undesirable mixing of genes between captive bred and wild
populations of butterflies?
Scientists have no evidence that gene pools
are adversely affected by releasing farm-reared butterflies into the wild.
What
is behind the criticism of butterfly releases?
Many serious hobbyists have taken a
respected hobby of nature and turned it into a commercial business. We are
one of the only industries that actually raises livestock for the sole
purpose of letting it go free. Many of the controversial statements are
centered around words such as “might” or “could”. There are strong
emotions regarding the controversy and it might be that some people, in
principle, simply do not like to see butterflies ‘commercialized’. However
it must be noted, that the release of butterflies is beneficial for the
environment and existing butterfly colonies. There are very few experts
that can breed butterflies and this is even more difficult to do so
commercially. Those that can are the 'experts'.
Are
there benefits to rearing and releasing butterflies?
“The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the
Butterfly World” by Paul Smart in its introduction, states: “Sadly,
butterflies are threatened by habitat destruction almost everywhere… In
some countries people have begun to conserve desirable wildlife, but even
here many important food plants are regarded as ‘weeds’ and removed –
patches of rough, wild vegetation are anathema to town planners and
highway authorities…. A positive contribution may be made by aiding
conservation projects and by helping to breed and release healthy
butterflies in suitable habitats, though this should always be done as
part of a documented and properly organized project.”
The IBBA
and SABBA believe, that by releasing butterflies on special
occasions, individuals will associate the magnificence of butterflies with
a very significant event in their lives. The love and appreciation for
butterflies will initiate interest in butterfly gardening, encourage the
decreased use of insecticides by property owners and help in efforts to
preserve butterfly habitats. Butterfly releases also have the potential to
spark a new interest in and appreciation of entomology in both young and
old. In addition breeders often provide considerable time and resources to
schools and other organizations in their communities such as senior
citizen centers, nursing homes, children’s hospitals, prison programs and
more. You will also find them actively supporting organizations which
promote conservation of our wildlife and other natural resources.
What
is the IBBA and SABBA?
The International Butterfly Breeders
Association and South African Butterfly Breeding Association is an
international/national non-profit\membership-based trade association
promoting high standards of ethics, competence and professionalism in the
breeding of quality lepidoptera for a variety of purposes. We accomplish
this through research, grower education, market development, and habitat
conservation and restoration. Our membership base includes entomologists,
lepidopterists, biologists, educators, business people, hobbyists and
students.
Why does SABBA not allow wedding coordinators to order
your butterflies?
Through our experience we have found this to be a bad idea. Some have
misrepresented SABBA and have blamed the client for not paying in time for
their butterfly breeding processes to begin. This leaves the couple
unhappy and they do not get the opportunity of having butterflies at their
wedding. Dealing directly with SABBA avoids many disappointments and makes
for excellent service from SABBA to the client. |
