Hibernating Butterflies?

[Neils]

I have a number of what I think are tortoiseshell butterflies distributed around the house which I think are hibernating. They're generally lurking on wood beams that they blend quite happily against. I do have some photos which I'll upload when I've got the relevant access most have been in situ for a couple of weeks now.

Where they are lurking at the moment is going to be pretty warm over the winter and I'm wondering if they should be somewhere cooler and if I should attempt to move them somewhere more suitable or just leave them to it.

countryside living, who'd have thought it could be so exciting? Except the bloody spiders; millions of the buggers.

[gavin]

Except the bloody spiders; millions of the buggers.

Treasure them. Otherwise you'd have more than the trillions of flies.

One cheap solution to your tortoiseshell issue is simply not to heat the house this winter.

[Neils]

We've got the flies as well, I could tolerate the spiders if they actually ate the flies :)

Why didn't I think of that? :D

[gavin]

I wonder if tortoiseshells suss out possible sites before properly settling down for the winter. At work one evening a month or so ago one flew in the window and proceeded to explore the office. It settled down in my room-mate's bookshelf somewhere in the vicinity of one of the multi-author potato books and the conference proceedings. When I was done I decided just to leave the window ajar and never saw it again. Far too early for hibernating.

Lots of vanessids this year. Red admirals, peacocks, tortoiseshells, commas, even some painted ladies. Now that the fruit is falling in the orchard there are always some around.

[GRIZZLY]

I had over 50 small tortoiseshells hibernating in my workshop last year. I spent lots of time in the spring catching them from the windows and releasing them outside. Already having a steady stream of them looking for likely spots.