What do caterpillars eat and drink?

You may want to take caterpillars home for a number of reasons: to protect the from birds, mice, bad weather, excess heat or to protect your garden from them. It’s ok because caterpillars don’t need much space, a net cage or a tube are fine. Just make sure the container is well ventilated and provides a spot for your caterpillars to cling to when its time to pupate.

After reading this website for a while, you probably know what caterpillars eat - the answer is host plants - leaves, stems, grass, flower petals or even bark.However, caterpillars sold for butterfly growing kits are frequently shipped with sugar as primary food supply, and the little critters feel fine with this food (but we don’t recommend this!)

Every caterpillar feeds on specific host plants so it is highly recommended to find out as much as possible about its host plant before you bring you little pet home. If you find a caterpillar on a leave or a plant that was substantially eaten search for other similar plants. If you are planning to cut them an refresh your caterpillar’s food supplies every few hours rather then planting in the pot, don’t cut all of the supplies. You caterpillar will need much food for at least 2 weeks (this is average time caterpillars feed before they pupate). Remember that caterpillars need plenty of food because eating is all they do at this stage of their life. So make sure they have plenty of fresh hots plants. Or better, not just cut host plants but put the in a pot. That will keep them fresh until your caterpillars eat them down.

As to drinking, like all living creatures of earth, caterpillars drink water. However, they don’t need a pool or a water dish. They get water supplies from the plants they feed on.

Don’t let your caterpillars feed on dried or even faded leaves - that may kill them because they get water from plants they eat. Always remove dying plants from the tank!

What Do Caterpillars Eat and Drink?If you want to keep the container outside, put is put of direct sunlight. In a limited space , you caterpillars may be unable to hide from the sun under or crawl to the shade when it’s too hot. Excess heat may kill them.

Also, make sure your caterpillars have access to water. In the nature, they drink rainwater they find in the leaves or grass . Don’t put a dish of water in the tube or net cage where your keep your caterpillars to prevent your caterpillars from drowning - they don’t need it. Just slightly moisture some leaves. It is preferable to use rainwater rather than tap or bottled.