Monarch Ranch Butterfly Conservatory, LLC

06/23/2026

🦋🌿 THE FLUTTER FESTIVAL IS GETTING BIGGER! 🌿🦋

September 19 at Monarch Ranch Butterfly Conservatory is shaping up to be our most exciting Flutter Festival yet! Flutter Festival 2026
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1988856499328?aff=oddtdtcreator

We've been adding incredible vendors, delicious food, talented artists, wildlife organizations, and magical experiences for the entire family!

✨ Meet Princess Mariposa- Monarch Ranch's very own princess!
🎨 Magical butterfly face painting from Princess Mariposa- Wonderful Wishes Entertainment
🧁 Gourmet treats and desserts from Rise and Shine Bakery LLC
🫖 Beautiful garden picnic area
🍓 Homemade preserves and canned goods from Nonnie's Best
🎨 Nature-inspired artwork, paintings, and jewelry from The Art of Mz Mandy Pants
🌭 Authentic Korean Corn Dogs from Seol Ah's Korean Corn Dogs
🦋 Conservation education with the South Carolina Wildlife Federation

More vendors are being added regularly!

Imagine spending the day ALL ABOUT butterflies, blooms, nature-inspired artists, delicious treats, conservation groups, family activities, and one of South Carolina's most unique gardens!

🚗 BEST VALUE:
Purchase a vehicle parking pass and everyone in your vehicle is covered PLUS you'll receive early access to vendors and gardens before general admission begins!
Get your pass HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1988856499328?aff=oddtdtcreator

Or purchase garden admission at just $5 per person.

Vendor applications are still open!! www.monarchranchsc.com/flutterfestival

If you create, inspire, educate, or offer something unique, we'd love to hear from you!

🦋 Flutter Festival
📅 September 19
📍 Monarch Ranch Butterfly Conservatory

Who are you bringing with you?

06/23/2026

Provide Nest Sites

It is important to support all pollinator life stages, including eggs and larvae! For bees, leave patches of bare ground and brush piles, have plants and shrubs with hollow or pithy stems, or install nesting blocks. For butterflies and moths, plant their caterpillar host plants.

Artist-Maya Hutagalung .art and Madison
Sankovitz .

Xercies society protect the pollinators pledge is up on their website click the link below to learn more about what you can do to steward pollinators!

The Xerces Society

https://xerces.org/bring-back-the-pollinators/provide-nest-sites

06/23/2026

Happy pollinator week! Tuesday’s focus is butterflies and moths!

Here in SC we have 165 species of butterflies
We have 4 migratory species
Monarchs
Cloudless sulphors
Firey skippers
Gulf fritillaries

We have 494 moth species in SC some of our cool species include
Abotts sphinx moth
Tersa sphinx moth
Laurel sphinx moth
Luna moth
Imperial moth
Lo moth
Tiger moths
Giant Leopard moth

What can you do to bolster habitats for butterflies and moths?

Reduce mowing zones making areas for wild and natural plants to thrive this provides nesting, food, and protection from the seasons.

Reducing chemicals but ultimately hauling the use of chemicals altogether no herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, insecticides, none of that.

Leaving areas of debris like leafs and sticks can provide the host nutrients for many moth caterpillar species.

Planting native plants that you can find naturally in our SC ecosystem. Many of our plant species can be host to hundreds (black cherries) sometimes thousands of species (live oaks).

Understanding the harm of invasive species can also help to restore our native species.

What are some plants that you could add to your gardens that would greatly enhance these species.

Service berries 100+ species
Black cherries 200+ species
White oak 800+ species
Live oak 1000+ species
American wisteria 17 species
Coral honey suckle 4 species
Spice bush 12 species
Salix spp. willows 400 insects
Native asters 112 species
Golden rods over 100 species

These are just a few plants that can make a huge impact in your gardens. Now let’s look at what those caterpillars support as far as ecosystem. Many of you love the colorful song birds and can name many. But did you know that these species require thousands of caterpillars during nesting seasons let’s take a look at some of these common species that require lots of caterpillars.

Chickadee-6,000-9,000 caterpillars for their young that’s like 350-570 caterpillars per day!
Cardinals -6000-9000 caterpillars

Some other fun facts about moths and butterflies is the differences in metamorphosis butterflies make chrysalis and moths make cocoons! One comes out in the day light with a few exceptions between species and the other comes out a night. Moths peak in the middle of summer June-July while butterflies peak at the end of summer beginning of fall usually August-September.

Moths and butterflies are probably the most common and known pollinator species with thousands of species world wide. In American we have 750 butterflies and over 12,000 moths.

Plant for pollinators save the pollinators !

06/23/2026

06/23/2026

🌸 FOR A FEW SHORT WEEKS EACH YEAR... 🌸

Monarch Ranch transforms into something truly magical.

The gardens are in SUPERBLOOM with vibrant blooming flowers!

The flowers are taller, fuller, and more vibrant than they will be again for another year.

So I've decided to open just FOUR Wildflower Portrait Experiences for July!!

These special summer sessions are designed to be shorter, relaxed portrait experiences perfect for families, children, maternity, couples, and anyone who has dreamed of being photographed surrounded by blooms.

✨ Only 4 appointments available
✨ July 2026 only

Reserve this week and receive TWO complimentary digital portraits.

When the flowers fade, this opportunity is gone until next season!

Message or call us to claim your appointment before they're filled.

🌿 Katey Reid Photography
📍 Monarch Ranch Butterfly Conservatory

803-758-3277 | www.monarchranchsc.com | www.kateyreid.com

06/22/2026

Grow Pollinator-Friendly Flowers

Flowers provide the nectar and pollen resources that pollinators feed on. Growing the right flowers, shrubs, and trees with overlapping bloom times will support pollinators from spring through fall.

Artist-Maya Hutagalung .art and Madison
Sankovitz .

The Xerces Society

https://xerces.org/bring-back-the-pollinators

06/22/2026

The sweetest adventure is a path of yellow flowers 🥰🐞🌼

06/22/2026

Flowers are blooming in the butterfly garden and portraits are taking place NOW through July!

These blooms wont last forever- and we're offering limited time portrait experiences with these gorgeous yellow flowers!

Message us, call 803-758-3277, or visit www.monarchranchsc.com/photography to inquire!

06/22/2026

Mosquitos are more beneficial for native ecosystems than honey bees.

06/22/2026

Most people are surprised to learn that many mosquitoes are pollinators. Only females of some species take blood meals, and even they spend much of their time feeding on flower nectar. Males feed exclusively on nectar and are active pollinators.

Some of the better pollinating mosquito groups in North America include:

1. Elephant Mosquitoes (Toxorhynchites spp.)Toxorhynchites
-Adults feed entirely on nectar.
-Never bite humans or animals.
-Often visit flowers regularly.
-Larvae are actually predators that eat other mosquito larvae.
-Considered among the most beneficial mosquitoes.

2. Gallinippers (Psorophora spp.)Psorophora
-Large-bodied mosquitoes capable of carrying substantial pollen loads.
-Visit a variety of flowering plants.
-Females can bite, but both sexes use nectar.

3. Woodland Mosquitoes (Aedes spp.)Aedes
-Frequently visit spring wildflowers.
-Important nectar feeders in forest ecosystems.
-Can contribute to pollination of understory plants.

4. Winter Mosquitoes (Culiseta spp.) Culiseta
-Often active in cooler seasons.
-Regular flower visitors when nectar is available.
-May help pollinate early-blooming native plants.

Fascinating Example

One of the most famous mosquito pollination relationships involves the rare orchid Platanthera obtusata in northern ecosystems. Research found mosquitoes were among its primary pollinators, sometimes outperforming bees for that species.

Are Mosquitoes More Important Than Honey Bees?
In some native ecosystems, yes. Mosquitoes:

-Pollinate many small native flowers.
-Serve as food for dragonflies, birds, bats, fish, and spiders.
-Move energy from aquatic habitats to terrestrial habitats.

However, they generally carry less pollen per visit and are less efficient pollinators than many native bees, butterflies, moths, and flies.

For South Carolina, if you’re managing habitat, the most beneficial mosquitoes are likely the native nectar-feeding species associated with forest edges, wetlands, and wildflower meadows. The standout species would be the elephant mosquito, since it pollinates flowers and helps reduce populations of pest mosquitoes.