My 8 yr old son has been raising Monarchs. Today one hatched and his wing was bent. He could not fly, but tried. The more he tried the worse the bend got. After finding this video, within an hour we fixed him up. He flew away, like he was never injured. Happy boy/happy butterfly!
lyndseyhobbs I didn't replace it. I placed a piece of tape over the bend & it was strong enough to correct it. I was thinking of using a label (sticky yet thick). I also used "a drop" of super glue, where the wing had ripped a little from the butterfly trying to fly. I made sure glue was dry before releasing. Thanks to this site for your help! I posted a pic. I hope the link works. www.dropbox.com/s/y949lm95h9kpr3r/2014-10-04%2017.31.06.jpg?dl=0 Also, from now on, I will keep my eye out for dead butterflies to use as repairs (unfortunate, but useful for sure).
Hi! You said you used super glue? And what else did you use? I tried doing this once and the broken wing that I tried to fix became too heavy and the butterfly could not balance and kept falling to the side 😥 I tried everything I could to remedy it but the butterfly was just not doing well. I kept her on my porch overnight with some sugar water and watched her but she was hardly moving...I ended up balling my eyes out and putting her out of her misery and hating myself for days thinking that I tortured her! I was afraid maybe the glue was too toxic and may have gotten into her veins and poisoned her...I'm amazed that you and your son were successful at this, if you have any tips please let me know thank you very much!
Humans were put on this planet as guardians, what you're doing here is what is natural to us and what we're supposed to do. Unfortunately many of us have lost our way and are doing the opposite, but the love is spreading wider and wider thanks to people like you. Peace man :-)
im here looking for videos on hoe to help a wet butterfly because me and my brother found one while walking the dogs after we just had a really bad storm
Wow...its 2023 and I am watching this 15 year old video. Wish I would of had a wing to help my Monarch I raised that fell and broke his wing when he enclosed. I am now caring for him in an enclosure. Best life I can give him.
I love the world in this case, and I love how most of us humans don't go "Oh look, there's a butterfly with a broken wing on the ground, I'm gonna step on it!" but instead, they actually spend time and effort on some of the things that they would say "doesn't matter". but just like us, butterflies are living creations. We need to spread the word!
oh my gosh, there are people who actually step on inujred insects? I always pick them up and try to help/feed them. OMG a butterfly is such a gentle, beautiful creature......WHY WOULD ANYBODY WANT TO STEP ON IT, EVEN IF IT IS ALREADY ON THE GROUND???? for goodness sake... leave it be or take it home and try to help.... I found a butterfly already dead (landed on a patch of slug slime and got stuck...poor little guy T__T) but with its wings still intact, so I took it home and tried to preserve it. I still feel bad about him though, he's really pretty and I couldn't just leave him there. I intended to use his wings for repair if I come across an injured butterfly, but the wings were so dry and fragile...I don't know how long he lay there in the sun, baking to death, stuck in a pool of slime... poor guy :( But I will definitely be on the look-out for dead butterflies or ones in need. And to people who catch butterflies and kill them to put them in a glass display box: !$#&%/*+/$/!!!"§??&## (you don't wanna hear how I am cursing at you right now....!! If you're gonna preserve insects, at least preserve already dead ones! How would you feel if you had somebody push a sword through your gut and hang you on the wall??)
Excellent words there. I like to emphasize that most of us humans are good, and while no person is flawless, the majority of us would never deliberately harm a butterfly or any other insect, and instead show concern for it. Humans have a natural sense of morality, and while animals may not share the same level of sentience like us, they also have value and deserve a second chance at life when they are injured.
Before watching this video, I had absolutely no clue that you can repair wings. I stepped on a beautiful butterfly once because it only had half a wing, flopping around on the ground. I truly thought I was doing him a favor by saving him from a slow death 😢
I actually have a monarch butterfly right now in a cardboard box that cannot fly cuz his right wing is bent and crumpled up. So I want to keep him and take care of him so I am feeding him nectar and I get him flowers maybe if I try to line his wings up and cut them evenly he might be able to fly.
I read the title and it sounded like pure poetry. I had no idea this was possible. You are the mender of broken wings...there is something so stunningly beautiful about what you do, Thank you for the upload. I'm all teary eyed over here.
Just a word of thanks to the Monarch Foundation for taking the time to provide this instructional video. We planted a butterfly garden a few years ago for my children. Last year was awful due to drought but this year we've had plenty of caterpillars, chrysalis and baby milkweed plants to share with curious friends and the local schools. Today we made our first repair to a Monarch wing using the info in this video. My 5 and 6 yr old girls were thrilled to see our guy take flight after the fix.
A helpful tip to ease the glued wings from sticking to the towel etc. It to put wax paper (found next to aluminum foil on store shelves) underneath the wing during the repair. I have raised monarchs for decades and this works good. 🦋
This video helped me save a female monarch who fell before her wings were dried. She took her very first flight this evening, and now she gets to be a butterfly. Thank you for your excellent instructions!
Stop asking where he gets the wings from.. why would he rip them off a butterfly that is alive if he obviously cares about their well-being, they would have been taken from already deceased ones because they don't decompose.
Thanks to you I was able to save a butterfly today. He had a broken wing, and couldn't fly, I heard you say to clip the wings evenly if the injured part wasn't too big. I was so scared, but I did it with some help from my boyfriend, and low and behold he flew away as great as ever, up into a tree top. We were astonished to say the least, and so happy to help a sweet and beautiful Monarch butterfly. THANKYOU
Great video! This method works with Dragonflies too. Well, just for patching up small holes in the wings. I found a dragonfly yesterday with a bent wing. He eventually tore it off while trying to fly. I used a butterfly wing pieces to patch up a hole he had in his wing and to straighten out his wing. This morning i took him outside and he flew off into the trees.
Thank you so much for this video! Yesterday one of our butterflies broke her wing just before we released her. It was a simple break and using your video I was able to do a repair and send her on her way. I just posted her release video, she flew beautifully with the repair! Thank you thank you! I would have had 3 very sad kids if I hadn't been able to save her!
I stumbled on this video because I am currently hopsice-ing an injured bumblebee and was like, hmmm what if it was a butterfly? This is amazing. thank you!
I found a link to this when looking for tips on repairing torn wings and it jumped me in half-way. So I'm watching him glue a wing and suddenly see the butterfly move. I genuinely yelped out loud, saying "Is that thing ALIVE?" Just wow.
I just have to say, what an incredible thing you're doing! Not only helping these butterflies but educating others who care enough how to do the same. I will definitely be saving this video for the future because I am an avid animal lover, I even save bees out of of my pool from drowning. Thanks so much for posting this, now I don't have to feel so helpless next time I come across a butterfly or moth with a wing injury.
Thank you so much for posting this video and empowering people to help the monarchs! I felt so helpless when I found an injured monarch in my backyard (Austin, TX), the poor guy couldn't get more than 4 feet in the air before dropping to the ground. After I got him patched up he flew off like it was nothing. I think he left my little makeshift butterfly hospital a very happy butterfly indeed. And I was happy too. He's back on his way, may even be in Mexico by now! I laugh to think of a scientist down there finding him :)
This is brilliant and I’m really glad you thought of a way to help these creatures when they’re injured. I always hate seeing injured butterflies and it breaks my heart when they can’t fly like they were born to.
This is amazing- I actually tried it on a monarch I found with a broken wing. It seems to have worked. I am not sure if it will stick because I had to use super glue because I did not have any contact glue and I have no time to go 20 miles to get some. I also used very thin plastic from the super glue package because of a comment I read about the cardboard getting wet in the rain. I put him in the fridge for 10 min and he just laid down. the coated hanger and towel worked great. I was very nervous. He is now sitting on a coneflower resting and gently moving his wings. I'll know him by the white splint on his wing! I hope it lasts. I'll get some contact cement next time I am near a store. Thanks for the video - I can't believe I did this.
You are correct most butterfly wings are covered with colored scales...but their removal does very little to harm their flight. Thats how moms keeps kids from hurting Nature. We have fixed many wings and these lucky butterflies are able to fly perfectly.
Will attempt this tomorrow on my pet monarch so he can b free! Could not have raised the over 200 I have set free without the kind people making video’s. Thanks,Wish me luck!
Thanks for inspiring me. After viewing, I called my city and have organized an event April 25 for Earth Day, where children will be invited to come to the park and plant milkweed seeds.....later when it's safe to plant...we'll have another even to plant. It is next to the playground and will be open so the children can tend the garden and watch for caterpillars and butterflies. I'll be ordering seeds and plants and partnering to help fund the project.
This is so amazing. It gave me a little more faith in the human race and a little more hope for the future! I once worked a week to make a cast to fix a snail I had accidentally crushed (he recovered in a month or so) so it's really nice to see other people helping helpless creatures.
We have about 3 seconds of them flying...after that they are usually off to Nature. We did have one return for new wings 3 times. They are far smarter than you may know. LMF Staff
As a matter of FACT every butterfly we restore flight to makes it very clear they are very happy. Some circle us and follow us around for hours. They know you did them a big favor and make sure you know they appreciate it.
austenwack Play semantics all you like. It doesn't change the fact that butterflies have no emotions, no conscious decision making capabilities, and no understanding of anything besides consuming nutrients, migrating, and mating. All of this is scientific fact based on the neural structure of the butterfly.
CORRECTS YOU I'm not denying that one bit. I actually really agree with what you had to say and the amount of times I've been stung by a wasp AFTER saving it from a pool reinforces that I don't think they have the capabilities to be aware of "what is" and "what isn't" in even remotely similar ways to humans or even some mammals. I'm just saying, as you so aptly pointed out, it's impossible to have definitive answers for things like this depending on the observer's perspective. I just think it's dangerous to potentially limit your own or other peoples perspective by dismissing something which has never been fully researched/explored. We don't know it all, we never will, there's a lot more going on than humans can even fathom and if some consciousness greater than our own exists, who's to say our definition of consciousness or understanding quantifies ourselves as "emotionally complex" or "self aware" to that consciousness? Who's to say we aren't just the butterflies in something else's perception? All good though. Fun stuff to think about and discuss and I appreciate you not being a douchebag about it. :D
I rid my bike and a little lime green butterfly came to me with only 1 wing. no sign of the other and no part of it was on the butterfly. I went to my porch and it followed me there. so cute.
Luckily, I saw his video last summer when one of mine broke a wing.....when that butterfly died after 2 weeks, I saved the wings for this summer when another butterfly needed them....So, the video helped me to know to keep the other ones in case I ever needed to do surgery on a future one ; )
Just wanted to say THANK YOU for this video. I saw it a year ago and saved wings from a deceased monarch of mine in case I needed them to help another...and this summer I had 1 of 40 captive-reared whose chrysalis fell in the 1st hour while drying....it was misshapen....when it hatched, 2 wings were bent and it couldn't fly....it's been alive for 3 days, and i take it out and put it on the preferred flowing plants of monarch in my garden.....it gets so frustrated that it can't fly....it eats heartily, and i also feed it extra sugar water....i took the leap tonight and did a triple wing amputation and surgical reattachment using the other wings I saved from last summer after seeing your video.....low and behold, it can fly 5-10' now, but only downward....it can't take off.....it was so excited to fly that it kept flapping its wings for the hour after the surgery, as if to test them out.....the wings i attached are slightly larger than the previous ones, as the previous butterfly was larger.....not sure if i should try to trim them down...I'm hoping in the morning it will have more strength and the ability to take off.....if not, at least it has experienced some greater mobility now than the past 3 days where it would just fall and crash.....now it can glide.....your video was helpful in showing me how to do it and the tools i needed. Instead of a tooth pick, I used a sewing needle, as it was thinner and could get into smaller space between the existing wing stub and the one I was attaching. Was great to know which glue to buy (found at Lowe's for around $7 for 3 oz.).
Thank you for this. I have a problem with a misaligned wing. The male monarch had a dent in his chrysalis and did not form his left wing properly. It droops down, like a saggy wing. I'm unsure I could fix him in this way, as there was nothing really to repair. I think the best option is to leave him in my garden, fully stocked with a lot of variety of flower food. I wish I had been able to help this one better, but your video has shown me what to do if there is a missing chunk of a wing and I appreciate that knowledge.
I was so stressed watching this, as I have tried several times to fix broken wings and it is immensely stressful to me. Seeing him down like that, is he is any pain or panic? What you did WORKED! I learned some new things!! Super grateful as I get very sad when one if my babies don't make it. Thank you.
I love this! I would never have thought such a thing was even possible. You seem such a sweet and patient person, too, gluing the wings back on butterflies. I think I fell in love, just a little bit.
Great video, never thought you could make a repair to a wing. Now I know what to do if I come across one with a bum wing. I see a new show called "Pimp my Butterfly" in the near future.
BECOME A HERO. Plant Milkweed for the 2014 Monarch Butterfly Migration, numbers are down 97% from their height and their historical migration routes are threatened. Seeds avail at www.livemonarch.org please share the message and your seeds. Thank you Hero !
Erika Housh: Why? Are you a little baby scared of harmless butterflies? Time to overcome that phobia. Unlike, disgusting cockroaches, butterflies, don't transmit diseases. Besides, a butterfly sees you as a freaking horrible giant.
+agenthelios1 I'm not sure if adult moths have mouths... I think the main purpose of their adult stage is to breed and die of starvation so if it's missing some of its wing I'm not sure what you could do other than try and repair it and let it go free :)
Thank you so much for this wonderful video. Helped us to do our little bit to save a beautiful monarch. After two days of immobility He flew away like nothing had happened
The wing he used to repair the second butterfly is it from an artificial butterfly wing or from a real butterfly wing? I want to help repair one that my dog got his mouth on...her wings are a little damaged and can't fly 😞 so I want to help it fly away and live its life
Yes. Often our butterflies that are breeding will use up all their eggs and mating Mojo and die with perfect wings. It seems only just to help others if we can. LMF Staff
Thank you so much for posting this tutorial! We had one Monarch hatch out with a deformed wing. We felt so badly about his inability to fly that we used your instructions and gave him a new wing! He's flying and feeding on Spanish needle right now!
Thank you. This video has made my entire week... I am so, so happy there are decent people left in this world. I honestly cannot thank you enough for caring for these butterflies!
I replaced both broken wings of my butterfly with lightweight razer blades, he's a total badass now and gonna fuck some shit up aka slit some throats :)
This makes my heart so happy I did not know one could do this. We lost one due to him getting caught in the bird netting but saved one today from it. Thank you. I will join your efforts.
A Watson If you have a lot of flowers you will often find butterflies that have died. Sometimes if birds or other animals get them you may find just parts for instance one wing. He's saying if you find them you can keep the wings to do these operations with.
If you raise monarch in captivity every summer, you have wings from those who died in your care...last summer, i kept the wings of one mine that died from a serious wing injury, and i used those wings this summer to help another one born with 2 imperfect wings...Really, only people who raise them in captivity every year would have extra wings to use....it's a great hobby (my 2nd year doing it)...Unfortunately, i just used my last pair of wings so I won't have any for next summer if another monarch needs them....
Anyone know what the seeds that are rolled into dirt and nutrients are called? I beleive they're made so they can be thrown easier and help garantee and increase sprouting rates without needing to bury them. I was thinking of making them and throwing them around when I walk my dog this winter.
I'm actually very glad I now know how to do this. I'm willing to help any little or big creature in need. I'll be prepared for that moment if it happens. It would be an amazing feeling knowing you helped something live on and feel better. :) Especially when it's a creature people tend to ignore and see as inferior and pointless to even help them/save (which is not true! They want to thrive and survive just like us. If we have the opportunity to help them, we should take it!).
wow, a lot of people may think that what you do is stupid, but I find it absolutely amazing. I find the want in me to help all other living things, simply because we share life, and I think it's incredible that you would go to such lengths to help another creature, and if I ever find a damaged butterfly, I will totally use this, thank you (:
WOW! I have never met a butterfly with a damaged wing? Who would have thought it could be repaired??? Obviously someone has. I guess just being so delicate, I truly would have never had the idea enter my mind. Thank you for the education. ❤
Thanks so much for this video. This is my first year nurturing Monarchs. I've learned so much from the video - first, how to handle them. I thought holding them by the wings would damage them. Then the repair job... Fantastic!
THIS IS AMAZING!! The only thing i dont like is that this so called butterfly doctor doesnt actually show us the butterfly flying after he does the repairs. Which makes you wonder right?
To be honest, if I saw a hurt butterfly and I knew I could repair their wing/wings I really wouldn’t care whether they lived for a day or a few months. It feels long to them so might as well anyways. Thanks for this I’m depth tutorial! Now whenever I see a butterfly in need I can save them.
seeing dis video i can make out dat u r a very warm person who is always there to help even tiny insects, u r doing a commendable job otherwise who cares about these tiny insects,,,,,, u r really helping to save a life n god will give u lots of success n happyness in ur life, all these r gods creation n u r a very caring person, m so touched dat i have no words
God ! I never knew I could do that. I have repaired some broken limbs on birds but never thought a butterfly. I usually harvested injured ones for the wings. God Bless you Fella. You are a saint in my eyes. May the Holy Mother's light shine upon you.
The day after Christmas 2020, in Virginia Beach,VA, a monarch butterfly appeared on my patio, almost lifeless. After letting it recover in a warm place and feeding it some honey water, it flew around the kitchen. I noticed that one of its wings was damaged so I ordered some monarch wings on Etsy. After receiving the wings, I was able to do a full wing transplant with the help of this video. 🦋👍
How to fix broken wing of a butterfly? Take one wing out of jar full of wings that you ripped off from various butterflies, and then glue it to that particular butterfly. Why? Cause this one has insurance, that's why.
everyoneSalegend When? I don't see anything like that in your comment. All you say is that the guy ripped off wings from other butterflies. You don't mention that he probably got them from ones that were dead and beyond help. In fact, you specifically make it out to seem that he was sacrificing the lives of some to save others, which doesn't seem to be the case. So I'm just not sure what the point you're trying to make is.
Where did I say the guy ripped off the wings, it is the instruction (in present simple tense) on how to do it. Yeah, maybe that guy did find all those wings from dead butterflies and put it in a jar, but you couldn't be sure that he didn't kill them. Or maybe those are artificial wings.
everyoneSalegend I don't feel like you even addressed my question. SnowClover suggested that the wings were from dead butterflies, and you said "I know, that's what I said" which is factually incorrect. You never said anything of the sort. In fact, it seemed like your comment was sort of asking why he took other butterflies' wings to help this one. So he explained it to you. You should've thanked him rather than saying something incoherent. Anyway, I can't be _certain_ that he doesn't kill butterflies, but given that the entire point of this video and his cause is to _save_ butterflies, that would ruin the entire purpose. So, what you're suggesting really makes no sense.
Wow! I would have never known this could be done, and was unaware that Monarch's fly for so long! You're doing amazing work! My daughter has been caring for one with a torn/severed wing...I'm lacking a few of the supplies needed, but feel inspired that it can be fixed! Thank you!
Great video, but I'd love a version without the loud shrill cheering and theme music. It is not something a child could do, so you don't need sound effects.
Brummer I just released a very happy Swallowtail after doing a repair as described in the video. I would have never guessed it was possible but through the magic of the internet one more butterfly was released into the wild! Fabulous - thank you for the information!!
you really helped i found a injured butterfly in my garden and one of his wings were up and he couldn't use that one and we have now super glued the together lets hope he can fly!!
My 8 yr old son has been raising Monarchs. Today one hatched and his wing was bent. He could not fly, but tried. The more he tried the worse the bend got. After finding this video, within an hour we fixed him up. He flew away, like he was never injured. Happy boy/happy butterfly!
Where did you get butterfly wings to replace the bent one with?
lyndseyhobbs
I didn't replace it. I placed a piece of tape over the bend & it was strong enough to correct it. I was thinking of using a label (sticky yet thick). I also used "a drop" of super glue, where the wing had ripped a little from the butterfly trying to fly. I made sure glue was dry before releasing. Thanks to this site for your help! I posted a pic. I hope the link works. www.dropbox.com/s/y949lm95h9kpr3r/2014-10-04%2017.31.06.jpg?dl=0 Also, from now on, I will keep my eye out for dead butterflies to use as repairs (unfortunate, but useful for sure).
Hillary Marks p
Hi! You said you used super glue? And what else did you use? I tried doing this once and the broken wing that I tried to fix became too heavy and the butterfly could not balance and kept falling to the side 😥 I tried everything I could to remedy it but the butterfly was just not doing well. I kept her on my porch overnight with some sugar water and watched her but she was hardly moving...I ended up balling my eyes out and putting her out of her misery and hating myself for days thinking that I tortured her! I was afraid maybe the glue was too toxic and may have gotten into her veins and poisoned her...I'm amazed that you and your son were successful at this, if you have any tips please let me know thank you very much!
Same to me with a painted lady and he never flew and I couldn't do anything and he never went flying ever in his life.
Humans were put on this planet as guardians, what you're doing here is what is natural to us and what we're supposed to do. Unfortunately many of us have lost our way and are doing the opposite, but the love is spreading wider and wider thanks to people like you. Peace man :-)
yasss
i know at school I pick u hurt bees and put them on plants but everyone thinks I'm weird
im here looking for videos on hoe to help a wet butterfly because me and my brother found one while walking the dogs after we just had a really bad storm
Awakening to oneness
"We're the guardians of the galaxy bitch"
i love how he says "your patients wing" its so touching. butterflies are gorgeous creatures :)
*_100_* likes you're welcome
Sorry if im late
The most beautiful thing in the world that Jehovah created doves and butterflies
Yes❤️🥺🦋
Butterflies are beatiful but im scared of them for some reason i don't know why.
Wow...its 2023 and I am watching this 15 year old video. Wish I would of had a wing to help my Monarch I raised that fell and broke his wing when he enclosed. I am now caring for him in an enclosure. Best life I can give him.
I love the world in this case,
and I love how most of us humans don't go "Oh look, there's a butterfly with a broken wing on the ground, I'm gonna step on it!" but instead, they actually spend time and effort on some of the things that they would say "doesn't matter". but just like us, butterflies are living creations. We need to spread the word!
oh my gosh, there are people who actually step on inujred insects? I always pick them up and try to help/feed them. OMG a butterfly is such a gentle, beautiful creature......WHY WOULD ANYBODY WANT TO STEP ON IT, EVEN IF IT IS ALREADY ON THE GROUND???? for goodness sake... leave it be or take it home and try to help.... I found a butterfly already dead (landed on a patch of slug slime and got stuck...poor little guy T__T) but with its wings still intact, so I took it home and tried to preserve it. I still feel bad about him though, he's really pretty and I couldn't just leave him there. I intended to use his wings for repair if I come across an injured butterfly, but the wings were so dry and fragile...I don't know how long he lay there in the sun, baking to death, stuck in a pool of slime... poor guy :( But I will definitely be on the look-out for dead butterflies or ones in need.
And to people who catch butterflies and kill them to put them in a glass display box: !$#&%/*+/$/!!!"§??&## (you don't wanna hear how I am cursing at you right now....!! If you're gonna preserve insects, at least preserve already dead ones! How would you feel if you had somebody push a sword through your gut and hang you on the wall??)
Excellent words there. I like to emphasize that most of us humans are good, and while no person is flawless, the majority of us would never deliberately harm a butterfly or any other insect, and instead show concern for it. Humans have a natural sense of morality, and while animals may not share the same level of sentience like us, they also have value and deserve a second chance at life when they are injured.
Before watching this video, I had absolutely no clue that you can repair wings. I stepped on a beautiful butterfly once because it only had half a wing, flopping around on the ground. I truly thought I was doing him a favor by saving him from a slow death 😢
I actually have a monarch butterfly right now in a cardboard box that cannot fly cuz his right wing is bent and crumpled up. So I want to keep him and take care of him so I am feeding him nectar and I get him flowers maybe if I try to line his wings up and cut them evenly he might be able to fly.
I think only serial killers do that
I didn't even know you could repair a butterfly's wing! I wish I had known sooner... time to spread the word!
I read the title and it sounded like pure poetry. I had no idea this was possible. You are the mender of broken wings...there is something so stunningly beautiful about what you do, Thank you for the upload. I'm all teary eyed over here.
I had the same feelings about the poetry of the sentence , he sounds like a tale !
No, they do not require it to fly, but it helps a bit. It adds to the weight though so it will be harder to fly without
Yes, those butterflies have already died that gave up their wings to help others. :-)
No animal was harmed the in the making of this video.
I have a small red and black butterfly with a small tear in one of the wings anything I can do?
Where can I find wings? I have a poor baby with a broken wing and want to help him 🥺
@@trixie1636 if you can’t you can also just keep it and feed it
I love how he's just like "ok human I'll let you do your thing". 😁
it's a tamed butterfly. BUT WHEN HE LITERALLY GRABS IT BY THE HEAD THOO
+CockBlocker420 there's such thing as that?
I believe he put them in the fridge before the filming, so they are sleepy because of the cold.
Lau Ra 🤫🤫🤫
He's like FIX ME BOI
Just a word of thanks to the Monarch Foundation for taking the time to provide this instructional video. We planted a butterfly garden a few years ago for my children. Last year was awful due to drought but this year we've had plenty of caterpillars, chrysalis and baby milkweed plants to share with curious friends and the local schools. Today we made our first repair to a Monarch wing using the info in this video. My 5 and 6 yr old girls were thrilled to see our guy take flight after the fix.
Thank You!
There are millions of damaged Monarchs that need repair every year. Spread the word.
LMF Staff
A helpful tip to ease the glued wings from sticking to the towel etc. It to put wax paper (found next to aluminum foil on store shelves) underneath the wing during the repair. I have raised monarchs for decades and this works good. 🦋
This video helped me save a female monarch who fell before her wings were dried. She took her very first flight this evening, and now she gets to be a butterfly. Thank you for your excellent instructions!
And I should add, that the new wings came from butterflyutopia.com. They shipped in 2 days, and arrived perfectly intact and ready to install!
Stop asking where he gets the wings from.. why would he rip them off a butterfly that is alive if he obviously cares about their well-being, they would have been taken from already deceased ones because they don't decompose.
SnowClover pppppppp
Anyone that collects butterflies, like myself, has many extra wings around ☺
He raise monarchs for their wings to fix a monarch which wings are broken.
To make his video he would have did that too!!
lana h I collect them and I have my butterflies wing that fell off him completely
Thanks to you I was able to save a butterfly today. He had a broken wing, and couldn't fly, I heard you say to clip the wings evenly if the injured part wasn't too big. I was so scared, but I did it with some help from my boyfriend, and low and behold he flew away as great as ever, up into a tree top. We were astonished to say the least, and so happy to help a sweet and beautiful Monarch butterfly. THANKYOU
Great video! This method works with Dragonflies too. Well, just for patching up small holes in the wings. I found a dragonfly yesterday with a bent wing. He eventually tore it off while trying to fly. I used a butterfly wing pieces to patch up a hole he had in his wing and to straighten out his wing. This morning i took him outside and he flew off into the trees.
Tyvm!
Thank you so much for this video! Yesterday one of our butterflies broke her wing just before we released her. It was a simple break and using your video I was able to do a repair and send her on her way. I just posted her release video, she flew beautifully with the repair! Thank you thank you! I would have had 3 very sad kids if I hadn't been able to save her!
I stumbled on this video because I am currently hopsice-ing an injured bumblebee and was like, hmmm what if it was a butterfly? This is amazing. thank you!
I found a link to this when looking for tips on repairing torn wings and it jumped me in half-way. So I'm watching him glue a wing and suddenly see the butterfly move. I genuinely yelped out loud, saying "Is that thing ALIVE?" Just wow.
if only the rest of humanity would be like this guy. thank you for being so caring !
I just have to say, what an incredible thing you're doing! Not only helping these butterflies but educating others who care enough how to do the same. I will definitely be saving this video for the future because I am an avid animal lover, I even save bees out of of my pool from drowning. Thanks so much for posting this, now I don't have to feel so helpless next time I come across a butterfly or moth with a wing injury.
Thank you so much for posting this video and empowering people to help the monarchs! I felt so helpless when I found an injured monarch in my backyard (Austin, TX), the poor guy couldn't get more than 4 feet in the air before dropping to the ground. After I got him patched up he flew off like it was nothing. I think he left my little makeshift butterfly hospital a very happy butterfly indeed. And I was happy too. He's back on his way, may even be in Mexico by now! I laugh to think of a scientist down there finding him :)
This is brilliant and I’m really glad you thought of a way to help these creatures when they’re injured. I always hate seeing injured butterflies and it breaks my heart when they can’t fly like they were born to.
Some faith in humanity has been restored.
This is amazing- I actually tried it on a monarch I found with a broken wing. It seems to have worked. I am not sure if it will stick because I had to use super glue because I did not have any contact glue and I have no time to go 20 miles to get some. I also used very thin plastic from the super glue package because of a comment I read about the cardboard getting wet in the rain. I put him in the fridge for 10 min and he just laid down. the coated hanger and towel worked great. I was very nervous. He is now sitting on a coneflower resting and gently moving his wings. I'll know him by the white splint on his wing! I hope it lasts. I'll get some contact cement next time I am near a store. Thanks for the video - I can't believe I did this.
I never knew this was possible. Amazing.
Me too.
You are correct most butterfly wings are covered with colored scales...but their removal does very little to harm their flight.
Thats how moms keeps kids from hurting Nature.
We have fixed many wings and these lucky butterflies are able to fly perfectly.
Will attempt this tomorrow on my pet monarch so he can b free! Could not have raised the over 200 I have set free without the kind people making video’s. Thanks,Wish me luck!
Thanks for inspiring me. After viewing, I called my city and have organized an event April 25 for Earth Day, where children will be invited to come to the park and plant milkweed seeds.....later when it's safe to plant...we'll have another even to plant. It is next to the playground and will be open so the children can tend the garden and watch for caterpillars and butterflies. I'll be ordering seeds and plants and partnering to help fund the project.
This is so amazing. It gave me a little more faith in the human race and a little more hope for the future! I once worked a week to make a cast to fix a snail I had accidentally crushed (he recovered in a month or so) so it's really nice to see other people helping helpless creatures.
We have about 3 seconds of them flying...after that they are usually off to Nature. We did have one return for new wings 3 times. They are far smarter than you may know.
LMF Staff
I've had black swallowtails I raise come back to say hello a few times. It's amazing
Thank you so, so very much for this video. I just repaired a males wing and he immediately took off!! I'm so happy!
FYI The glue used in the video is DAP Weldwood contact cement. You can get a small bottle of it at Home Depot.
This comment should be pinned / stickied so that everyone sees it at the top.
Hi can you use PVA glue for this?
hope that there are more people like you in this world
THANKS SO MUCH!!!! You just saved a 🦋!!!
I had one with a bent wing & thanks to your video, I cut them symmetrically & it was able to FLY AWAY!!!! ❤️
Couldn't have done it without you guys! We were very nervous but took it slow and voila! Thanks again Monarch Foundation!
do you think the butterfly likes its new wing?
As a matter of FACT every butterfly we restore flight to makes it very clear they are very happy. Some circle us and follow us around for hours. They know you did them a big favor and make sure you know they appreciate it.
I'd just like to make it clear to everyone in this thread that butterflies have no consciousness or emotional complexity to speak of.
CORRECTS YOU That's a matter of perspective and of how you're defining consciousness.
austenwack Play semantics all you like. It doesn't change the fact that butterflies have no emotions, no conscious decision making capabilities, and no understanding of anything besides consuming nutrients, migrating, and mating. All of this is scientific fact based on the neural structure of the butterfly.
CORRECTS YOU I'm not denying that one bit. I actually really agree with what you had to say and the amount of times I've been stung by a wasp AFTER saving it from a pool reinforces that I don't think they have the capabilities to be aware of "what is" and "what isn't" in even remotely similar ways to humans or even some mammals. I'm just saying, as you so aptly pointed out, it's impossible to have definitive answers for things like this depending on the observer's perspective.
I just think it's dangerous to potentially limit your own or other peoples perspective by dismissing something which has never been fully researched/explored.
We don't know it all, we never will, there's a lot more going on than humans can even fathom and if some consciousness greater than our own exists, who's to say our definition of consciousness or understanding quantifies ourselves as "emotionally complex" or "self aware" to that consciousness?
Who's to say we aren't just the butterflies in something else's perception?
All good though. Fun stuff to think about and discuss and I appreciate you not being a douchebag about it. :D
Thank you so much! Fixed one today I saw when cutting the grass. He flew high and far about 5 minutes after.
I rid my bike and a little lime green butterfly came to me with only 1 wing. no sign of the other and no part of it was on the butterfly. I went to my porch and it followed me there. so cute.
:D
I just can't believe it, I've never imagined that is possible, to fix a butterfly wing... Thank you for sharing this beautiful attitude!
oh yeah wheres that pile of wings i have lying around....
Sophia Simmons wow
Lol
Sorry i took it
Sophia Simmons 😂 ikr
Luckily, I saw his video last summer when one of mine broke a wing.....when that butterfly died after 2 weeks, I saved the wings for this summer when another butterfly needed them....So, the video helped me to know to keep the other ones in case I ever needed to do surgery on a future one ; )
Just wanted to say THANK YOU for this video. I saw it a year ago and saved wings from a deceased monarch of mine in case I needed them to help another...and this summer I had 1 of 40 captive-reared whose chrysalis fell in the 1st hour while drying....it was misshapen....when it hatched, 2 wings were bent and it couldn't fly....it's been alive for 3 days, and i take it out and put it on the preferred flowing plants of monarch in my garden.....it gets so frustrated that it can't fly....it eats heartily, and i also feed it extra sugar water....i took the leap tonight and did a triple wing amputation and surgical reattachment using the other wings I saved from last summer after seeing your video.....low and behold, it can fly 5-10' now, but only downward....it can't take off.....it was so excited to fly that it kept flapping its wings for the hour after the surgery, as if to test them out.....the wings i attached are slightly larger than the previous ones, as the previous butterfly was larger.....not sure if i should try to trim them down...I'm hoping in the morning it will have more strength and the ability to take off.....if not, at least it has experienced some greater mobility now than the past 3 days where it would just fall and crash.....now it can glide.....your video was helpful in showing me how to do it and the tools i needed. Instead of a tooth pick, I used a sewing needle, as it was thinner and could get into smaller space between the existing wing stub and the one I was attaching. Was great to know which glue to buy (found at Lowe's for around $7 for 3 oz.).
Thank you for this. I have a problem with a misaligned wing. The male monarch had a dent in his chrysalis and did not form his left wing properly. It droops down, like a saggy wing. I'm unsure I could fix him in this way, as there was nothing really to repair. I think the best option is to leave him in my garden, fully stocked with a lot of variety of flower food. I wish I had been able to help this one better, but your video has shown me what to do if there is a missing chunk of a wing and I appreciate that knowledge.
dude,you are a hero,there are few people who cares for insects or other "digusting" animals,but you and i do,you have my respect
You are a HERO !
Thank you,
LMF Staff
I was so stressed watching this, as I have tried several times to fix broken wings and it is immensely stressful to me.
Seeing him down like that, is he is any pain or panic?
What you did WORKED! I learned some new things!! Super grateful as I get very sad when one if my babies don't make it. Thank you.
GOOD JOB FOR SAVING THAT POOR MONARCH BUTTERFLY
karen sayadyan Good job m8.
Such kindness to creatures, even ones so small, gives me hope. Thank you for your kindness toward these little ones.
You are a good person.
after a year now, i am your first like
I love this! I would never have thought such a thing was even possible. You seem such a sweet and patient person, too, gluing the wings back on butterflies. I think I fell in love, just a little bit.
Great video, never thought you could make a repair to a wing. Now I know what to do if I come across one with a bum wing. I see a new show called "Pimp my Butterfly" in the near future.
No idea how I got here, but am I the only one seriously surprised and amazed at this??!!!!!
How to train your butterfly
Console Trash hahaha nice one
I love it when people can make corrections humbly without being a butt. You guys are great.
BECOME A HERO. Plant Milkweed for the 2014 Monarch Butterfly Migration, numbers are down 97% from their height and their historical migration routes are threatened. Seeds avail at www.livemonarch.org please share the message and your seeds. Thank you Hero !
i breed butterflys!
Yay more seeds I've been looking to land more
Your comment gives me diseases.
Erika Housh: Why? Are you a little baby scared of harmless butterflies? Time to overcome that phobia. Unlike, disgusting cockroaches, butterflies, don't transmit diseases. Besides, a butterfly sees you as a freaking horrible giant.
+agenthelios1 I'm not sure if adult moths have mouths... I think the main purpose of their adult stage is to breed and die of starvation so if it's missing some of its wing I'm not sure what you could do other than try and repair it and let it go free :)
Thank you so much for this wonderful video. Helped us to do our little bit to save a beautiful monarch. After two days of immobility He flew away like nothing had happened
It's sooo true like I've stated a butterfly salon and it took forever,But it's kindness they pay us for saving them.
You are great livemonarch !
My wife and I just did this for on not 5 minutes ago (08-22-23). He flew away as soon as we took him outside! Thanks for showing us this procedure.
The wing he used to repair the second butterfly is it from an artificial butterfly wing or from a real butterfly wing? I want to help repair one that my dog got his mouth on...her wings are a little damaged and can't fly 😞 so I want to help it fly away and live its life
"go to your pile of wings" oh darn it
Glad to see my local news station is doing it's part in helping our planet
Yes.
Often our butterflies that are breeding will use up all their eggs and mating Mojo and die with perfect wings. It seems only just to help others if we can.
LMF Staff
Thank you so much for posting this tutorial! We had one Monarch hatch out with a deformed wing. We felt so badly about his inability to fly that we used your instructions and gave him a new wing! He's flying and feeding on Spanish needle right now!
Great job!
How do you get those wings?
Thiamlong Ng Gotta kill a butterfly to save another.
Thiamlong Ng Probably dead ones he's found
make it? idk
Thiamlong Ng maybe if a butterfly came out and it died.
Thank you. This video has made my entire week... I am so, so happy there are decent people left in this world. I honestly cannot thank you enough for caring for these butterflies!
I replaced both broken wings of my butterfly with lightweight razer blades,
he's a total badass now and gonna fuck some shit up aka slit some throats :)
BRUH
This makes my heart so happy I did not know one could do this. We lost one due to him getting caught in the bird netting but saved one today from it. Thank you. I will join your efforts.
Where do you get the extra wings from?
He probably made them from plastic there is a certain plastic that actually feels like a butterfly wing
A Watson If you have a lot of flowers you will often find butterflies that have died. Sometimes if birds or other animals get them you may find just parts for instance one wing. He's saying if you find them you can keep the wings to do these operations with.
Deceased carcass of a butterfly
If you raise monarch in captivity every summer, you have wings from those who died in your care...last summer, i kept the wings of one mine that died from a serious wing injury, and i used those wings this summer to help another one born with 2 imperfect wings...Really, only people who raise them in captivity every year would have extra wings to use....it's a great hobby (my 2nd year doing it)...Unfortunately, i just used my last pair of wings so I won't have any for next summer if another monarch needs them....
This is just great.. thank you for caring about things that other people wouldn't give another look.
Anyone know what the seeds that are rolled into dirt and nutrients are called? I beleive they're made so they can be thrown easier and help garantee and increase sprouting rates without needing to bury them. I was thinking of making them and throwing them around when I walk my dog this winter.
+TheyGoWhootnnn Seed bombs?
I'm actually very glad I now know how to do this. I'm willing to help any little or big creature in need. I'll be prepared for that moment if it happens. It would be an amazing feeling knowing you helped something live on and feel better. :) Especially when it's a creature people tend to ignore and see as inferior and pointless to even help them/save (which is not true! They want to thrive and survive just like us. If we have the opportunity to help them, we should take it!).
BRUH! this is f***ing awesome!
wow, a lot of people may think that what you do is stupid, but I find it absolutely amazing. I find the want in me to help all other living things, simply because we share life, and I think it's incredible that you would go to such lengths to help another creature, and if I ever find a damaged butterfly, I will totally use this, thank you (:
I know this might be a silly question, but I'm curious. Do you use real wings from dead butterflies as a replacement or do you buy fake ones?
Yes their dead
WOW! I have never met a butterfly with a damaged wing? Who would have thought it could be repaired??? Obviously someone has. I guess just being so delicate, I truly would have never had the idea enter my mind. Thank you for the education. ❤
that is so nice of u of fixing the butterflys wing
Thanks so much for this video. This is my first year nurturing Monarchs. I've learned so much from the video - first, how to handle them. I thought holding them by the wings would damage them. Then the repair job... Fantastic!
THIS IS AMAZING!! The only thing i dont like is that this so called butterfly doctor doesnt actually show us the butterfly flying after he does the repairs. Which makes you wonder right?
Adora D Why are there so many skeptics in these comments. Xd
Lol no... Not really. I repair butterfly wings as well as long as you give him some structure they fly away right away
I took a tour group to see these beauties two weeks ago and am going again soon! Who knew their wings could be repaired?! Wow! Love this!
Are you sure when you cut its wing it doesn't hurt it?
margaret blueter the wings don't have nerves
If it makes you feel better, their wings don't have nerves at the top where he cut, its like if someone cut your hair or nails :)
ChickenPotPie Yeah it might.
To be honest, if I saw a hurt butterfly and I knew I could repair their wing/wings I really wouldn’t care whether they lived for a day or a few months. It feels long to them so might as well anyways. Thanks for this I’m depth tutorial! Now whenever I see a butterfly in need I can save them.
Wow this video was up before I was alive I'm 12
seeing dis video i can make out dat u r a very warm person who is always there to help even tiny insects, u r doing a commendable job otherwise who cares about these tiny insects,,,,,, u r really helping to save a life n god will give u lots of success n happyness in ur life, all these r gods creation n u r a very caring person, m so touched dat i have no words
He / she is beautiful
You can always just say "it" and forget about being correct.
God ! I never knew I could do that. I have repaired some broken limbs on birds but never thought a butterfly. I usually harvested injured ones for the wings.
God Bless you Fella. You are a saint in my eyes. May the Holy Mother's light shine upon you.
Your awesome man :)
I found an adult monarch butterfly and am just in love with this little bugger.
That butterfly was so still it almost looked dead
Like if u agree
The day after Christmas 2020, in Virginia Beach,VA, a monarch butterfly appeared on my patio, almost lifeless. After letting it recover in a warm place and feeding it some honey water, it flew around the kitchen. I noticed that one of its wings was damaged so I ordered some monarch wings on Etsy. After receiving the wings, I was able to do a full wing transplant with the help of this video. 🦋👍
you need to super careful with butterfly wings you probably know that but it just looks like you being to rough with him he is so beautiful by the way
This makes me really happy~ If I ever find a Monarch that in need of some repair, I know what to do!
How to fix broken wing of a butterfly? Take one wing out of jar full of wings that you ripped off from various butterflies, and then glue it to that particular butterfly. Why? Cause this one has insurance, that's why.
everyoneSalegend
Or maybe they were taken from butterflies that were already dead?
SnowClover I know, that's what I said
everyoneSalegend When? I don't see anything like that in your comment. All you say is that the guy ripped off wings from other butterflies. You don't mention that he probably got them from ones that were dead and beyond help. In fact, you specifically make it out to seem that he was sacrificing the lives of some to save others, which doesn't seem to be the case. So I'm just not sure what the point you're trying to make is.
Where did I say the guy ripped off the wings, it is the instruction (in present simple tense) on how to do it. Yeah, maybe that guy did find all those wings from dead butterflies and put it in a jar, but you couldn't be sure that he didn't kill them. Or maybe those are artificial wings.
everyoneSalegend I don't feel like you even addressed my question. SnowClover suggested that the wings were from dead butterflies, and you said "I know, that's what I said" which is factually incorrect. You never said anything of the sort. In fact, it seemed like your comment was sort of asking why he took other butterflies' wings to help this one. So he explained it to you. You should've thanked him rather than saying something incoherent. Anyway, I can't be _certain_ that he doesn't kill butterflies, but given that the entire point of this video and his cause is to _save_ butterflies, that would ruin the entire purpose. So, what you're suggesting really makes no sense.
Wow! I would have never known this could be done, and was unaware that Monarch's fly for so long! You're doing amazing work! My daughter has been caring for one with a torn/severed wing...I'm lacking a few of the supplies needed, but feel inspired that it can be fixed! Thank you!
Great video, but I'd love a version without the loud shrill cheering and theme music. It is not something a child could do, so you don't need sound effects.
Those were Monarchs cheering if you listen very carefully.
+livemonarch they werescreaming becauseyoucut theirwings andthat hurt them.
so sweet to have people that care enough to help an innocent butterfly have freedom again
Just use ductape duct tape fixes everything
+Shiki AM staples or screws better
Lol
Muumuu 😂
Brummer
I just released a very happy Swallowtail after doing a repair as described in the video. I would have never guessed it was possible but through the magic of the internet one more butterfly was released into the wild! Fabulous - thank you for the information!!
WHAT IS UP
DRAMA ALERT NATIONN
IM YOUR HOST
KILLER KEEMSTAR
LETS GET ROITTTT
INTO THE NUDES!
you really helped i found a injured butterfly in my garden and one of his wings were up and he couldn't use that one and we have now super glued the together lets hope he can fly!!
#whitepeople
#butterfly
#noracist
This is why we have the KKK