Yellow admiral butterfly numbers have fallen with the decline of stinging nettles. Brush against them and you’ll get a painful sting, but nettles are a gourmet delight for yellow and red admiral butterfly caterpillars.
Do nettles sting butterflies?
Stinging nettles will attract five colourful species of butterfly but you need to manage the area so they don’t take over the garden. Stinging nettles need nutrient-rich soil and should be cut back in June or July to stimulate new shoots to grow, providing more food for caterpillars.
What animals get stung by nettles?
Generally, all dogs of any age and breed are just as vulnerable to stinging nettle stings as one another.
Which plant leaves nettle stings?
stinging nettle, (Urtica dioica), also called common nettle, weedy perennial plant of the nettle family (Urticaceae), known for its stinging leaves.
Where do nettles sting?
The stems and underside of the leaves are covered in hollow hairs which can sting you.
Do butterflies lay their eggs on stinging nettles?
The Peacock butterfly lays its eggs in batches on the leaves of Stinging Nettles.
Why do butterflies lay their eggs on nettles?
The colourful Nymphalid butterflies will lay their eggs on the nettle leaves and these will provide food for the caterpillars. Look out for eggs laid singly by the Red Admiral and Comma or in batches by the Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock.
Why don t nettles sting dogs?
Advertisement. The outer layer of skin on a dog’s nose is very thick, so I suspect that the trichomes are too delicate to penetrate it. The rest of the dog’s body has hair, and even though the ears and belly have much less hair than elsewhere, it probably still provides protection.
Do nettles sting cats?
Nettle stings can cause severe irritation to our pets and sometimes the pet will not put their weight through the affected feet to avoid the pain.
Do nettles hurt dogs?
Nettles can sting dogs’ paws leading to intense itching and chewing. Avoid walking through nettles. Again, this would be a time to use an antihistamine recommended by your vet. Some paw waxes might reduce stinging and soothe afterwards.
What is the difference between stinging nettle and nettle?
Stinging nettle is the name given to common nettle, garden nettle, and hybrids of these plants. Originally from the colder regions of northern Europe and Asia, this herbaceous shrub grows all over the world today.
What happens if you touch nettles?
Nettles are plants with sharp hairs on their leaves. If you touch them, these hairs inject irritants into the skin, making it itchy, red and swollen.
What neutralizes stinging nettle?
How to treat stinging nettle stings. If you really want to neutralise the effect of the nettle sting’s acid and dock leaves don’t work for you, try treating it with soap, milk or a dilute solution of baking soda, all of which are alkaline.
Which part of a nettle should you avoid touching?
Stinging nettle
The leaves and young stems of this herbaceous plant are fitted with stinging hairs tipped with formic acid and other irritants. If touched, these needle-like hairs inject the stinging acid into the skin, triggering a burning, tingling sensation and an itchy rash.
Why do stinging nettles hurt so much?
Stinging nettles are easily distinguished plants with a memorable sting. This plant, which can easily reach 3 feet in height, has fine hairs on the stems and leaves. Each hair is like a hollow needle filled with formic acid, the same chemical in ant saliva that causes pain to humans when bitten.
How do you pick stinging nettles without getting stung?
Nettle-Picking Tips
Use rubber gloves or pinch the leaves hard, so you don’t get stung. Once picked, lay the nettles out on a tray to wilt. Once wilted they can no longer sting you.
Which butterflies breed on nettles?
Small tortoiseshell, red admiral and peacock butterflies do all lay their eggs on nettles and the caterpillars therefore eat the leaves, plus comma and painted lady will sometimes use them although they have other preferences – comma prefers hops and painted lady, thistles.
What time of year do butterflies lay eggs on nettles?
Frequent visitors to nettle patches are the Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Comma butterflies. The eggs and larvae of these butterfly species are present on nettles between April and June, with adults emerging between May and October.
What insects eat nettles?
A number of butterflies such as the red admiral, comma, peacock and small tortoiseshell also rely on nettles as a food source for their larvae and you can often see them munching away on the nettle stems.
Which insects lay eggs on nettles?
Butterflies and moths generally lay their eggs in the centre of a nettle patch so the outer plants will be fine for us to eat. Nettles are incredibly rich in iron, folates and other minerals as well as tasting great when made into a soup.
Are nettles good for pollinators?
Nevertheless, stinging nettle is a host plant for a number of butterfly and moth species. It also provides great perennial habitat for a wide range of other beneficial pollinators and predatory insects, from native bees to parasitoid wasps.
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