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Butterflies stage escape from Cox Arboretum

About 50 take flight  through a hole in the net, but officials say they are ‘restocking.’

The butterfly house at Cox Arboretum was damaged during a storm a couple of weeks ago and a large number of butterflies escaped. The netting was fixed and the butterfly numbers are growing.

Staff photo by Jim Noelker The butterfly house at Cox Arboretum was damaged during a storm a couple of weeks ago and a large number of butterflies escaped. The netting was fixed and the butterfly numbers are growing. "I think by the end of July, we will be good," said Beth Burke, butterfly house coordinator. Staff photo by Jim Noelker

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By Steve Bennish, Staff Writer 1:05 AM Tuesday, July 14, 2009

MIAMI TWP., Montgomery County — With the timely assistance of a windstorm, about 50 butterflies staged the Great Escape on or about June 20, fluttering from the confines of the Cox Arboretum MetroPark Butterfly House.

The wind created a 3-foot hole in netting at the house, a weekend-long opportunity for the butterflies to seek new horizons before workers realized what had happened.

Now, staff at the insect life-cycle display are working hard to keep the popular exhibit as spectacular as in years past.

In all, Butterfly House coordinator Beth Burke said, visitors can still see 100 butterflies representing about 10 species, down from about 200 butterflies representing up to 12 species.

With displays showing the spectacularly colored insects from caterpillar to garden boss, there’s still a lot to like, she said.

None of the butterflies on the fly were particularly valuable or exotic species, and they’re probably just hanging around the park.

“We are open, and we’re restocking,” Burke said. “We’re on schedule again.”

Butterflies and their ecological partners — bees — are on the decline, Burke said. Besides their beauty, they serve crucial roles in pollination for agriculture. Everyone can help the insects by avoiding the use of chemical pesticides in favor of natural controls and by setting aside a portion of your lawn or garden for fragrant, wild and native plants that butterflies and bees like, Burke said.

That includes clover, swamp milkweed, Russian sage, parsley, dill or fennel, she noted.

The house opened to visitors June 27 and will be open until Sept. 7. You can visit 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

For more information on the Butterfly House and how to attract butterflies to your garden, see on the Web coxarboretum.org/ButterflyHouse.htm.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7407 or sbennish @DaytonDailyNews.com.

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