Business plan for breeding tropical butterflies. Butterfly breeding. What to do with unsold butterflies

  • 18.09.2020

The largest known butterfly, Attacus aitas, has a wingspan of 30 cm, which is why it is often confused with a bird. Of course, it is not necessary to take this particular type to start your business. Butterfly breeding at home as a business can be started with small, but beautiful and bright individuals.

Butterfly Demand

This type of insect is most popular with agencies involved in organizing various kinds of events - weddings, anniversaries, children's parties. Among the consumers of such a service there are also ordinary citizens who are ready to give a lot of money for a living gift. After all, the price for one butterfly can reach up to two thousand rubles, but rarely does anyone order only one.

Tropical butterflies are gradually replacing the wedding doves released into the air during the celebration of the celebration.

Sales Features

Some experience requires preparing butterflies for the event. To do this, they are slightly cooled, thereby depriving them of the desire to fly. After cooling, the insects are placed in a beautiful package or envelope and delivered to the client. After opening the package, the butterflies fly up, resembling multi-colored fireworks.

The more butterflies ordered by the client, the lower the cost of one individual will be. For example, the purchase of two or three butterflies will cost an average of 3 to 5 thousand rubles, while when ordering more than 50 insects, their total price will be about 30,000-35,000 rubles. Everything will depend on the type of tropical insect.

All it takes to grow a butterfly farming business is patience and a desire to make money.

How to get started

In order for butterfly breeding as a business to generate income and develop fruitfully, it is necessary to build a clear plan to bring the idea to life.

What should you pay special attention to?

Purchase of raw materials

The life cycle of butterflies includes four stages: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and insect. But before turning into a chrysalis, the caterpillar needs a large number of plant leaves. Therefore, breeding butterflies, taking into account their full cycle, is a rather difficult task, requiring a lot of money and time.

The best option would be to purchase ready-made pupae through specialized enterprises. The price of one doll is from 3 to 15 dollars. The purchase of raw materials should be made at least every two to three weeks, in quantities of hundreds or more. Everything will depend on the season and the flow of orders.

The need for frequent purchases is due to the fact that even with the most proper care, tropical butterflies do not live long. It is necessary to take into account the possible marriage in the form of dead pupae or hatched butterflies with defects. Before making a purchase, you should study the features of each type of butterfly.

Breeding conditions

Butterfly cultivation does not require the creation of special laboratories or the acquisition of production facilities. All that is required is to purchase aquariums and create optimal habitat conditions for insects for their development.

Depending on the biological species of Lepidoptera, containers of different sizes will be required. The air must be more than 70% humidity, temperature - 28-30°C.

Tropical plants are grown in the aquarium, which have a beneficial effect on the process of transformation of pupae into insects. To maintain the climate, you will need to purchase humidifiers and a split system.

Dolls require special care. They are stored in a special chamber at a temperature not exceeding +22°C. Their maturity should be checked daily, which manifests itself as a darkening of the pupa and its acquisition of softness. The pupae, ready for transformation, are hung on a thread by the tail, attached to the wall of the aquarium and sprayed several times a day. Butterflies may not be able to emerge from their cocoons at birth, so keep an eye on them and gently help if necessary.

What to feed

These Lepidoptera feed on nectar from plants and fruits. For example, cut oranges, bananas or natural honey diluted with water are suitable as food: 1 drop of honey is added to 10 drops of water. You don't have to spend a lot on food.

Safety

Moths are very fragile, so it is undesirable to touch them. The drawing on the wings can easily be erased from the touch of human skin. All equipment is arranged in such a way that the butterflies do not fall into a narrow space and start beating their wings.

What types to breed

The following types of butterflies are considered unpretentious and available for breeding:

  • cabbage butterfly;
  • swallowtail;
  • carbon fiber;
  • hives;
  • various tropical species.

Marketing Approaches

There are several ways to profit from butterfly breeding:

  • Creation of a special park where exotic insects will be shown as exhibits. The cost of the entrance ticket should not be made too high, which will attract more visitors.
  • Sale of live butterflies. The most profitable option in the business. You can use your own apartment to grow insects. The price for one butterfly can vary from 500 to 2,000 rubles. The main thing is to properly organize advertising so that as many people as possible learn about the service.
  • Creation of paintings. It is not always possible to sell all grown butterflies. In order not to lose the invested funds, you can start making three-dimensional paintings with butterflies. Such a product can be sold at a cost of 1,000 to 10,000 rubles, depending on the type of butterfly and the size of the painting.
  • Wholesale trade. Ready-made butterflies can be sold to resellers, who will themselves find ways to retail. Unused butterflies can be dried and sold to collectors.

As you can see, butterfly breeding at home is a waste-free business with almost zero competition.

Marine aquariums, reptiles and even predatory animals have already become commonplace in the homes of urban residents, but live butterflies have always been and remain exotic! Butterflies are the most beautiful creatures that excite the imagination of people with their lightness and beauty. Graceful various forms and incredible colors of iridescent wings are amazing.

The easiest way is to find caterpillars. Just look for large and beautiful caterpillars, because small moths will suddenly turn out 🙂 I will give just some photos of caterpillars from which butterflies will appear, which are widespread in our area.

caterpillar and butterfly

caterpillar and butterfly

caterpillar and butterfly

caterpillar and butterfly

For a more detailed definition of which butterfly will appear from the caterpillar, you can download for free.

Caterpillars must be treated with extreme caution, as they are easily injured (). Therefore, in order to transfer the caterpillar to the jig, tear off the leaf on which it sits or use a cotton swab for transplantation.

To observe the transformation from a caterpillar into a butterfly, it is enough to get a transparent container, for this, any food container or a three liter bottle, but if you still want to photograph the transformation process or professionally breed butterflies, then it is better to make an aquarium that will be used as an insectarium.

You can put a few napkins on the bottom of the container and put enough fodder leaves from the top so that the caterpillars can eat plenty.

For different caterpillars, of course, the food is different, so it is advisable to use the vegetation on which you found the caterpillar.

It is very important to constantly change the vegetation, preventing it from drying out and rotting. And so that the vegetation does not dry out so quickly, you can periodically moisten the wipes from the sprayer.

So that the caterpillars do not run away, we close the jar with a lid with holes or gauze, securing it with an elastic band.

Having reached the maximum size, the caterpillars prepare for pupation. They stop feeding, usually excrete liquid excrement - shed excess water, sometimes change color.

The pupation process is very interesting. In general, it is about the same - the caterpillar secretes something like a sticky web and spins a cocoon. Cocoons are very diverse: sometimes soft and transparent, like cotton wool, and sometimes very strong, hard and opaque. The shape and structure of the cocoon directly depends on the type of butterfly. And some caterpillars even pupate in the ground, such as night butterflies.

Usually the caterpillar does not pupate for a long time - 2-3 days. Now you need to know what to do with the doll next. Some species will hatch within a week, and some need to be kept in the cold for a month or more - hibernating pupae. Therefore, do not forget to periodically moisten the container.

When a butterfly emerges from the chrysalis, it needs to hang (upside down) to spread its wings. For this, knotty branches are placed vertically next to the pupae or strips of toilet paper are hung so that the butterfly can climb on them. If the butterfly does not hang down with its wings, then they will not straighten out and it will not be able to fly. The drying process takes several hours, after which the butterfly is able to fly.

At home, butterflies willingly feast on honey or sugar, slightly diluted with water. Overripe fruits also will not go unnoticed.

Butterflies grown at home are more tame than their wild counterparts. They can easily sit on their hands, they will not be afraid of your approach. The main thing is not to accidentally crush them.

In addition to the usual butterflies that can be found in our regions, you can, which differ from ours in brighter colors and larger sizes.

To do this, you will need to start your journey by acquiring pupae. Now you can buy pupae of tropical butterflies via the Internet. It is enough to type "" in the search engine and you will be presented with several online stores that will send you dolls by mail.

For example:
Pupae of large tropical butterflies with a wingspan of 12-15 cm. - $ 3 - 10

Pupae of small tropical butterflies with a wingspan of 8-12 cm. - $ 2

The ideal option is to breed butterflies in a greenhouse or conservatory, but you can also use an insectarium, while ensuring a stable temperature and humidity using a controller (found in a reptile pet store).

If you want to fit into the design of your apartment,

We hang the pupae in the insectarium and wait a couple of weeks for a miracle to appear.

In addition, the current fashion dictates its own rules, and now butterflies are a beauty that makes a profit.

  • 1 Butterfly business clientele
  • 2 How much can you earn by opening a business for breeding live butterflies
  • 3 Butterfly breeding technology
  • 5 step by step plan discoveries where to start
  • 6 How much money do you need to start a business
  • 7 Which equipment to choose
  • 8 Which OKVED to indicate when registering a business
  • 9 What documents are needed to open
  • 10 Which taxation system to choose
  • 11 Do I need a permit to open a business
  • 12 New to the Butterfly Business

In the worldwide list of insects, butterflies undoubtedly rank first for their beauty..

This insect captivates the attention of not only children, but even adults. According to scientists, butterflies have existed since the ancient times of the dinosaurs.

Today they can be found anywhere in the world, with the exception of Antarctica.

In total, there are about 200 thousand varieties of butterflies on earth.

Among them there are also giants, the wingspan of which reaches 30 centimeters, as well as very small species, the length of which is only a couple of millimeters.

But these bright and unusual creatures have long been not only an object of research by scientists. Today, many people have based their business on butterflies..

Among them are various offices and wedding agencies, organizations that arrange all kinds of holidays.

Butterflies have long been an excellent living decoration for celebrations, and such an activity as butterfly breeding has long turned from a simple hobby into a highly profitable and promising business.

Butterfly Business Clientele


As mentioned above, various holiday agencies will gladly become your regular customers.

After all, their clientele is the wealthy population of our country. Such pleasure as butterflies is not considered cheap.

The cost of one can reach up to 2000 rubles. But practically no one will order these insects in one copy. Minimum of five pieces.

How much can you earn by starting a live butterfly breeding business


More recently, at such a celebration as a wedding, it was popular to release doves, and today they are gradually being replaced by butterflies. In agencies, this action is called a "butterfly salute."

This procedure is prepared as follows. Butterflies are chilled a little for whatever they want to fly. Then they are placed in a special festive box, which can be decorated with anything. The number of butterflies depends on the possibilities and wishes of the client.

The more butterflies in the box, the lower the cost of each of them. For example, a small salute of three butterflies will cost about 3,000 rubles.

But a large salute of 50 pieces will cost about 30,000 rubles. But it also depends on the type of butterflies chosen. The most exotic breeds can be estimated at about 3,000 rubles for one.

Further, this box must be delivered directly to the event itself. At the right moment, the temperature inside the box rises, and when the client opens the box, butterflies fly out of it in an incredibly beautiful stream.

All this looks fascinating and unusual. Impressions to receive all the guests, and not just the heroes of the occasion.


There is also another option for decorating the holiday with butterflies. One butterfly is placed in special envelopes. These envelopes are distributed to the guests, and on a signal, everyone must open them at the same time. After that, dozens of butterflies also effectively fly out. But such a launch looks even more beautiful and exciting than the previous one.

Each of the invitees watches how his butterfly flies, and after the end of the event, guests often want to catch their own butterfly and take it home, where it will delight its owner for several weeks.

Butterflies can be used for more than just fireworks. They also make great personalized gifts. Everyone dreams that his loved one would give such a surprise. And those who have already received such gifts once, always share their unforgettable impressions. Such a non-standard gift is hard to forget.

In large cities, many of the holiday agencies offer butterflies to decorate celebrations. But such a service as a salute of butterflies is rarely seen. But in small, provincial cities, there is generally no such thing.

And this means that you can become a promising businessman and provide such a service in several small cities at once.

Not many people know that for the cultivation of butterflies, there is no need to equip a special laboratory. Everything can be easily organized right at home.

Butterfly breeding technology


Of course, you can find caterpillars right on the street, bring them home and plant them in a glass jar. After some time, the caterpillar will weave a cocoon and become a chrysalis. In a week, or maybe earlier, a butterfly will turn out of it. That's the whole process.

But with this method you can only get some types of local butterflies that do not have such fantastic and bright colors, which means that you will not be able to interest agencies, except maybe a couple of clients.

Tropical butterflies are the best for your business.

First, they are large. And secondly, they have bright, unusual colors for us. In order to establish this business precisely on such breeds, you can go in three ways.

Caterpillars can be purchased from the same entrepreneurs as you. The second option is to go to the tropics and collect caterpillars there. Only how to bring them to your home, this is already a task. And the best third option.

On the Internet you can order a batch of dolls of the breed you need. Today, there are plenty of companies that breed various breeds of butterflies.

The cost of a tropical species of chrysalis ranges from 50 to 300 rubles per copy. And delivery is carried out by mail or through a courier.

In order to grow and breed such tropical insects in the future, you will have to create conditions close to where these butterflies came from.

If you are going to do this at home, then it is best to place butterfly cocoons and insectariums - special aquariums for insects. Different types insects, it is also necessary to settle in separate aquariums.

Additional information can be found in the literature. Also, some caterpillars require a large container for proper cultivation, otherwise they may die and not bring you profit.


If this is exactly tropical view butterflies, then inside the insectarium itself, similar climatic conditions must be created - high temperature and high humidity. This effect can be achieved with a special humidifier and heater, which are sold in almost every pet store.

But with feeding a little more difficult. If the butterflies are tropical, then the caterpillars must also be fed various tropical plants..

But some owners replace them with other plants or switch to artificial mixtures.

But not every species can survive this. And this means that the necessary plants will also have to be grown in a greenhouse.

And many entrepreneurs who breed rare species of butterflies do just that. After all, you need a lot of food because of the large size of the caterpillars. But the diet of butterflies is a little simpler. They can be fed with sugar, natural honey and fruits.

Also, in the container where butterflies are grown, it is necessary to put several dry branches, an imitation of a tree. They are needed so that the butterfly could hang on them upside down immediately after its appearance.

In this way, she will be able to spread her wings and dry them for several hours. If she does not follow this procedure, she will not be able to fly. And you also will not be able to sell such insects.


If you did not manage to sell all the butterflies in time, then this is not a reason for despair..

You can sell already dried butterflies to connoisseurs of art and beauty. Such a butterfly must be placed in a beautiful frame, preferably a wooden one, and you will get a three-dimensional picture.

The cost of this painting will cover the cost of the butterfly and the frame. On average, such a work will cost about 2000 rubles.

In this scenario, this business is considered very profitable.

You just need to create the right conditions for growing butterflies and plants, and you will make a profit and bring great pleasure to people.

Step-by-step opening plan, where to start

Butterfly farming business at home should be started by studying the type of insects that you are going to grow. Ordinary butterflies, whose caterpillars can be found in local forests, are in low demand among the population. Where better to pay attention to tropical insects with bright colors and large sizes. The next step is to create necessary conditions habitat for butterflies: high temperature, air humidity, as in tropical forests.

The next thing to consider is nutrition. This can be difficult, as it will require a separate greenhouse in which tropical plants will be grown. After that, you can buy insects and start growing them, also taking care of safety. Before purchasing equipment, draw up an organizational and financial business plans in which a preliminary calculation of costs and profits is carried out.

How much money do you need to start a business

The size of the initial investment will directly depend on the scale of the business. Breeding insects at home, with purchase necessary equipment and raw materials, will entail spending 150-250 thousand rubles. This is approximately 5-10 times less than the organization of the park for excursions. On average, the payback period for a business is 9 to 15 months.

Which equipment to choose

Breeding butterflies at home will require the purchase of special equipment. It includes:

  • Special sectional aquariums with the ability to adjust the temperature and humidity, as well as the degree of illumination.
  • Separate greenhouses (greenhouses) for growing exotic food plants for caterpillars.
  • Humidifiers and split systems.

Most of the necessary equipment is available in regular pet supply stores, but some things will have to be ordered online or searched in specialized markets.

Which OKVED to indicate when registering a business

The indication of OKVED codes will be required to register a business only if the park is opened: 92.34 “Other entertainment and entertainment activities”, 92.53 “Activities of botanical gardens, zoos and nature reserves”. Breeding butterflies at home does not require the indication of OKEVD codes.

What documents are needed to open

Registration individual entrepreneur, for breeding tropical butterflies for sale, will require a standard package of documents: a passport, a copy of the TIN code, a receipt for payment state duty and a notarized application indicating the required OKVED codes (if necessary).

Which taxation system to choose

The most convenient way to implement a business is to use a simplified taxation system.

Do I need permission to start a business

To open a business and grow tropical butterflies for sale, you will need permission from the sanitary and epidemiological services, a veterinary certificate, as well as permission from the animal protection commission.

New to the Butterfly Breeding Business

(5 ratings, average: 4,00 out of 5)

Butterflies are a very fashionable and unusual gift or interior decoration at events. They are presented in boxes, released on holidays, butterflies are used to arrange a “salute” and other beautiful ideas for using such an exotic insect.

The townsfolk and ignorant people think that only professionals can breed and store butterflies in special rooms. This is not true. This kind home business even one person can open it. Let's tell you more.

Conditions for storage and breeding of butterflies

Butterflies are grown from pupae (larvae), the average cost of one pupae is 200-300 rubles. To grow butterflies at home, you need to collect insectarium.

Insectarium- a special room, similar to an aquarium, for breeding insects.

You can assemble the insectarium yourself, or you can purchase it ready-made. Many aspiring entrepreneurs use aquariums or just ordinary glass cabinets for this purpose. Inside you need to place the perches to which you will tie the pupae.

Since it is necessary to maintain a certain temperature (24-26 ° C) and humidity (80-90%) in the insectarium, special equipment for insectariums is placed inside or an automatic heating element with a temperature sensor and an air humidifier are installed. Don't forget about ventilation.

It takes 1-2 weeks for a butterfly to mature from a chrysalis. After the butterfly has hatched, it must be caught, placed in an entomological container and stored in a cold place for sale. Before releasing the butterfly, it needs to be slightly warmed up.

Of course, you can raise butterflies from the stage of caterpillars, but caterpillars are very picky about keeping and feeding, your goal is business. Therefore, the simplest and fast wayI bought pupae - after 2 weeks I sold butterflies and bought pupae again. And so in a circle.

Watch a video on how to properly breed tropical butterflies

Tropical butterfly pupae are sold on specialized sites or from local sellers at pet markets or stores. Also, sellers will advise you on how to properly "hatch" a butterfly and keep them in a salable condition.

Who are your clients?

Your first clients are individuals. You can sell butterflies over the Internet - from your website or message board. Or, you can establish partnerships with large establishments specializing in holidays and events - restaurants, cafes, amusement parks, holiday and event agencies (weddings, birthdays, etc.)

The average cost of an adult butterfly is from 500 to 2,500 rubles. Usually acquire 3-5 butterflies at a time.

There are not many subtleties in this business, there are also no serious risks, unless, of course, you will purchase pupae from good sellers, and not from crooks who, under the guise of tropical butterflies, can sell pupae of local wild butterflies such as cabbage.

As you understood from the business idea, the butterfly breeding business is a very home business and can be done by one person.

Especially for KHOBIZ.RU

Breeding and keeping tropical butterflies is a costly and very risky business. It is difficult to organize a high-quality spectacle with the participation of even the most beautiful butterflies, which could attract the attention of visitors for a long time and become a source of stable income for the owner. But if you are seriously interested in entomology, and the world of lepidoptera serves as a source of entrepreneurial inspiration for you, then perhaps breeding butterflies at home as a business will be that gold mine for you, which will provide both material and creative well-being.

What an aspiring entrepreneur needs to know about the business with live butterflies and what you should be prepared for when planning costs and profits, we will tell in this review.

How to make money breeding butterflies

Butterfly breeding for sale in Russia began about 13 years ago.

During this time, entrepreneurs have mastered several types of earnings on tropical exotics.

Butterfly parks have appeared in many large cities, where visitors can admire these beautiful delicate creatures, as well as purchase a live exotic moth for their home collection.

Organization agencies holiday events offer clients to decorate ceremonies with a solemn flight of outlandish butterflies.

In parks or galleries, you can find exhibitions and sales of panels with dried moths.

Most often, an entrepreneur who is professionally engaged in such a home business as butterfly breeding provides a full range of services:

  • contains a butterfly park;
  • sells moths wholesale and retail;
  • manufactures and sells panels with dried butterflies.

Due to the fact that any spectacle involving butterflies is quite expensive, at first glance it may seem that the business of these insects has a high profitability.

Is it so? Let's try to figure it out.

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How to breed and keep butterflies

In order to breed butterflies as an entrepreneur, you will need:

  • specially equipped insectarium with adjustable levels of humidity and temperature;
  • exotic plants that can serve as food for caterpillars and a habitat for butterflies;
  • pupae of rare butterflies.

The room in which the butterflies will be located must have a ceiling height of at least three meters.

An insectarium can be built independently according to the drawings available on the network, but a reliable climate control system will need to be purchased from trusted suppliers.

The main cost of running a business such as raising butterflies is the purchase of pupae. The cost of one chrysalis - from 3 US dollars, the more beautiful and viable the butterfly, the more expensive the chrysalis.

At the same time, there is no guarantee that healthy, normally developed butterflies of the species declared by the seller will appear from all purchased pupae.

Batches of pupae are purchased in the countries of the African, South American, Asian continents. The minimum lot is from 100 dolls. With such purchases, approximately 1/3 of the pupae turns out to be of poor quality.

A butterfly lives from one to two weeks, depending on the conditions of detention, so it is necessary to purchase new pupae at least once every 14 days, and this is a rather serious investment.

Current expenses

To start a butterfly growing business, an entrepreneur needs to spend:

  • 15 thousand rubles. for the equipment of the premises;
  • 90 thousand rubles for the first three batches of pupae.

Insect care is simple: it is enough to put chopped fruit and honey diluted with water on a feeding stand.

If an entrepreneur plans to open a butterfly park as a business, then the amount of wages for hired personnel should be included in the monthly costs.

It will take at least three employees (accountant-cashier, security guard, administrator), with the condition that the owner himself will also actively work in the park.

Costs for wages amount to about 60 thousand rubles. monthly.

Business payback

We will proceed from the fact that one entrepreneur works simultaneously in three areas discussed above (maintenance of the park, wholesale and retail butterflies and the sale of paintings with dried insects).

The profitability of such a business will be high enough to cover current expenses and form a financial reserve for the enterprise.

The approximate cost of one ticket to the Butterfly Park for a day is about 500 rubles.

With an average visit to the park of 10 people a day, you can earn up to 120 thousand rubles in one working month. from the sale of entrance tickets.

When selling live butterflies to visitors at retail, each butterfly can cost from 700 rubles. up to 1000 rubles Wholesale prices are slightly lower: from 500 rubles to 800 rubles per butterfly.

Thus, from a batch of dolls worth 30 thousand rubles. you can get 60 thousand rubles. selling live butterflies.

Panels with dried moths are sold at retail at a price of 1 thousand rubles. This type of activity can also be a reliable source of income and bring profit up to 20 thousand rubles per month. Making and selling panels is one of the most profitable and least risky implementation options.

Thus, the total income of an entrepreneur who breeds butterflies can be 200 thousand rubles per month.

The cost of wages and the purchase of pupae twice a month will amount to about 120 thousand rubles. Profit - 80 thousand rubles. per month.

An example of a home business for breeding tropical butterflies in the following video:

For novice businessmen who do not plan to organize a park, but only want to market exotic moths, the calculation of the business plan is changing. The costs are reduced solely to the purchase of pupae, but the risk of losses increases. If a buyer for a batch of moths is not found in a matter of days, the entrepreneur will not be able to return the funds invested in it. Rate others.