Butterfly Houses

I have two butterfly houses, but I'm not sure where to hang them. Do these houses really attract butterflies?

—Donna Hoppes, Pendleton, Indiana

Tom: Butterfly houses are more of a garden decoration than a way to attract butterflies to your yard.

Although a few butterfly species seek shelter for winter hibernation or a shady roost during the hot summer, most butterflies usually rest on vegetation or in trees.

However, if you put your houses in a protected area near woodlands, you could attract a mourning cloak or question mark to them. And in areas where Milbert's tortoiseshells are found, a butterfly house might be effective, since these butterflies hibernate in large groups.

Be aware that butterfly houses also make good homes for wasps and hornets.