Mix one part sugar with four parts water and bring to a boil. This will help dissolve the sugar completely. Get a brand new sponge and a small dish. Pour the water into the dish on top of the sponge so it is about halfway full. Place the dish with sponge in the butterfly house.  Check the solution daily to ensure it isn’t growing mold or other bacteria. Rather than throwing out the remaining sugar water, store it in the fridge for later use. Butterflies are attracted to bright colors so decorate the house. Pick a color that will really pop amongst the other foliage like yellow, pink or red. Draw flowers and trees on the house for even more appeal.  Be sure to use non-toxic paint. Consider placing a piece of tree bark inside the house to create a more real environment. You probably are well aware that butterflies are drawn to certain plants and flowers. Plant a few around your home like strawberry, dandelion or blueberry. These flowers provide nectar for feeding.  You can place a few inside the butterfly house too. Aster, clover, honeydew and thistle are great choices. Skip anything that has been treated with pesticides as this could harm them. Shaded areas will not attract the butterflies. They love to swirl around in the bright sun during feeding and mating. Because of this, having water around will ensure they stick around for longer periods of time.  Place a shallow water source outside the house. Pour water on rocks or stone paths in your garden. This may not sound too appealing to you but butterflies love it! Throw out some fruit cores and peels whenever you have them. Overly ripe bananas are an especially good trick. Simply place pieces around the garden and watch the butterflies swarm.
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One-sentence summary -- Use sugar. Paint the outside. Plant flowers. Keep the house in the sun. Leave rotting fruit.


If you don't already have squirrels, you can attract them to your yard quickly if they can easily find food. Set up the feeder near a tree or on a garden hook, and make sure it's easily accessible for you and the animals. Look for squirrel-specific feeders or simple mesh feeders so that the squirrels can easily locate and retrieve the food.  However, this can often mean that large birds and other animals may access the squirrel food. Try to keep these animals away as much as possible to encourage the squirrel visitors to stop by! It's best to try to hand feed the squirrels in your own yard, since it will take time for them to trust you. If you often visit a park or other area where squirrels eat, they might be willing to eat from your hand there. Make a mixture of tree nuts with shells, such as walnuts, hazelnuts, and acorns to promote gnawing. Add in some bird seed for extra nutrients, and place the mixture in a feeder outside. Keep it separate from other feeders so that the squirrels can easily access it from trees. If you’re worried about the squirrels getting into your other feeders, set up squirrel baffles, like wind chimes or reflective surfaces, to repel them. Place a few handfuls of grapes, apples, broccoli, or zucchini outside for the squirrels to eat. These will provide more nutrition and lure the squirrels back to your yard for a treat that they can’t find elsewhere! Keep track of what the squirrels seem to eat the most of. If they seem to like the grapes more than the apples, increase the amount of grapes you feed them. The squirrels will learn to trust you because you’re a reliable source of food. Create a safe outdoor space, such as a corner of a porch or a garden. Try to feed them at the same time every day so they don’t go elsewhere to look for treats. You might even notice that the squirrels will begin to come up to your windows to peer inside if there’s no food in the feeder! When you see squirrels, go outside and stand as close as you can to the feeder without scaring them off. Be very still and quiet at first. Then, begin making clicking noises with your mouth to emulate the sounds that squirrels make to communicate. This will help them get used to your presence while they eat and will teach them to trust you.  If you’re not sure what sounds to make, look up videos of squirrel noises to get a better idea. Try to be as still as possible to avoid scaring off the squirrels. If this is your first time approaching them, sit or stand nearby, and try to ignore them as much as possible while they eat.
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One-sentence summary --
Set up outdoor mesh feeders to get squirrels to come to your yard. Start with natural squirrel food, like tree nuts, seeds, and flower buds. Entice squirrels with sweeter treats, such as fruits and vegetables. Put out food every day to associate your scent with feeding time. Stand near the feeder when the squirrel is eating and make clicking noises.