How to Put Chrysalis in a Butterfly Cage

Clean the cage. Before adding a chrysalis or caterpillars to your butterfly cage, but sure the cage is clean and ready to receive its guests. The cage should be free of frass--waste from caterpillars--and dead leaves that caterpillars have been feeding on.

Wash your hands. This is important so you don't spread harmful bacteria to the forming butterfly or other inhabitants in your butterfly cage.

Prepare the cage for the chrysalis. Your butterfly cage should be large enough that caterpillars and emerging butterflies are not crowded or too close to each other. An emerging butterfly needs plenty of room to free itself and spread its wings both horizontally and vertically.

Prepare a spot in the butterfly cage for the chrysalis. A chrysalis may need to be moved because it has fallen or because it is in a spot that is too cramped for the butterfly to emerge. If the chrysalis has become unattached, you will need to put up a surface to attach the chrysalis to. Hot glue a strip of corkboard to the top of the butterfly cage to hold the chrysalis.

Prepare the chrysalis for placement in the butterfly cage. If the chrysalis is attached to a stick or part of a plant you will need to place the plant or the stick inside the cage. Otherwise the chrysalis needs to be attached to the corkboard you have glued in to the butterfly cage. Place a small dot of hot glue on a small piece of paper. Allow it to cool slightly but remain sticky. Place the top tip of the chrysalis into the dot of glue then hold for a moment to allow it to stick.

Hang up the chrysalis in the butterfly cage. Use a straight pin to attach the paper with the chrysalis to the strip of corkboard in the butterfly cage.