During the middle of the winter and yes! On the early spring evening, 24th Jan 2022, I found a caterpillar in my lemon pot. It was so adorable and wandered here and there. I kept on remembering it each time.
Every day I wake up right on time to see the caterpillar. In some cases, feels miserable when the caterpillar is absent. Later chose not to remove an eye from the caterpillar and protected it from ants & birds.
Consistently keeping an alarm and getting up quickly before the alarm bell rings become a practice. During midnight, I carry my flashlight on the phone to arrive at the balcony to find the caterpillar and feel happy when it is fine. It is somewhat challenging to safeguard the caterpillar from villain ants, birds, and especially spiders.
Do you know caterpillar-likes water?
Yes, one day when I was watering the plants, I observed that the caterpillar is having small drops of water on the leaves. Then I started spraying some water onto the plants and leaves. Each day that helps, the caterpillar feel happy when it drinks from the droplets. It’s time to collect the lemon caterpillar from a lemon tree without disturbing it.
On 4th Feb 2022 at 07:15 PM, I collected a caterpillar when it turns into an evergreen warring beautiful soft-green shot with black teeth, small black eyes, a brown head, brown shining face, 6 hands, and 8 legs.
Why do we collect the caterpillar?
It plays all over the branches and like a spider, it jumps on the leaves and there are more chances of falling someplace.
When I knew it was going to change into an evergreen caterpillar in the morning, I purchased a chocolate bottle from a Kerala shop and I brought home when I’m back from my work. Then I begin to fix around 300 small holes inside the bottle using a safety pin. I heard a voice, the inner me, saying “don’t spoil this bottle.” I just ignored it and I continued the work. Later some time my hand started to pain, so I decided to use scissors in the place of a safety pin and replaced the hole with a bigger size. As I was making a noise, none of them was able to sleep at home peacefully.
Caterpillar likes sticks to claim, so I fixed two sticks together in a horizontal style. Slowly removed the caterpillar along with lemon leaves in the lemon tree and placed it aside. Started placing two more small sticks to balance the bottle edge so, that it will not roll off and remains in the same place.
I placed my caterpillar inside the bottle and additionally stored fresh leaves after washing them in the freshwater. The caterpillar quickly got adjusted to the new house and started eating fresh leaves.
The caterpillar was very happy in the new house. I never covered the bottle cap, and it never comes out of its new house, even when it plays on the edge of the bottle.
Every day the place should be neat and clean and always allows me to change fresh leaves by resting on the sticks which are fixed in the bottle.
To be safer, do not touch the caterpillar directly in your hand because it is safe for you and the caterpillar as well. I found it playing on sticks every day, so I started out crafting the ladder with the use of sticks. I observed after fixing the ladder within the bottle, the caterpillar knows to claim easily and takes more time to claim down. Once in a while, it doesn't know to claim down same like me.
I still remember when I informed my little sister to look after the caterpillar for a few hours. I get the same conversation, “surely I will leave the caterpillar in the lake.” But when I noticed, she too placed fresh leaves one day.
Sometimes I get scolded for occupying 60 inches bench to place only the caterpillar and not allowing anyone to get near. Yes, this time I occupied 60 inches bench and placed the caterpillar in the small home which I created.
Usually, I protect the caterpillar by placing it on the chair and applying lemon juice to the surroundings so, no ants can reach the caterpillar. No more lemon juice was applied on the bench and also not covered in the bottle cap till the butterfly comes out. There is no chance for the villain ants to reach the hero caterpillar because I made the bottle a little height facing upward with the support of sticks and the bottle cannot roll left and right.
I switched on my flashlight from a far distance to see the caterpillar eating leaves making noise when everybody was on sleep and also took a few photo clicks. I was dreaming that the caterpillar should build its little home on the bridge and the dream come true.
When there were only a few leaves in a lemon pot, my father told me there are no more leaves leftover. Fresh leaves are placed every day till the caterpillar goes to the pupa stage.
The caterpillar went to the pupa stage on 12th Feb 2022 in the bridge. I kept one idol sparrow bird which contains red and pink sparkles lights and that can blink the whole day every night until the caterpillar turns into a butterfly. “Where is the sky, we want to fly.” I was counting each day to see the beautiful butterfly that can fly in the sky.
On 24th Feb 2021 at 6:30 PM, Lino was turned into a beautiful butterfly and my little sister called me to convey the message. Later I called her several times seeking information and with full excitement, I informed my brother about Lino.
Instructed my little sister to cover the bottle top portion with a smooth white transparent plastic cover having hundreds of holes in it which I kept ready before and one rubber band to cover the plastic cover.
I took the first click and released the butterfly to fly around the home. While getting back home I went to a fruit shop to buy single orange paying Rs. 48/- only. The salesperson asked one is sufficient? And said it is expensive. You can choose different oranges at less cost, and you will get more oranges too. Later got back with one orange and my little sister asked, you paid Rs. 48/- for a single orange? Where is it for me? Laughed and complained to my mother.
The butterfly didn’t like the costly orange juice, and it loved only simple sugar water, like my past pet butterflies. My little sister started staring at me for not giving the orange to her.
Lino becomes very smart and friendly. “Where is the sky, we want to fly.” We left our Lino in the balcony garden on 25th Feb 2022 at 5:00 PM. Then again I saw it the very next day in the morning, and it was wandering outside near one big tree happily.
Conclusion:
Pray, trust & wait
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