Abilene Wide Open: Butterflies bedazzle Big Country flower beds as autumn stays warm

Maybe you haven't noticed, but the air has been filled with butterflies the past month.

You see them in the end zone at college football games. They buzz the earlobes of gubernatorial candidates giving TV interviews. Your cat loses its mind each day from his window perch entranced by all that colorful, random motion.

There weren't a lot of pollinators over the summer, it seemed. Likely it was the heat, they stayed close to home like the rest of us, hunkering down and hoping for a break in the weather.

And when it came, they came out too.

Gregg's Mist is a popular Texas native plant enjoyed by Monarchs and other butterflies at this time of year. You can recognize it by its small lavender flowers and tendency to take over a flower bed. But with warm, sunny afternoons in play, butterflies reply in kind.

If you don't have Gregg's Mist but want to help out the Monarchs, Queens, Gulf Fritillaries and the rest, a simple solution of honey and water in a shallow dish or jar lid will do the trick. Mix it one teaspoon of honey to five or six teaspoons of water.

And remember, if your daughter puts a drop of honey on her finger and a butterfly takes an interest in it, remember not to touch its wings. Just let it get its fill and before it moves on, you might have a fun picture.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Butterflies bedazzle Big Country flower beds as autumn stays warm