All of the caterpillars in the kit have already gone into their cocoons, so they'll probably hatch before the end of January. The kit came with some food to keep the butterflies alive for observation, but the instructions say to release them outside after two or three weeks. There's a foot of snow out there! That would kill them for sure. Should I just leave the butterflies in the net container until they reach the end of their lifespans? It seems kind of sad. They are painted lady butterflies.