Raising and Releasing Monarchs
The new season is here! While I haven’t actually seen a monarch yet this year, I have 8 eggs after my milkweed inspection this morning. I found 3 yesterday and decided I needed to take another look today as Monarchs don’t generally leave eggs on one milkweed and leave the yard. I found 3 eggsContinue Reading “The 2019 Season is Here”
Hard to believe I did not get anything posted in July. Wow! What a month it was. I literally spent 4-5 hours each and every day, cutting down milkweed, rinsing it, trimming it, wrapping leaves, cleaning/bleaching caterpillar containers and collecting eggs. My goal this year was to release 100 healthy monarchs. As I write today,Continue Reading “Where Did July Go?”
Last I wrote I had 18 caterpillars. Unfortunately, one died during its first instar. Not sure why, as I have never had one die during this phase. Another one came very close. He/she was looking much smaller than the others and did not eat for a couple of days. I put the caterpillar in intensiveContinue Reading “First Chrysalides of 2018”
The 2018 season has started off stronger than past seasons, which I hope is a good indication of more monarchs in the area. I had one monarch egg last June when usually I don’t see any until later in July. As has been the case in my previous two seasons. I retrieved 21 eggs fromContinue Reading “And the Season Begins-“
She was faded, a chipped left wing and a hole in her right, but determined to get her eggs laid. She chose an area in my yard where about 40 common milkweeds grow. I watched her move from plant to plant, egg bumping on almost every plant. My first thought was, oh my, I amContinue Reading “First Monarch of the Season Has Arrived!”
My milkweed is finally in the ground! I ended up with over 100 plants to be planted, not to mention over 50 already coming up in my garden beds. There will be no shortage of plants for the monarchs to lay their eggs on or lack of food for the hungry little caterpillars. Hopefully, IContinue Reading “Milkweed Is Planted!”
The monarchs continue to move northward, yet at a slower pace than would be expected. The late winter storms moving across the Midwest states have caused the monarchs to slow their journey, understandably so. The monarchs move with favorable, warmer conditions. The leading northern edge of the migration pretty much came to a haltContinue Reading “Inclement Weather Causing Stop and Go for Monarchs”
Remaining monarchs have left their winter home in Cerro Pelon, Sierra Chincua and El Rosario, Mexico this week. Streams of butterflies were reported to be coming down the mountains. It’s time! The clock is ticking for this last generation of 2017. They are racing northward to produce the next generation. Where will they go andContinue Reading “Monarchs Arriving in Texas by the Hundreds”
