Monarchs & milkweed

[Susan W]

Can you see my excitement through the screen?!
Back in May-June got a wild hair to try to start milkweeds. This a trial run so I may be more prepared for next season. (stop the giggles!!) I do have butterfly weed well established.

Got seeds from a couple of sources for both swamp and common milkweed. Actually got a few to sprout! In the last month got a nice ($) swamp milkweed at the garden center, and it is relatively happy in its spot, no blooms yet. Put a start of both swamp and common in a spot by the bird bath.

Drum roll. Thursday checking on things saw a small monarch caterpillar on that little swamp milkweed (about 12" tall). And perhaps a little wee one. Lost them for a few hours, now seeing 2 munching their way through.

Yesterday quickly put a couple of the milkweed starts in a large container, today put another next to above mentioned plant. Tomorrow will try to move one of the munchers to one of these as they will run out of food.

I did notice one monarch in the yard, hitting on the coneflower and other food sources. How does one find a tiny plant in the middle of everything to lay her eggs?! Amazing!

To share the thrill, was at market yesterday and mentioned to several customers interested in this milkweed project. We are all so-on-board for next season!

Just had to share. Thanks for listening.

[Susan W]

Update on my monarch babies! There are 2 caterpillars. I lost them for awhile, but then showed again. Being worried that there isn't enough food on one small plant, put a milkweed start in the ground about a foot away from their roost. Later moved one to it. Not happy, somehow found its way back to plant #1. Yesterday both were feeding like a buffet table, and I see problems in supply. I moved another start, about 10" in a 4" pot up and cozied in with their plant. Well, both are on it now, and I think there's enough food.

What's next?! Perhaps Applestar will chime in

[letsgarden]

Hi Susan,
Yes, your excitement does show! I really enjoyed reading about your butterfly experience and found myself smiling the entire time.
Looking forward to your follow up post.

Cheryl

[Susan W]

Update on my Monarch babies. There are 2, eating and growing. No matter the situation, they seem to stay near each other. As mentioned above, I had put 2 starts in a large container (not knowing what else to do with them!). Today moved the 2 babies on a small 4" container over to the big one. Got the leaves overlapping. They just went on munching, and interesting staying close. They are growing, fast!

Big question now, Applestar listening?! The caterpillar hangs to pupate. May this be on a leaf, or do I need to work another arrangement?

[applestar]

I'm here.

Well, they will tend to climb to a suitably high horizontal surface. In a indoor setup, that would usually be the lid or ceiling of the container, but in a small enclosure, they do sometimes pupate on the bottom of a milkweed leaf. But outside, I've found them under the bench, fence rail, wire fence, etc. Most of the time, they move away from the plant they were feeding on -- I've found Monarch chrysalis 40 feet from any milkweed. Some say this is a way to foil their predators... but sometimes a hungry 5th instar will turn cannibal and eat a sibling chrysalis.

I've had a caterpillar make a chrysalis on a big healthy milkweed leaf, only to have it completely eaten to the central leaf stem/vein by another caterpillar, and with a final CHOMP the leaf vein is cut and the chrysalis end up on the floor of the container/enclosure. STOP THAT! I've seen a 5th instar start to crawl over a recently metamorphosed, not yet hardened chrysalis and it would wiggle in alarm or protest. HERE, CRAWL ON THIS LEAF INSTEAD

Sometimes, they get confused. If I can find them, I will post photos of some goof-ball locations they've found to attach themselves.

Ideally the location will have sufficient room for them to cling to the empty chrysalis and hang down while pumping their wings to their full extent and drying them.

[applestar]

Here's one

In Subject: 2012 butterfly project commentary

I decided to make a new thread that works better for this post

We have a cute desktop fan that we use every day to move the air to supplement the a/c when the afternoon sun heats up this room. Today was overcast so we weren't feeling the heat until just a little while ago.

This is what I found when I went to turn the fan on


Yep. This is a newly eclosed Monarch butterfly INSIDE the fan, hanging from the shell of a chrysalis it had attached to the inside roof of the fan box.

We keep the Monarch rearing containers on this table, and we did lose a 5th instar caterpillar a week or so ago.... Did I say we use this fan EVERY DAY?

We've unplugged the fan so there wont be any accidents, and tomorrow, we will be disassembling the fan.

[Susan W]

Thanks for comments applestar.
Yesterday AM figured one was getting close. I did find the pop-up laundry hamper I remembered I had...but where?! Opened, hosed it, left in sun. I was gone less than 1 hour, and the one cat had gone rogue. The hamper being dry, put the milkweed start with other cat on it in the hamper. Found rogue one and got it in there. All day it moved about, mostly towards top. Other one just munching away on leaves. The top of hamper doesn't close, so laid a cotton tea towel over, and chose one of my handwoven ones (need class here!)
This AM, one finally settled on the towel is chrysalis now. Other on a leaf, very slow and figure it to go rogue soon. The hamper is in shade, sheltered, small back porch.

[applestar]

Sounds like they are comfortable You are doing a great job

I'm kind of envious because I still can't find any Monarch eggs or caterpillars except for that one chrysalis I saw. I've only seen maybe 6 Monarch butterflies all summer.

...I found one more silly chrysalis location that I wanted to share. In this case, I was in a hurry and put a pile of still damp from washing milkweed leaves in the enclosure so I had the bright idea to create airflow with a paper towel tube. Next morning when I took the tube out to remove it, something *clunked* inside....

I ended up trimming out the chrysalis where it was attached, and
securing the cardboard with this thingamajig sufficiently high up on
the side netting of the eclosing cage/enclosure.

[Susan W]

You're a star, apple, Rock star! The pics you shared with your hamper looks like one made for this, and has a top cover. I'm using the pop-up laundry hamper, looks the same, a bit smaller, and top isn't enclosed.

Now, for me, one baby is chrysalis. Other moped around today and settled in on the cover, a few inches from 1st. This is the cotton (handwoven -have to emphasize!!) tea towel over the top opening. It's hanging, J form, and should be green by AM.

Next is, how long? The caterpillar was just over 1 week. This set-up has plenty of air and space for one to spread it's wings.

Next biggie is, where does this adult go? In just a couple of weeks I usually see a few monarchs coming south, when the Mexican sage comes into bloom. In the bigger life cycle, perhaps this adult goes south.

I have to share again among friends. This was beyond my wildest expectations to mess with milkweed starts mainly thinking next season, and have mama butterfly find my small plant in urban yard.

[applestar]

Thank you -- I'm so glad I could help with your project.

You are talking about the hamper (and caterpillar rearing container) photos posted here right?
Subject: Our 2010 Monarch Project is well underway

The white releasing cage is made of a large semi-cylinder shaped student laundry hamper with a hanging handle. It just has the sky blue bandana safety-pinned to cover the top opening. It hangs against a wall/door handle/chair back/etc. and is easy to get into and out, open just a corner by undoing one pin, or flip open completely etc.

Tagged and ready to release Monarch butterflies:


The navy blue eclosing cage/enclosure is made of a small square/rectangular prism-shaped laundry hamper, and it is standing upside-down. A heavy plastic, rounded square caterer's platter/tray I happened to have turned out to be exactly the right size fit. With the hamper upside-down, the tray can be slipped inside the opening with the corner flaps fitted under/against the corners of the tray, preventing roaming caterpillars from escaping (one time my younger DD failed to completely close a corner, and we had several fugitives that eventually eclosed in various areas of the room). The weight of the tray is sufficient to keep the hamper weighed down since this was only used inside the house. The tray was lined with a double layer of paper towels, and being able to slip it out from the bottom made it easy to clean the messes the big 4th/5th caterpillars make (I got the idea from thinking about birdcage design ).

The caterpillars generally congregated at the top (nylon bottom panel of the hamper) to pupate, and the hamper was just tall enough that we could reach up from the bottom. The butterflies' tendency to try to walk/fly upwards at all times meant that unless one was on the floor of the enclosure, they tended not to escape.

4th~5th Instars/Chrysalises/Newly Eclosed Butterflies:

I kept track of the chrysalises with removable stickers labeled with date of full chrysalis transformation. In the A/C'd cooler day temp and warmer night temp than outside, they took around 11 days to eclose, and by numbering and dating them, I could anticipate and keep track.


When catching and handling butterflies and caterpillars, remember this trait -- if you position a finger just in front/above where they are clinging (very tightly BTW -- you can damage their little feet by trying to forcibly pull off -- the more you pull, tighter they cling) and "goose" (poke) their tushie, they will move forward/up and transfer their position to your finger. To catch the butterflies, cup your hand over them and goose, and they will cling upside down on your hand so bring up your other hand to cup under them to completely enclose without damaging the wings (there is a technique for holding them by their wings too).

ALWAYS WASH HANDS THOROUGHLY TO REMOVE OIL AND GREASE (lotion) FROM YOUR HANDS AND DRY THOROUGHLY BEFORE HANDLING BUTTERFLIES TO AVOID REMOVING THEIR WINGSCALES TO A MINIMUM.

[applestar]

Next biggie is, where does this adult go? In just a couple of weeks I usually see a few monarchs coming south, when the Mexican sage comes into bloom. In the bigger life cycle, perhaps this adult goes south.

Until they have the urge to migrate (I believe this state/phase is called diapause) they will remain in the area and mate and deposit eggs. I think yours will probably still stick around.

In Cape May, NJ, major Monarch migration pass through at end of September-beginning of October, so I would assume that's around when the ones in my garden will head south too.

MONARCH BUTTERFLY -JOURNEY NORTH- Fall Monarch Migration Map

[Susan W]

Thank you Apple for all of your comments and insights. Much appreciated! Next time around I may try the upside down laundry hamper.

I see something that needs addressed for next season(s) is more flowers growing, rather blooming for Aug-Sept. Not just for monarchs, but all of our buddies. That's another thread in itself!

[applestar]

You are very welcome.

...I do that too -- look around and say, hey, the garden needs more flowers for the butterflies/hummingbirds/etc. I also like to have enough plants that will make seeds that birds like chickadees, nuthatches, like, as well as ones for finches and juncos.

BTW I saw another solitary Monarch butterfly in the garden today....

[Susan W]

Cat 1 hatched this AM! I'm leaving all in the hamper. I don't know how long it wants to hang and spread-stretch before venturing out. Given this timing, other will emerge tomorrow.

[applestar]

For simply opening the container and letting them walk up to the opening and taking off, I think they would be ready in about 4-6 hours.

We move them to the butterfly holding cage after 6-12 hrs so the wings have stiffened enough to beat inside our handcage and we wait until the next day (24-36 hrs) to HANDLE THEM by wingribs for sexing and tagging when we are participating in the Monarch Watch project.

We then either release them immediately or hold them for various reasons, but they need to be fed if caged for 24 hrs or longer.

[applestar]

So few Monarch butterflies flying through or visiting this year.
But
I did see one flying today. I can't tell if they were stopping by or have grown up here as cats and are eclosing in the garden. A hummingbird chased it away before I could take a good look.

We do have one guest in the house
I found it as a 5th instar caterpillar on a Swamp Milkweed and brought it in to keep safe, though I was afraid it might be infested by Tachinid flies, but it successfully turned into the chrysalis day before yesterday.

[LIcenter]

Just wanted to jump in to say what a great read this was. My goal next year is to experience exactly what you guys have. I'm sure I will have many questions, so it's nice to know we have a few pros here to help when I stumble. I also plan on planting a 36 cell tray with milk weed seeds I collected this fall. (Asclepias incarnata) 'Cinderella'

[imafan26]

Great information. I did not think there would be so many butterflies so late in the year. Butterfly weed does seem to attract a lot and it can take being chewed on. We have crown flower, giant milkweed, and it is the primary food source of the monarchs here and every year, it gets chewed down to the stems.