Monarch Tagging

[Les]

Too late this year for anyone that might be interested but if this is something you might be interested in doing for next year, go to MonarchWatch.org for info.

[Bakersdozen]

How fun!  I hope to be able to do this when I retire. 


I took this picture a couple of days ago.  The Monarch is on a Sedum located a few feet from one of my hives.

[Jen]

I've got to do this again next year! I raised some Monarchs 3-4 years ago, and it was one of the most captivating events that I've ever been involved in. I learned how to ever so gently pick up the monarchs by the backs of their wings, then let their feet attach to your hand, then let go of their wings, and study them up close. It's the most amazing thing!

[Les]

Jen, I agree!

[Bakersdozen]

Les, but it's not too late to plant some nectar sources for butterflies that will be visiting next year.  Also, be careful about picking up sticks and debris in the yard because some species over winter as chrysalis attached to twigs.  At the very least, it is a good time to assess your landscape and look for holes that need filling with host plants. 

[Les]

Absolutely correct.  My gardens used to be all tidied up before winter (except for pulling weeds).  I don’t go in and cut back my perennials anymore.  Especially the coneflowers because the goldfinch feed on the seeds during our cold and snowy winters.

[Jen]

What are good plants and flowers for Monarch's. I know they need landing places where their wings can fan back and forth without touching anything near. Soo, cone flowers for sure...butterfly bush?

[Bakersdozen]

Good question, Jen.  I found this pdf file from Monarch Watch.  https://www.pollinator.org/pollinator.org/assets/generalFiles/MonarchGardenPlants_170625_152424.pdf

[Jen]

Thanks Baker, great plant resource here 

[Alleyyooper]

For Monarks you should plant Milk Weed Lots of Milk weed even in the shady areas.
Milk weed is where the monarks lay their eggs. the Hatching catapillers eat the leaves which produce a nasty tasteing substance, so birds leave them alone after eatting one.

We have the normal Mid west Milk weed in the near by fence lines and ditches. They grow from seed to start but afterwards use rizones to spreed.
Swamp Milk weed we grow in the low area along the creek and around the pond. These we collect the pods for the seeds as that is the only way I know to grow them.

Kare and I have been raiseing milk weed for over 25 years. We lost a lot back in the winter of 2014/2015 I seem to remember when the polor vortex hit hard for a long time.
we had seed saved back so we could start it in pots and then set out to rebuild our milk weed.


the honey bees love the blooms too. We had out front door garden chock full of it. Sales people uninvited would stop by and start to get out of their car then get right back in because of all the honey bees coming and going.
When that bed died out Kare suggested we probably should not replant there just because of the UPS delivery people and a few others.

This is a good you tube to wtch if your thinking of raiseing Monarks. Lots of good information in it.


One of our Monarks catapillers got in the garage this year.

      Al

[Alleyyooper]

For some reason a monark catapiller went in the garage and spun its cocoon on the handle of a wooden tool box I use when doing major repairs away from home. Been a while since I have used it, thankfully.






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Yesterday it hatched. Kare was worried when it turned black around 8:30 AM thinking some wasp may have stung it. I told her to start reading about them and she did. Google is a wonderful thing when looking for information isn't it.
She found out when it turns black the butter fly will emerige soon. So she started watching it and behold it came out about 10:00 AM. She also found out you should not move the butterfly while it is hanging as fluid flows down into its wings. At 12:30 AM it had moved from the handle side of the box to the front of the box. I told her to raise the door fully so it could fly out at that time.
I had a afternoon doctors appointment so we were leaveing at 1:00 PM and it was gone from the tool box. Kare saw one flying about the front door flower garden, it flew past her and landed on the damp approch to the garage. Worried Kare as several of her cats were about so she went to pick it up and it climbed on her hand. she took it across the driveway to a Hibiscus in bloom beside the honey house and put it on a petal.
It was gone when we got back from the doctors at 3:00 PM.

Al

[Les]

Jen, I know this is not a Monarch but it is an example of one of the best nectaring flowers I have seen all the pollinators use.  It is called “Verbena bonariensis”.  It is an annual in zone 5a but I just let it self seed and it forms a nice plot for them plus it is easier to snag them with a butterfly net so I can tag them.
Yesterday was an amazing day for Monarchs.  I have never experienced waves of Monarchs like this.  This was taking place all over the Hudson Valley.  They were definitely in migration mode.  I snagged ten on the Verbena and tagged them.  There were so many, I couldn’t get to them all.  I sat on my back step and just watched 100’s soar overhead!  To say I was over the moon with joy is an understatement!!!  Plant Milkweed everyone, the highway crews may mow it down but even if you have a small patch it helps them!

[Bakersdozen]

That's a nice story, Alleyooper.
I saw this on facebook.  It's how to tell a female chrysalis from a male chrysalis. 

The female has a short line and the male has a dimple.

Les, yes plant milkweed. Small patches do help.  Think of it like hopping from one island to another.   I am here many good reports this year.  Perhaps it is all the rain that most of the country has received. 

[Les]

Baker, perhaps but as I travel around, I see more and more yards unmowed in spots with patches of Milkweed.  I hope this practice is making “island hopping” easier for them.  I am hopeful people are catching on to the fact that we need to treat Mother Earth and her creatures better.......I’ll take baby steps from humankind.  Next we have to convince big farma to change to no till farming.....this practice has destroyed so much soil.  We can’t just keeping dumping fertilizers onto useless soil to get poor quality produce, etc.

[Bakersdozen]

I think "fragmentation of forage" is a term used more often.  I think people understand "island hopping" better.  They can visualize that.

[Les]

Another glorious day, the Monarchs are still on the move.  I tagged 11 today!  Another new plant that is blooming right next to the Verbena is a 6’ purple aster.  Every pollinator loves it.  The only problem is when I net a Monarch off of it I also get bumble and honeybees and the bumbles are not happy.  I am noticing that the purple flowers are drawing the Monarchs.  I have a couple coral colored Aster and they won’t touch it but the bees love it.   I have a fall blooming yellow coreopsis and they skip that too.  Also, they feed on the
late blooming purple Blazing star.  So purple is the secret for fall!

[Bakersdozen]

I suspect that the coral aster is a hybrid of some type.  Hybrids can have all the good nectar secretion capabilities bred out of them making them useless to desired insects.  In this part of the country, asters are the last nectar source available in the fall.  Asters attract many different pollinators and is a very critical source of food for honey bees.
We have Heath Asters that grow native.  They are very prolific this year due to all the rain we have had. 




Aromatic Asters and New England Asters also provide plenty of nectar and are beautiful.  This is a picture of Aromatic Aster.




When you brush against the foliage, a pleasant scent is produced.

[Les]

Baker, I agree about the aster being a hybrid.  I found a new nursery that offers more plants that are pollinator friendly but you still have to be observant when choosing plants.  I loved the color of the coral aster but stood and observed if bees were using it before I purchased it. Drove my friend crazy that was shopping with me LOL! More and more I am ripping out plants in my gardens that I observe no pollinators using and replacing them with plants that show me the pollinators use them.  When I think back on how I used to garden just for perfection and appearance. How my standards have changed as I have become enlightened!

[Bakersdozen]

More and more I am ripping out plants in my gardens that I observe no pollinators using and replacing them with plants that show me the pollinators use them.  When I think back on how I used to garden just for perfection and appearance. How my standards have changed as I have become enlightened!

Me too!  I used to have hybrid tea roses, iris, and peonies plus stuff I don't even remember.  I still have the iris and peonies, but have no desire to baby a hybrid tea roses with chemicals and such.  I do have some native plants that the bees aren't interested in, but other pollinators and birds are.  I like my yard to be alive.  I have a box turtle out there and some garter snakes too.   I still have daffodils and tulips too.  They make me smile.