Monark Butterflys

[Alleyyooper]

Years ago I would be out on Lake Huron and see Monark butterflys by the thousands in early Sept migrating.
Got so I was rarely seeing the Monarks at all let alone while on the big water while fishing.
Then I some how happened to see a PBS show they were in major trouble.

So I started looking into ways i could possiable help them out. Started by collecting Milk weed seed pods and then distrubting the seeds thru out my property and the road side ditches where they will not get mowed down.

I discovered by accident a swamp milk weed that likes wet damp areas. that has opened up a whole new grow area for milk weed plants. Along our creek bank even in the midst of the woods the swamp milk weed does really well.
To me the last few years it seems like I was seeing the catapillers on the swamp milk weed more than the common for some reason. Maybe it is the moisture surrounding the plants, not sure.

I am thinking I will make an attempt this year to collect catipillers and raise them into full grown butterflys.

This is one of the catipillers I was watching last summer. It is on a swamp milk week plant, note the narrow leaves.






One added benifit is the honey bees love the blooms. We have some well a lot in the front door garden and it gets so busy with bees keeps church people polititons and sales people from knocking on the front door.


Al

[Bakersdozen]

You are doing what scientists and naturalists are begging people to do!  That's fantastic!
I started some swamp milkweed seeds this year and got great germination.  I understand that they will live in a drier soil as well.  My seedlings are still small.  If a Monarch hatched on my seedlings there would be nothing left!
Here is a web site you might be interested in.  monarchwatch.org  Monarch Watch is part of the entomology department at the University of Kansas and was founded by Dr. Chip Taylor.  Taylor did a lot of honey bee research in South America.

[Zweefer]

That is awesome Alleyyooper!  Anything to help the pollinators is exactly that - a help!   
Too bad Las hasn’t been around, if I remember correctly, she was big into monarchs.

[Alleyyooper]

Should be no problem with migration with the Monarks I raise as we have a screen porch so nearly as good as our side.

Al

[Les]

Hi guys, I’m still around, just dealing with lots of family stuff plus my recent hip replacement.  Just got back from a short walk with the pup, so I am getting there.  As Baker commented, Monarch Watch is a great source of info.  Another site is Journey North, you can post your sitings and track the migration of Monarchs and many other species.  Now if you really want to learn how to raise Monarchs from the wild I suggest you search YouTube for a channel called “MrLundScience”.  He is where I gleaned all of my direction.  He has a playlist of 51 videos on how to raise Monarchs.  I don’t do everything exactly as he does but darn close.  I found these on Amazon


And am trying them out this year.  I stick them into that solid green craft foam but I understand you can also use foam egg cartons.  I spotted my first Monarch a couple days ago (we are always late in the Hudson Valley), watched where she layed her eggs on the milkweed and harvested them.

I have thoroughly enjoyed raising them and encourage you all to look into it.


great nature poets

[Alleyyooper]

Yes Misterlund's you tubes are the best most informitive of them all. He doesn't add in a bunch of stuff unrelated.

I saw our first ones end of last week of the 4th. It was working over the swamp milk weed back along rhe creek in the woods.

I don't really want to harvest the eggs as I am afraid with every thing else I am doing I would for get to care for them.
But once the catipiller reach a age when they are close to changeing I feel I could make time then.

In the mean time I keep planting milk weed seeds any place I can find a spot.
They tell me the catipillers taste awful to birds, OK fine and dandy but how many young birds find that out when they have snatched a catipiller off a milk weed leaf and killed it?



Al