Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardening: DAILY BUTTERFLIES Page 37, 1 by debnes_dfw_tx

debnes_dfw_tx wrote:
The worst thing about being offline for a week or so is catching up!! So I hope you all will forgive me if I miss mentioning anything or anyone, but you have all been doing so awesomely!!
It's nice to see a few of my BW buddies in here too!
Very cool to see what came out in a crevice of your garage Ms Ed! Yep the Swallowtails all overwinter as chrysalids. Amazing how that one found daylight and good work finding it!

Elaine, I figured it was an Am. Lady butterfly. Your last pic of it is GREAT! Would love to have some seed from the plant it was eating... ::-)
CAT >..< That plant the TSTs were on is definitely Sweet Bay Magnolia.. Beautiful pic! Find any of the pitcher plant yet? I will be looking for carnivorous plants if I ever make it to out patch of land in Hardin County. There are supposed to be at least 10 Carnie plants growing there in the basin where 2 creeks converge.

Mellie~ Your blues are outstanding!!
Deepest thanks for doing such a great job keeping up the thread!

Speaking of Blues... Kim!! I am so glad to see you here and raising all those butterflies.

It occured to me during my last speaking engagement while talking and teaching how to get butterflies in your garden...
Linda! Your RSPs turned out marvelous! Glad your DH got a chance to see it too.. :-)

One reason why we may be seeing less butterfly action this year...

Y'all remember last year when people were having so much trouble with webworms? Well, some of the nurseries "helped" the desperate patrons wanting to get rid of them and sold them various poisions to apply, EVEN ORGANIC Nurseries were recommending use of BT and saying how it is organic and they would rid themselves of the webworms without worrying.. WELL BT kills caterpilars.. ALL Caterpillars!!! If it isn't used verrrry carefully it can devastate entire butterfly populations as well.
While there are still several other factors, I think this is a major cause of the butterfly population decline. Butterflies perish for lack of complete human knowledge. The nursery people are correct BT is organic.. However "the rest of the story" is it kills every other kind of larvae as well. Now What?

I know I missed mentioning some of the great stuff I've read the last couple threads, but BEAUTIFUL WORK Y'ALL!!

Debnes

Oh btw.. I have been raing lots of Black and Giant Swallowtails, Gulf Fritillaries, and Cabbage Whites... (Still haven't seen as many as I am used to.) :-| Sheesh!!
Even a Wooly Bear, LOL!!