I never have enough parsley or fennel to get thru the BST season! So I grew some rue this year. I'm tearing my hair out trying to figure out what to do with the little bit of fennel I have left, it's covered with eggs and tiny cats, there's going to be a crisis!!!! And I have yet to ever see any eggs or cats on my rue!! Does anyone else ever see them on rue? I'm thinking about sticking a sprig of rue in the crate with my cats on their dwindling supply of fennel. I don't dare buy parsley from the grocery stores around here; I found out the hard way that it's all treated.
Anyone ever get BST cats on Rue?
Oh sure, lots of people have found BST eggs on their Rue. Cats may be reluctant to switch to Rue from other host plants, but it can be done. I think the earlier you switch the better. Maybe take small pieces of fennel with eggs and attach it to the Rue?
But why aren't the BST's even laying their eggs on the rue? They've used every bit of fennel, dill, parsley, even some carrot tops but they're avoiding the rue plants.
But I think I will try your idea Linda, and put some of the fennel with the eggs on it in amongst the branches of rue; it's worth a try, I'm getting desperate!!! Thanks!
We have 2 Rue plants in our garden and the female BST's do use them. Over the coarse of the summer, I've seen 5 or 6 of them lay eggs on them :)
Is there a place to get seeds for Rue? I have got dill and parsely growing this year and bronze fennel. Next year I would like to add some rue.
This is a reliable place to get seeds...I've purchased seeds from them several times. I also reccomend getting the Zowie Yellow Flame zinnia seeds too which they also sell. There were only 3 butterflies out of 30 that didn't enjoy them in our gardens!!! :)
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/product.aspx?category=205&subcategory=270&item=974
Thanks Susan!!
Is Rue a perennial?
This message was edited Aug 6, 2009 9:39 PM
Nanny,
If you read the small paragraph at the link i gave you to purchase the seeds, it says it's hardy to zone 4. According to what you have below your name, you are in zone 5b. It will be a perennial for you...It's a perennial for me here in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Didn't you go to the link I gave you in my last post?
Yes...it says hardy to zone 4 but does not clearly state that it is a perennial...geesh!
Nanny,
That's what hardiness means...a plant is a perennial within the "hardiness zones"...in this case it's zones 4-9...
It's the same thing. I don't know what else to say. I figured that if you knew your zone (5b) you would understand the concept of hardiness too...being the same thing...5b is inbetween 4-9.
Hey, I'm just trying to help you...don't get upset with the messenger.
This message was edited Aug 6, 2009 10:09 PM
I am in zone 8a and the rue stays green all winter. Presently am raising a BST cat in a butterfly box that Sheila gave to me. They have almost stripped my three citrus trees. It will root from a cutting very easily. Reminds me, time to clean "nursery" and put more fresh rue. Cat is on the side while waiting to shed its skin once again. Growing really fast.
My first attempt at raising a butterfly.
Christi
I'm confused, Christi. Are you raising a Black Swallowtail (BST)? They don't strip citrus but the Giant Swallowtail (GST) eats citrus.
The BST are on the Rue. GST are eating the citrus. Went to get more rue for my juvenile cat and found three more teeny-niny cats. Now I need to get more cages. The juvenile is on the side again...changing skin. Wasn't very plain above. The Rue roots very easily from a cutting. It blooms a beautiful yellow in the Spring.
Didn't know I was going to go into the butterfly business. Amazing that this wonder-world has been here all along and I am just now finding it.
Christi
It's fun, isn't it?? And there's so much helpful info on DG! My biggest problem happens every year, about now, when the caterpillars have eaten just about everything I have. When I go out to pick a few sprigs of dill, or fennel or parsley, to bring in for the cats I'm raising in a crate, I try to look closely to make sure I'm not bringing in more eggs and tiny cats, but I invariably do. This hobby gets stressful then!
Last year when I ran out of stuff in my gardens, I tried buying parsley (this is for my BST's) from the supermarket, and washing it really well, to give them. It was terrible, the cats died. I found out that parsley at the store is treated with a systemic pesticide, so it can't be washed OFF because it's inside the leaves. So that's out!!!
It's been easier with my variegated and gulf fritillaries: I have a ton of passionvine growing, I'll never run out of that!! Just have to find the little cats on it before the lizards, wasps or assasin bugs do...
Good luck Christi, have fun!
Have milkweed growing that Josephine gave to me last fall. It is huge now but haven't checked for monarch cats. Have had the striped cats before but don't remember what they are.
Christi
Pictures of the two milkweed caterpillars:
http://home.att.net/~larvalbugbio/eye/gallery-milkweed.html
The Monarchs might be here soon. Or maybe not...have wondered if they will avoid our area entirely because of the drought. In the wild, milkweeds are pretty much dormant (some may even be dead).
Nanny, I'll have Rue seeds for you! I had a bunch last year, but they spilled and got thrown out. :( I've had BSTs on my Rue at another house. I keep hoping a GST will enjoy them here.
I planted a TON of parsley this year, but I've had only a small amount of BSTs. In fact, aside from Monarchs, my numbers have been down.
Ditto on the Zowie. They love it.
Here's the rue.
Oh yeah...I remember about that now!! Okay...will wait for seeds then. I found this little guy while walking Buddy about half an hour ago!! I give up on Monarchs..too complicated for me!! LOL
Best I could do with bad light & flash....
Four years in October I strolled out on the deck to see what I thought were leaves falling. As I looked closer it was Monarchs...hundreds, maybe thousands as they covered every surface in my back yard as well as the neighbors. I ran in the house calling for everyone. As we watched in awe, I told them to never forget that we were standing on hallowed ground.
I have seen the stripped cat but this is the first year I have had milk/butterfly weed. I think it was on parsley last year. Ordered a butterfly cage from Discover.com today. Had no intention of going into the butterfly raising business. If you find them, there is a moral obligation to care for them. Right?
Right.
Christi
Christi, do you have trouble with powdery mildew on your milkweed? I have three cuttings that were given to me and they were doing great, other than the yellow aphids. Last week the powdery mildew and some other "gunk" started and I'm wondering if washing the aphids off caused that??
Of course, I don't want to use anything that will harm BFs. Got to do something soon because all 3 little plants are looking very unhealthy. Is there an effective organic treatment for powdery mildew I could use that won't hurt BFs?
Glenna
This is my first summer to have milkweed and so far the main problem has been aphids, over and over and over again. I checked it yesterday looking for cats, so far nothing. It has bloomed multiple times. Frostweed, Josephine gave me start of the milkweed, she is an expert in many fields. You might d-mail her.
Christi
FYI, In previous years I only had Butterfly weed and common milkweed. No aphids. ever.
This year I have added another tuberosa (gay butterflies), Swamp Milkweed, Whorled milkweed and Tropical milkweed. I have aphids on the tropical only. Interesting, si?
Believe mine is a Butterfly Weed.