I just discovered various instars of blackswallowtails on my curled parsley. The dills in the garden didn't do well. So I'm going to have to buy some new parsleys for my little cats. My question is. If the nursery sprayed chemicaql on theirs, how long should I isolate the plants (to allow the toxic effect wears off before I used the plant for the cats to eat without hurting them?). Your feed back will be appreciated.
Parsleys for BST Cats....questions.
This is all I've one plant. There are two perhaps 2nd instars are seen, and two larger instars that hungrily munching away. It won't last long. Besides, the wasps will find them in no time if I don't get them indoor with some good food sources.
Awww, there are total 3 of the little ones, and two of the bigger guys. I'm keeping them in a safe environment for now. I need to find viable source to keep them sustained. Thank you for your help.
Lily_love, it all depends on what kind of chemicals were used. Some pesticides kill on contact then break down rapidly (like some pyrethroids) but other pesticides are systemic. Absorbed by the plants, they continue to kill insects over a prolonged period. The worst thing I could think of is Bt. Bt, or Bacillus thuringiensis, is a bacteria that is used as a biological pest control. It's deadly to all caterpillars.
Kate,
Thank you for your response. I went to our local co-op, and found four pots of curled parsleys, and guess what? There were BST cats on them. So if they were present, they were safe. I took a chance and picked them up. I keep two pots in a cage for the new found dozen or so cats. The other two I transplanted them into another large container to nurse them into some healthy plants for the rest of the littles ones. Wish me lucks.
Update; as of now, I've one chrysalis, and 4 are spinning their 'silk'. Wooohooo! 'em babies are eating me out of the house and home!!!
Congrats!
Yippie!!! Now I've four chrysalides, and the 5th one is in a j-formation.
Lily - can you post pics of the chrysalides? I had a cat munching on my dill last week and he totally ignored the parsley - the dill is nearly gone...but so is he...parsley still in tact so hoping a bird didn't swoop onto the back deck and get him - he ate the dill for nearly 3 days so hoping he just had his fill and went off to cocoon :)
hi rednyr, I'll see what I can do. Be back soon with pics.
I learned t from experienced butterflier lovers, the BST cats will eat either parsley or dills and their 'diet' can be switched over easily from --parsley to dills and vice versa when they're small. In years past, I've seen them on both my parsleys and dills. My recent batch are found on parsleys so I maintain them on the same 'diet'.
I happen to have one that's on its way of making its cacoon. Though, I'm a little concern, it took all day and hasn't changed much..... I found this one made its silks on the piece of paper towel I used while I cleaned out its cage. So instead of putting the cat. un-disturbed back into the cage. I transfer it here. (I'll have to keep a close watch on this one when it's ecloses). But it remained like that all day long. Others pics. to come but they didn't turn out very clear.
Others that formed their chrysalides yesterday in my butterflies cage.
the milkweed in the yard is untouched also...I've been checking it daily for signs of activity...here's my little guy chowing down
rednyr, the cat. looks very healthy. Looks as if it's ready for the final stage before it wanders off and forms its cacoon. Good lucks, with that. As far as Monarch. I haven't seen -- not a ONE in my garden as of yet.
Wooohooo, I've 4 more chrysalides and perhaps two others that are on the making. I am running low on Parsley once again, so I was surprised to have found some dills surviving outdoor. I tried a twig of the dills this morning when I cleaned out their habitat. One of the smaller instar readily latch onto the dill, but the larger cats. thus far have ignored the newly introduced 'diet'.
This is one of the newly formed chrysalis. This is its temporary parking, 'til I move it into the mesh cage awaiting for emerging time.
What do I know? The smaller cat. has left the dill untouched, but one of the larger cats. is munching on the dills as I type. :))
Hi, Lily_love. I was just outside watering my potted annuals and I found 4 BST cats on a bronze fennel. First time ever. I have never raised cats indoors. I have Cats, as in felines, and I don't have a protected spot in the house. I have read what others posted about their chances of survival but right now I can't set up a spot for them. Maybe next year.
Will take pics and post later.
Kate, congrats on finding the BST caterpillars. Just as lots of literature we've read. The butterflies population is very vulnerable out there in nature. We can hope for the best for them. On the other hand it requires time, effort, and patience when we adopt them indoor. Last several years I tried my hands on raising some Monarch and Eastern Black Swallowtails ect. The result were exciting, also challenging at time.
I love feline cats but don't have any at present. I can imagine they're very curious and hard to keep them from 'visiting' our other cats. ^_^
Just an update; currently I've 8 chrysalides, 3 -- on the making, and one 2nd instar. They all are doing well. I did lose 3-4 of them due to various reasons. :((
Two little BST cats.
Plus two more make four.
Those are nice! It won't be long before they wander off somewhere to pupate. I missed counted mine, got a total of 10 and 3 more on the making their way into chrysalid stage. For me, that meant another trip to the nursery. lol What I had was all eaten and needing some more. Luckily, the local nursery didn't use any pesticides on their veggies.
Bad news, there must be some toxic stuffs in the newly purchased Parsleys. One of my 3rd instar is struggling with its omentum (? the horns pertrude when threatened) were out for a long while, and it can't seem to retract them. :((
There are eleven chrysalides in counting. ...
Just had two emerge yesterday. I found them on my fennel, brought them in and watched the magic for exactly 14 days, right on schedule. Will try to post a pic later.
I'm glad you've came to share that good news. I've raised some last year, but have forgotten how long it took.
Nice thread Lily, I have only found one BST cat this year, and it is forming it's chrysalis as we speak--last september I found three cats on a wild carrot, and brought them in to raise--after reading about them I learned these would over winter, so I put them in a jar in the fridge and took them out this spring--only one made it and I have added it's photo--I am hoping to find some cats later this fall to do this again, as all winter whenever I opened the fridge I was reminded that spring was indeed coming.
Oh that's one nice looking of one. BCH. Knowing that they will keep over winter in the fridge is a plus, I am hoping these batch that I'm having will emerge before winter gets here. And yes, I'm so thankful we've these beauty in nature to enjoy during the growing season. As far as winter, I think the justifying reason is ... so we can appreciate Spring, summer and autumn more. lol
Nice thread. I only saw one BST cat this spring and it was on my dill. I looked for it later and it was gone, but it looked like it shed skin on the plant where it was. I hope it got away to another plant. Some of my parsley has gone to seed and looks very pretty next to some hot pink phlox. :)
Flat leaf parsley is in better condition and still waiting to be eaten.
Just checking in so I can follow your thread. Hope to hear more.
A.
A. as of this morning I've a total of 14 chrysalides. One formed over night. But for some reason the silk sling it formed shedded with the skin while it molted. So as a result it fell onto a cushiony paper towel down below. I hope it will fare okay. I've two more 5th instars, and a missing in action 2nd instar, and the parsley outdoor is becoming scanty. I avoid giving them the new contaminated parsley that I last purchased from the nursery for I think it's toxic.
Check this out! I had 3 chrysalides to eclose this morning, discovering them as I was heading out for Parsley to feed the cats. indoor. On my way back from cutting parsleys. The 4th one has eclosed. Whoa!!!
What a treat! :)
Just like everything else in life. The good, the bad, and the unfortunate. But looking at the bright side, with every crisis there are opportunities awaiting. My missing- in- action little instar is found. But it's struggling. From the 4 eclosed butterflies, one has a deformed wings. It kept falling down to the bottom of the cage from climbing up and tried as it might to pump its wings. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for this unfortunate butterfly.
Opportunity ? Yes, to fly to freedom for the very first time. I took the cage outdoor by the butterfly bush. One was eager to try out its wings and it didn't hestitate to fly high, up on the roof, and didn't stop for the nectar! Go figure!!! Then I lost sight of the beauty!
very nice Lily! We are still looking for BST cats, but have only found one
Had Frass on the parsley this morning, so we got excited only to find a cabbage White cat
ohhh Lily I was so thrilled to go to work Thursday - as I was packing up my car - a new herb container I had done a few weeks ago was ready to be sold - but as I went to pick it up I had TWO monarch cats on it! I was besiged with joy and left it home...as of today they are fat and tonight when I got home from the farmers market they were gone...I'm not complaining there is no dill or parsley left - just the Red Rubin Basil in the pot...so I'll toss some oregano in it for another sale day and just wanted to share how excited I was -
so let me ask...because I do not have a butterfly 'home' - what are their favorite places to go off to, to chrysilde in? trees? under the greenhouse? I really need to get a book and read up more...had they not been gone today I was actually going to move them to the Butterfly weed in the back yard so they could continue feasting...
red....going to get a link and post, but question......Did you find the Monarchs on Milkweed or Dill or parsley? I am confused.
I think Red may have had some BSTs cats instead. :)) I can totally relate, that was the state I was in several years ago. :)) Thanks Sheila for helping getting to an informative link for Red. Marna has posted one, and I can't find it at the moment. Hang on Red. You're in for a pleasant journey with us butterflies lovers.
Oh, one pleasant thing happened this evening. As DH and I was getting ready to go on to town. Our 5th Eastern Black Swallowtail butterfly has eclosed, it seemed ready to be released. So I didn't want to keep it imprisoned inside for hours. I released the little darling. And my DH was so pleased with the butterfly, he chased it down with his Droid phone to catch pictures. He was ectastic! LOL, yep possitive influences from me. Now DH is another butterflies raising enthusiast.
My DH doesn't help with the raising but enjoys seeing them and snapping pictures too. Can't tell you how many times I grab the camera and run when he says there is a butterfly in the flower bed out front. LOL!
Ok got side tracked.....needed to get my order in for tagging kit...kept forgetting.