Hmmm. I have a straggler. I can see a break in the chrysalis, but s/he ain't comin' out. C'mon critter!! :/
On the other hand, I released 2 sulfurs today and another monarch is hanging up to dry. Should be ready to go within the hour.
A.
Monarch Cats . . . Finally.
Got a picture Amanda? Could be that one was parasitized or have a disease called O.E.
Whoops! Just checked 'em again and it eclosed. :)
False alarm. The first one is thumbing her/his nose at me from my passion flower vine where I placed her/him. Should be ready to go - I think the second will stay the night before launch.
A.
Sheila - can you determine sex with image of underside of wings or do you need topside?
http://www.monarchwatch.org/biology/sexing.htm
Congrats Amanda, Geez I can almost sense your excitement from ways over here. I'm happy for you.
That's a great idea Sheila!! I'll gather em up and bring em to ya. I'll text you soon :)
Ha ha ha - yes it is exciting. I can't get any thing done - just like when they were feeding, only now it's my handwringing. Good I don't have kids. I might be one of those helicopter moms. :D
Thanks for the link. I learned this last season, but it's been a whole year since I had to think about it.
The second monarch is perched on a tall hyssop out there. He seemed eager to leave, but he was not quite ready. I'm sleepy. Another big day tomorrow. Have a good night.
A.
2 more released today. :)
Ways to go Amanda! Congrats.
My daughter and I found 19 cats on our milkweed yesterday. She was EXCITED. We also found a good number of gulf frittilaries and tomato hornworms.
Wow! That's great. I'd be excited too!!
WooHoo Go Dennis!!!
Posting this on more than one thread to try to get a faster answer. ;)
Rain coming probably all day Tuesday and random t-storms Wednesday. I have 1 that eclosed this afternoon around 1:30 p.m.
I wonder if I should hold it till Wednesday or Thursday?
I put vases of flowers inside the pvc netted cage/tent/box if I do.
Thoughts?
Thanks.
I never hold them more then over night--however, as long as you supply nectar or sugarwater they should be fine for a couple of days
Also at a local 'Flutter Festival' our local nature staffs demonstrated by ... offering nectar by pouring a small amount of nectar over a peace of foam....to create a puddle of nectar while they kept the butterflies in the cages to hold for the public -- before they release the butterflies at the event.
Well I kept her - I also put 3 vases of cut flowers from the yard - mostly zinnias and asters - for them to feed on. I would think that'd be just fine. I'm going to have heavy rain all day tomorrow. Not pleased with my choices. She emerged today around 1:30 p.m. or so. Just started to open and close her wings around 6. With nightfall at 7 p.m., I'm just being over protective.
Someone tell me that this is wrong and I'll do better next time! :D
do you have any banana or watermelon? They would love that too.
Forecast for tomorrow 1.5"+
I will get bananas and watermelon. We'll make daiquiris. :D
It's 56 degrees out.
There are 2 ladies waiting.
I don't think they are missing much or would have been doing anything other than sitting today anyway. Better dry and protected. Glad I kept them.
They'll be off tomorrow afternoon.
Thanks for your thoughts.
A.
Possitive thought sending your way Amanda. The weather has been turbulent the last couple of days. Hope the butterflies will have a safe journey South.
Thanks, lady. I hope so too. It's a little sad when they go. I'll have just one more to release.
A.
Sounds like your plan is working out Amanda
We had one eclose last night, so early this morning I tested him for OE, luckily he is healthy, so I tagged him and put him on a flower before I went to work. So he's on his way south--I only hope he has enough time!
Ow. That was a painful experience.
The rain has finally stopped. It's supposed to clear up this afternoon.
I opened up the butterfly cage and the one that eclosed Monday night was still in the same spot clinging to the top/side of the cage. I reached in to take her out and she started flopping around. Flopped around on the bottom of the cage, climbed up. Tried to get her again, more flopping. Then her wings started vibrating like she had tremors. I took her quickly and put her on the NE aster. She climbed around and stopped with her giant wings (she was very large!) trembling. I brought the second butterfly out - this one came out yesterday afternoon. It jumped and landed on some salvia.
I came back and sat down on the porch, shaken. This is the kind of thing that could really ruin my day. As I sat there I watched a monarch fly around the corner and up over the roof. I went to look, and it was the first trembling monarch, gone from the aster. Good Lord, she gave me a start.
The second one is still deliberating. I have one chrysalis left and it turned black overnight. I think every year I say, "I'm not sure if I'll be able to do this again next year." Quite a nerve wracking hobby.
A.
Bless your heart.
Amanda, sounds as if you needed a good comforting hug. And that everything will be okay. Best wishes.
Thanks for those nice thoughts. I hope she got away okay.
Spent the rest of my day at a conference of the North American Association of Environmental Educators. Bunch of weirdos. ;)
A.
Aw crud. My last Monarch eclosed overnight/a.m. and looks like another day of rain.
Also - the spiders in my garden must be very hungry because they have put up nets all over! I may have to relocate one or two as it's a butterfly garden after all. They have been warned! :/
I hope not to have the trauma/drama that we had yesterday. Hope yours is pleasant. :)
A.
Thank you Amanda, on behalf of the butterflies, for raising and caring for your cats!
They are quite welcome, any time!!! ;)
I decided to go ahead and put the last butterfly out between cycles of rain (photo). There were at least 3 hours for it to figure out how to flit about. Then it rained off and on for a couple of hours. The sun finally came out, and after an errand I pulled into the driveway to find a monarch flitting around the front yard where I'd released earlier today. Prolly the same little guy doing a little dance in the sunshine.
Now begins the long road to next season. I wish them Godspeed.
A.
This is definately a crazy Monarch year. I have Monarchs laying eggs today in 48-50 degree temps! They are suppose to be headed south!!
We just had one eclose here last week!
This was my 1st year that I had zero Monarch caterpilar. None, zip nada. I missed seeing those little ones.
I have three cats in my greenhouse right now. One has attached itself to a plant to form its chrysalis, and the other two are at various stages living on the A. currasavica which I potted for the winter. I found them as I was taking cuttings from A. currasavica to root for next spring. Hopefully they make butterflies before winter becomes too harsh.
Wow - I had my first hard frost this morning.
No sign of them here. I wonder if they are still laying eggs because they somehow KNOW their population numbers are dwindling with the drought and what not. Survival mechanism?!
I was thinking the same thing Amanda. Maybe Dale will pop in with an expert opinion here. I just know I haven't seen them this late in the year laying eggs before.
The monarchs have been laying eggs daily on my pitiful leggy milkweeds. I actually went a bought another one this past week so they have food...they didn't look much better at the nursery, but still better than mine. Mine are so leggy and I usually cut them back now, but have eggs on them and tiny cats...so don't want to bother them. Weather has been warm here maybe the reason why.
This cat is a bit over an inch...taken a few days ago.
