Do you raise butterfly cats indoors?

I am new to Dave's and was wondering (without having to read every old post) how many of you raise any cats inside. What kind? In what type of cage? I have raised a lot of Black Swallowtail's and quite a few Monarch's. I brought most of my BST's inside last year, but not many this year. I did if I found them in their last instar because then I can ensure they make it to a butterfly safely. I had a huge fennel plant that was covered in cats earlier this year. It was being attacked something awful by aphids tho, so there was no way I could bring any of it inside. I just left them all outside and they all ate the fennel together. I only had 9 Monarch's this year, and they were from my parent's milkweed. I've had a lot visiting (about 20 yesterday) but no eggs yet.

Are you raising them now as we speak? How long do the alduts live?

Right now I have my one and only Zebra Longwing. I'm hoping it doesn't overwinter! I got it from a friends house. That was the first ZL I had seen outside of an exhibit. I'm so exciting waiting for them, but it's always a little scary to walk by the cage and suddenly there is a butterfly!

I released my last BST probably last week. I think it was the last. I had some that I wasn't sure if they were going to eclose, but then suddenly they did. I was surprised! Almost exactly one year ago, I had a BST lay over 50 eggs on my fennel. It was so late in the season, so I brought them all inside. I gave some away, and I think I had about 35. They all hatched in December! I was sure they would overwinter, but their clock was messed up. I had to feed a few of them inside after my cat got ahold of them. Even tho it was cold, if it was sunny I released them.

Adult butterflies don't live very long. It depends on the type. Some live for a few weeks and others for several months. I think the Monarch's have a pretty long life compared to some.

This is a picture of my fennel a few months ago. Look closely and you will see the cats all over it.

They ARE all over it. I read that fennel is a host plant and now I know that it is a must have plant for me.

Sure nuff !! ...

Your Fennel is 'loaded' with 'em!

Very nice pics kkb !!

- Magpye

This fennel lasted for over a year. It got about 5 feet tall and then put out a bunch of flower heads. I finally had to cut it way down, then instead of growing more leaves it just flowered again. The cats in this pic are devouring the seeds and the ladybugs and larvae are devouring aphids. Between them they stripped it and I guess sucked the life out of it. So I've not had any host food for a few months. I've got some growing now tho, and it usually survives the winter so I'll be ready when they come back. Plant it in the back or side of your bed if possible in case it gets big. I need to keep one planted beside my back door also so I won't have to go trek out in the dark to get food when I have cats.

Nah, they raise themselves outside just fine. The fritillaries think that I raise passion vines just for them. Used to raise silkworms every year though.

Ahh, a precious pic ... Another lil 'kid'apillar .. I see!!

Seems he's more than anxious to hep out too!

Ya jes gotta be proud of such a willing lil feller!!

- Magpye

Frogsrus (you people have great names!) I actually do have passionvines just for the frits. I sure hope the vines do better next year because they were really lame this year. In the last few weeks they at what little bit there was down to just a tall stem with some tendrils. I don't bring the frits in because the vines can't be in a natural position when you cut them. I like bringing the BST's in before they pupate so I can watch them.

Magpye, I am proud of him being so willing. He has watched me over the last few years and I've let him get involved. I'm hoping to create a lifetime of love for plants and gardens for him. Something that he will always remember and enjoy. He has a little section in my flower bed that is his. He's lost a little interest in it, but does get a proud look when I tell him there's a tomato or pepper.

kb, what a great foto!

frogs, not all species are raising themselves outside just fine! I would like to do it just for the fun/joy of it.

Oh my goodness! All 3 of your pics are just amazing! The first one is stunning for the sheer blst of color between the butterfly and the orange flowers! Wow!

The second would be such a dream come true for me in my garden...to have cats of such pretty butterflies gracing my garden in such abundance! :-)

But the absolute best is the one with your son! I think I'd be grinning stupidly for days if not only I had such pretty butterflies in my garden, but that one landed on one of my family ... AND long enough to get a pic of it too! Wow! All the butterflies around here are just SOOOOOOOOO shy around humans and don't allow close contact at all.

-Julie

Lightly spray em with sugar. Just kidding. Sidney

sugarweed I see your lil 'joking' suggestion .. but, it'd most probaby work: but them 'sweet-tweaked' yunkins would 'draw' more than just the butterfies to boot! hee hee

Yall heard about the unique rabbit, didn'tcha ? ... Now, just what kind of equivalent butterfly would that be, you spose? ..

C'mon everybody's heard and knows this'un ... right ?

. . . Why, it's the kind 'unique' upon !! . . .

Juls, that what you & the kiddos may need to do with flutterbyes .. to fetch them pitters!

- Magpye

This message was edited Nov 9, 2004 3:43 PM

When my children were not taller than I, we raised lots of buggie things. I love baby mantids!

Be sure to go on frit chrysalis hunts. They put them everywhere. High and low. The color is different depending on where they are. We found them in all sorts of unlikely places. Had to move the ones that were hanging from the BBQ. They seemed to do ok in a box.

My son is actually releasing one, that's why it's being friendly. It is crawling around trying to get the nerve to try it's new body out.

I found a GF chrysalis on my water hose cart the other day. It was darker than normal, probably the time of year.

oops...wrong pic...I guess you'd rather see the one that's not blurry.

Nice to have you here as a resource, konkrete. :-)

John

konkrete-
I have tons of passion vine and tons of frits and zebra long wings all summer - also milk weed and last year I did help a few monarchs by bringing them inside because they made their chrys. in such bad places!

I had so many cats on my passion vine this year I considered selling some, but never had time to figure out how to go about that!

:-)

onalee, I have a red passion, that just revealed its self yesterday. Besides this great flower, will it also host all these great cats and frits? How do I advertise for them? This is my Butterfly weed that I'm watching the seed pods on. I also brought milkweed pods from Texas. Surely I can run a B & B for some of these beauties.

Sugarweed -

The best thing you can do is plant lots of nectar flowers to draw them to the area, then they'll never leave! I couldn't even begin to say how many cats I had on my passion vines this year - hundreds, maybe even a thousand! I have about 100' of fence line covered with passion vine!

If you have any trouble getting them to eat your passion vine, you let me know next year and I'll mail you some Cats!

They love the torch mexican sunflower I have planted -it draws all kinds of butterflies and hummers to the yard . . Here's a zebra long wing taking a drink . .

Thanks John! I'm so excited to be getting involved.

Onalee, awesome picture!! I LOVE my Mexican Sunflowers! This was my first year for them. My first batch died, but I have some more that are coming up from their seed. It's fixing to get colder here, but they look like they might bloom while they are pretty low. :)) I am so jealous of that ZL. I hope to get enough passionvine that it will draw them to me, since I know they have been found within 10-15 miles of me.

Sugarweed, what I have always heard about the red passionvine is that it is actually a tropical vine, and is actually not a good host plant for the cats. I've heard that the cats will die on it, so if you get any, transfter them to another native passionvine.

Here is some helpful info:
Most red-flowered and a few blue flowered passifloras will not support the butterflies that use these vines in the United States. Many red-flowered tropical passionvines are on the market. Please do not use them - they are similar enough to our own passionvines that our female butterflies will lay eggs on them, but the caterpillars will soon die.

Gulf Fritillary
- Passionvine family, passifloraceae
1. Passiflora incarnata - maypop
2. Passiflora suberosa - corky stemmed passionvine
3. Passiflora lutea - yellow passionflower
4. Passiflora alto - 'Amethyst'/'Lavender Lady'/'Star of Mikan'
5. Passiflora caerulea - blue passionflower

Zebra Longwing
- Passionvine family, passifloraceae
1. Passiflora suberosa - corky stemmed passionvine
2. Passiflora biflora - two-flower passionvine
3. Passiflora lutea - yellow passionvine

Uuhhgrhhaaa, sob, sob, sob. No good deed will go unpunished. I was going to root a dozen to cover my neighbors fences tomorrow. It's still pretty and supposed to bear edible fruit. I will search out some of these others instead. (Shh, those are secret dirt fences.)

Thanks for the info and list!

Oh my Gosh - I didn't know that!! I've killed bunches of cats!! I never could understand why I didn't see any cats on my neighbors red passionvine - so when I got too many on my vines, I would transfer some to her red ones! Oh no! Wow, that makes me feel terrible! I'm so glad you posted that so I won't ever do that again!

bummer!

Onalee

Its our little secret. :-|

Can you guys handle a total newbie to this subject? This is incredible. I have never noticed cats on any of my plants, but I didn't notice seeds for years, either. I have sooo much reading to do here. Any first thought tips of where and what to read?

If we don't have an overload of butterflies in our area, and if someone sent me some BST cats, would it work for them to be transported here? Totally beginning newbie. I would dearly love to increase our butterfly population. We have hundreds of dragonflies which we enjoy tremendously, the garden is planted around our hummers as well as bees and flutterbys, so I don't know what we are doing wrong.

ladyanne .. I would think that konkreteblond wouldn't mind at all .. Besides, I'm still a 'lurkin' learner myself! ... lol
I'd be willing to bet .. that your situation is most similar to many of us: we jes never knew what to look for, nor had time .. or perhaps reason to even bother. hee hee

There's been several threads started about raising the caterpillars .. I'd have to go back and look to find them myself. And the particular user names have completely slipped (ok, 'fell') from my mind also! But there are several ... for sure.

It just thrills me, for all of these folks .. like kb here, and the many others .. that have such interest and dedication .. to pursure helping them along; let alone being able to locate 'em!! hee

- Magpye

Here's a web site to check to find what butterflies are native to your area and you can plant host plants based on what is natural in your area. You should be careful not to import something that is not native to your area.

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/bflyusa.htm

I'm telling you, the best thing I planted to draw the butterflies is the Torch Mexican Sunflowers - hummers love it too! at the same time I planted milkweed for the monarchs and passion vine and datura and I'm slowly finding other host plants to add in - next year I'm adding some cassia. You can't spray your yard with insecticides or even soap - you have to let the cat's eat it up! I also educate my neighbors as much as I can to leave the cats alone or CALL ME and I'll come get them and find something for them to eat - some people just can't stand to have their plants eaten!

Good Luck!

Onalee

Ah, insecticidal soap. No wonder. We import ladybugs and mantis and still have a huge whitefly, mexican beetle and aphid problems. I used a homemade garlic spray this year which includes one drop of soap, so that would be out, too? Or just on host plants? Thanks for the "no import" and I will happily settle for locals flutterbys. Lots to learn here. We lost our cassia (golden chain) when a large 100 year old mulberry tree branch fell on it. Is that the cassia you referred to or another? So many cassias! Have never been able to get butterly weed or milkweed to grow, will keep trying, and watch for Torch Mex Sunflower seeds. Killed the Datura as we have bunnies, but lots of passion vine and I want more! Thanks for the link, headed there now.

Thanks for another great site.

I don't remember the specifics but, I read somewhere that we should plant the milkweed species native to our area. B/c my Texas milkweeds might even be poisonous to California butterflies and vica versa. Could someone enlighten me?

Avoiding the soap/insectacide on the host plants is MOST important -I also try to keep it off of nectar plants as much as possible and certainly off the blooms - sometimes it's unavoidable as you say, if you're overrun with bugs ..

The sulphar butterflies use cassia as a host plant, from what I have read so far, there is not a specific type mentioned.

I've never had any trouble growing butterfly milkweed - I start them in pots to control moisture and since they are so small and seeds so light. The seeds do need to be fresh, I've found. After about a year I had very poor germination on my seed, but newer seeds had excellent germination. . .

I don't know about growing 'native' milk weed, but it would probably be the smart thing to do as that would be what nature has evolved the butterflies in your area to live on.. .

Onalee

Trip to Linda's Herbs outside St. Augustine to see what she has. Super place and bet she has some of the right milkweed for me. Any kindred soul going down I-95 thru St. Augustine ought to take this 30 min drive off the beaten path. Before I had all this time, I just wished for a Butterfly Garden, now I'm serious.

From the lists I have seen we grow easily over fifty percent of the recommended plants, so it must be the soap. Because of the hummers, we are extremely careful where this is applied, and most often by hand, opposed to a sprayer. I had never seen a year like this one for whitefly, and will be keeping a much sharper eye out for them from now on, to get them before we have another infestation. Still, so much to learn. We did have a feast of hummingbird moths here this year, so I am encouraged!

Yes Ladyanne, sending butterflies across state lines can be a no-no. I'm still not sure how the butterfly police know when one flies there on it's own! You evidentally have plenty of nectar sources if you plant for the hummers and have dragonflies too. What kinds of butterflies have you seen? (just basic color wise) Butterflies use many plants for nectar, but only specific ones are host plants. The host plant is where she will lay her eggs and what the caterpillars will eat. They won't eat just any leaf. Probably the easiest thing you can do to attract them and get eggs is plant fennel, parsley or dill for the Swallowtails. You've got a different variety than I have, but they still use the same host plants. If you plant it, they will come.

Monarchwatch.org probably has some good info on what milkweeds are best in your area. I believe they even have a forum now. I think what I have now is the Mexican Milkweed. I'm still not sure, even after discussing and looking at pictures. I love it tho. It's reseeded everywhere and I have a ton of babies. Unfortunately tho, it's going to get cold soon and they won't last until next year. I saved a bunch of seed tho, so I'll try and start some early in the spring.

Can anyone answer this question by calalily on 11/11 at 4:52pm?

http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/467921/#top

I answered to the best of my knowledge.

kb!

I am so excited by your information about red passifloras -- Blooms and I planted a pitiful little P.vitifolia in spring 2003... I think it had two leaves! BUT -- before the dirt had been tamped down, a Gulf Frittilary came and lit on the plant, and I had never even SEEN a Gulf Frittilary before.

This summer there has almost always been at least one GF flitting around the vine (which is enormous, trying to eat the house I think) -- but NO CATS ever. Everyone else boo-hoo'ing about cats stripping their passionvines, and I'm *wishing* something would eat some of mine because it is SO vigorous.

So now I am enlightened and also now I know I will have to interplant a native-type passi because I'm sure those b-flies *must* be laying eggs and poor hatchlings starving in the midst of (seeming) plenty.

Thank you, thank you! ~'spin!~

Ah HAH! That finally answered one of my questions. I see her posting as 2:52 pm, lol! DG DOES allow for the time differences.

Off to start a collection of information about promoting cats in our yard. I did not need another project, lol!!

So, they don't eat the red one. hunh. BUT the red one eats people