Well, today I saw the first ones I've noticed in our part of Texas this year. Two flying near a creek and one flying over the highway! The male I saw close-up was faded and a little bit tattered. I wasn't home at the time, but hope they find their way to my place! Come on, Monarchs, I have plenty of milkweed! And because of drought they won't find much milkweed in the wild around Texas!
Monarchs Have Arrived!
How exciting! Isn't it funny how you can see them, no matter where they are? Like flying over the highway!! I'll see a hint of a shadow and lean closer to the steering wheel to look out and I'll see one.
I don't have any milkweed yet. They don't usually come to my garden until the end of the season so I'll have time for it to grow. I need to build a new cage to raise them in too.
And a few of them were here at my place today also. Had a light frost last night, hopefully the last one this spring. This year I had some Mexican milkweeds in pots that I could protect a little when freezing weather was likely. That gave me a head start this year. I had started planting them, thinking there would be no more freezes. But last night was just a light frost, so a light cover over the plants did the trick.
I had two Monarchs in the garden yesterday. Watching I saw one land on the ground at the back of the yard. When I went to look at it, I noticed it had lit on my newly planted Milkweed!!! It only has about three leaves, how they found it, is beyond me. I bet they will be back when it blooms!
I just hope you don't find caterpillars on it. Mama Monarchs usually lay eggs when there is enough plants for their offspring to survive, but have been known to lay eggs where there isn't, if they find no other options. The caterpillars are voracious eaters and will strip a small plant pretty quick. I had to find more safe milkweed plants last fall when I had more than a dozen Queen and Monarch babies to keep alive and all foliage was gone off my plants. Thank goodness I found some plants in time.
I've had one huge one in my yard for 2 days now! My son was so excited to tell me about it yesterday. He knows all about them but they are studying them now in school so he's especially interested. I'm so happy to see one!
Saw one still hanging out here today also. It was feeding on a huge bradford pear in my neighbor's yard.