I have pipevine in my garden and was thrilled to get eggs from the PST.I brought the babies inside after they hatched but within days they began dying off! The last one seemed to "shrink" in on himself and his head color changed from black to almost see through. With the next batch I tried misting them lightly with water. It seemed to help but it's so sad to see them keep dying. Has this happened to others? Tips?
Thanks!!
Adrienne
Palm Harbor,FL
Polydamus Swallowtail trouble
I don't know, I bring in baby cats after they have some size to them. They need constant fresh food, you have to give them new leaves daily and maybe the tiny guys need fresh food more often? I do mist my tank daily as I also have moths pupating under some leaf matter on the bottom of the tank.
Liz
asafla,
You'll have to try and leave them on the pipe vine outside.Is the vine planted in the ground or is it in a container?I had the some problem with GF's and just planted a few passion vines in containers and then when I got larva put the plants in my butterfly cage .That sovled that problem.
As far as the problem of the cat's dying inside ,only 2 things could do it.Virus/Bacterial or Environment. If it's the same food source that they are eatting outside then you have to look at the way you are gathering it and/or storing it. If it's not the same food source you'll have to keep it the same as to where they came.The environment you'll have to sterlize it on a regurlar basis.Some places I have read every 2 days .
If you would be interested ,there is a entomologist at UF (I think) that has a e-mail address for Monarch butterfly questions.I'm not sure if that includes other types as well.I will try and look it up if you want?
Up the street in New Port Richey
Don
Thanks for the info ! What do you use to sterilize? We have pots of wooly pipevine that they're eating from so its the right food. HmmmmNow we've just had some of our BST's die when they switched food sources. From Fennel to Parsley to Dill...it seems that they just rolled off and died. Thanks for the feedback!
Adrienne
you can use a mix of bleach and water.4 or 5 capfuls to a gallon of water.sweep or vaccuum area and remove any of the frass that gets into the nuck's and cranny's then spray the solution over all surfaces.
I've had quite a few monarch's that have went into the J and have never come out of it.then after a day or so they drop a stringy thing down.I have no idea what it is or why they don't turn into chrysalis.I've heard this happen to a few other folks but no one has any ideas what is going on.
Don