Quick & Easy Cat Cage

Great job Deb! I'm always looking for the best cage idea. The tulle that I've seen does have too big of holes, I need to find a finer mesh material.

Thanks for the great ideas and pics!

That's fantastic! The problem I'm having is that even plugged into wet florist's foam in a container of water (through a tiny hole), my tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) wilts so quickly. Is this common, or is there a trick that I'm missing? (My asclepias incarnata sprig is still looking good, though...same set up!) Thanks in advance!

Thanks!
I run it under cold water upsidedown emediately after I cut it, I suppose that helps some. It is a florist thing I learned from my aunt. When I was a kid I worked some in her flower shop. Ya have to wash them good anyway, and check for tiny spiders and aphids. Aphids probably won't harm the cats, but contrary to the yellow stems on my Milkweed, (hey, I'm not raising aphids! haha) They do wilt some before a full day is done, but usually not completely before they are eaten. In a small cage I only have to use a days worth at a time. I gague the amount by their size and appetite.. So far that's been working. If they have to wait an hour or so after the last bite, they won't starve. It's good not to put in more than they will eat.
One of my 3 in that container up there still had a hold on a small piece of wilted leaf this morning, and I just moved the whole piece it was on.. Even after it had fresh leaves in front of it, the lil thing kept munchin down on that rag of a leaf, lol! That one was getting my moneys worth, I tell ya. The other 2 were just standing upright on the stems they had just picked clean...Tomorrow morning we will do that all over again.

:-Deb

Thanks again Deb...I just asked this question in it's own thread, so just ignore that one! :-) I will definitely try the upside down running water trick tomorrow.

I know that Scarlet Milkweed will root from cuttings. You could try sticking cuttings in a small clean butter container with sterile soil. Make a bunch of these in advance and grow them. Usually the leaves wilt at first, but if given enough time they will grow new leaves and develop a root system. Not all make it, but most do for me. Clean the leaves really good when you wish to move these starter plants into a cage. After the cats devour the leaves, set back outside and let it grow new leaves again or you can plant it in your garden bed somewhere. This is a good, cheap way to get more MW plants!

When the plants are in a cage where I am raising some cats, I still use paper towels around the base of my plant by laying small cut squares right on top of the soil. (I only use paper towels with growing plants that are in cages with cats. And I change those paper towels daily to help keep the cage clean and frass (poop) free.)

You do have to do this plenty of time in advance before using as a host plant in one of your cages. It takes about a month to get some new leaves from a cutting!

Just my suggestion to get the most mileage out of a milkweed plant! :-)

Great little instructional, Deb. Thanks for the information.

Karen

Your very welcome Karen! I hope it helps someone in a pinch for cat safety, and observation. I know I am psyched, knowing less of my butterflies will be lost.

The other day I separated about a half dozen Black ST chrysalids to quarantine them. For two reasons; 1) In case any are still healthy to keep them that way, 2) In case any have an infestation of these parasitoids.
This morning I discovered one of the containers had about 50 or more of these little things coming out of the chrysalis. Now I will place them into a ziplock bag and examine them after a couple days. Should be able to get some better pics then.

Oh my gosh, Deb! How gross!!! That burns me up that these predators feed off the helpless cats/chrysalis/butterflies! I hope you are able to get a good photo. Maybe you need to pose your camera over a microscope lens! They look really tiny. I hope someone can ID those for us. I have seen them around my cats, too! They look like very small flies or something.

So now I can continue what I had planned..
Here is the little nursery posing on the deck sofa> I will set the containers into a larger vented container now that we have a head count, lol!

2 Black Swallowtail chrysalids
2 Giant Swallowtail cats 2 separate cages. 1- 4th instar, 1- 5th instar
Several Pipevine Swallowtails,
5- 2nd instars in one tall cage
1- 5th instar in a cage by itself
3 Monarch cats, 3rd instar
2 Silver Spotted Skippers
3 Silver Spotted Skipper eggs

18 butterflies, 5 species

Deb - Please post a photo of the Skipper cats. I want to see what they look like!

I love it!!! That picture is fantastic. :-) It really looks like a family portrait, complete with little blue frames!

Yeah Becky, They are sneaky little things, I know none of the cats are really safe around here unless they are caged. I am not going to take the lid off to get a closer pic until they stop breathing, lol.

I even took a couple SSSkippers into cages, and found some eggs while I was at it.

Here are the eggs

LOL, hang that picture on the wall as a conversation piece. You can say 'that was when the kids were small', before they flew the coup. : )
~Lucy

Deb - What is the plant that the Skipper eggs are on?

Haha Junebug... For a while I was so bummed about the bugs, I just wasn't my happy self at all. And my computer had to be restored, (probably just as well, being I was so down anyway.) I have the joy of bf raising again.

I tried to get a closeup of one of the Skippers, but didn't want to peel the leaves all the way back. They are very private... but I was still concerned for them, even as safe as they look.

Amorpha fruiticosa... :-)

This evening I heard some sparrows squabbling over something in the corner.. I zoomed out there to check on the 2 Giant ST cats, (4th and 5th instars). WHEW! They were fine! So I caged them up right away. Some have gone missing when I didn't do that soon enough. This time I think they are going to be fine.

Changed out the Milkweed sticks for more fresh leaves.. Here are the 3 Monarchs> 2 are on the piece of wilted leaf laying over the new.

Thanks, Deb! Great pictorial thread you started here! Thank you!

Your welcome Becky..

Yesterday evening I was cleaning and feeding all the cats, and a G fritillary crawled up to me on the side of the large bin I keep all the small cages in. I think he said, "I'm ready to make my chrysalis now, could you cage me up so the flies don't get me?"
I just happened to have one of my handy dandy 1qt. containers, so I flicked him off in there. This morning I came out and he had done his thang... all safe and sound.

When set up on the side like I have them, it is easy for the butterfly to climb up the fabric and dry her wings. The plastic is actually rough enough for them to climb up the sides too, unlike glas, or some of those slick plastic critter keepers.

This morning I went out to find this new Black ST had just eclosed.. Thank God I didn't lose all of them before I figured how to keep them safe!!!

Here she is on my back neighbor's roof after flying away>

Here are all the boxes being tucked in for the night.. The bin I made with tulle fabric came in handy for this. All the containers sit up on their sides nicely in there.

I also found a couple pupas of what I think might be hover flies on my MW, and I had just cliped that piece for the 3 cats I have.. So I put them in a container too. :-)

Deb, I love your stories and photos.

Yesterday I noticed two monarchs fighting over the milkweed patch in my backyard--and eggs all over it today! Oh boy. I've already got 8 fat and sassy cats (a mix of 3rd & 4th instars) in my mesh monarch cage. I may need to adopt your tupperware technique for the next batch. :-)

jess

Thx Jess, Awesome your getting all the eggs and cats!
For Monarchs I've been using the half gallon gladware/ziploc containers..3-4 will fit very well. These 3 are aproaching time to pupate, so I have rigged a couple wooden skewers together to see if that will work for them to hang on. We'll see what happens over the next couple days.

:-D

Oh boy, I just changed out the 2nd instar Pipevine Swallowtail cage and discovered not 5, but 6 little cats! With the big guy, I have separate that makes 7.

I was out getting more vine for the big guy and found one of the siblings of the little Pipevine ST's.. now making 7 little ones.

Here is the big guy. They sure like to linger and eat, none I have raised so far have been in a big rush to morph. It's about 2 1/2" long now, and getting really heavy for a cat. It will definatly be a huge butterfly.

Amazing!!
Great idea with the ziplock containers. I am going to get a few just to be ready. I am hoping and planning for a Butterfly invasion.

chris

That's a Fat Cat, Deb. lol : )
~Lucy

I had bought some of the Rubbermaid containers 2/97 cents at WM and cut the lids and put in tule. You can take pictures from the side even because they are clear. Hadn't thought about sitting them on the side until Deb did. I have also started taking a water bottle and cutting the bottom about 3/4" high, (not in this pic), putting the water oasis foam in it and covering it with the Glad cling film. It works great, just puncture holes in the plastic for plants and sticks etc. The frass just brushes off the top and doesn't contaminate the water.

In theory I understand, but I thought the chrysalis hung from something...I was assuming it hung from the fabric, but in order to hang, doesn't the fabric have to be on top? Or do they hang from the sides? Or is that what the skewers are for? Or is there also a side cut out with fabric across that, too (which would be the top if the container were on its side)?

One more question (because I had several Eastern Tiger Swallowtails today and I think they were makin' whoopee). Did I understand that you change out the greenery every single day? And clean the cages every single day? For how long? I don't even reliably empty the dishwasher on a daily basis -- can't see me cleaning caterpillar cages daily. LOL! Uh, how do you clean them? With a little vacuum or something? No, that can't be right. A wet paper towel?

I think I understand on the fabric and what all to buy, it's just some of the details.

Suzy

Those tubs that Deb and I use, will clean in a snap! You will need to clean once a day at least, but that just amounts to changing the paper towel and brushing off the plant holder. You clip new cuttings when the others wilt or are eaten. Making sure the foam is still very moist, make a new hole so it supports the clipping. You will need to change the foam out about once a week. As for the time, depends on what instar the cat is in when you cage it. The longest time to me is waiting for the bf to eclose!
Read some of the threads, suggestions, etc. on the 'sticky'. It is first thread under the Hummingbird and Butterfly Gardening forum; more of your questions can be answered there maybe.

The reason the cages need to be cleaned out daily is because the cats are more susceptible to disease living in their own frass and other waste. The caterpillar's "skin" or cuticle, is like a shell. It doesn't grow, but instead has to be shed. And all along the side of the caterpillar's body are holes, called spiracles - that let in air for them to breathe. If those holes get clogged or filled with wet frass, they get sick and die. Which is why the cats are usually on the underside of a plant. If it rains, they are less likely to drown being upside down because the air holes are protected.

Here's two links about this:
http://rhosgobel.blogspot.com/2004/09/more-manduca-pictures-spiracles-and.html
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/butterfly/activities/printouts/caterpillarprintout.shtml

When I found out that the cats do NOT breathe through their mouth, but instead through the holes in the sides of their body, it made me understand just how fragile these beautiful creatures are!

I brought a potted plant of parsley inside for the dozen or so BST cats. That's when I discovered it had little spiders in it and also in the watering holes of the self watering pot. I had to do what Sheila's picture shows above by using sprigs of parsley set into wet foam. I'll just have to change out the wilted parsley.

I also noticed that some of these first instar BST cats are brown and some are black. Is that unusual?

This is a most helpful thread, by the way! Thanks Deb.

Deborah♥

Thx Deb,
The trick is not to have any leftovers if you can help it. Notice in Post #3743943
how I put enough for all the cats, (at this size about 3-4 leaves per cat). That was last night about 8PM. This morning they had finished all of it and were just resting. I prepared some new sprigs by taking them into the kitchen and washing every leaf with soft cold running water and my fingers. I used another wet block for the new leaves so I could transfer them back easier. The frass just rolled out, and I wiped out the container with a slightly damp paper towel.

Here is what it looked like at 8AM this morning.>

By the way, last night while watering, I found one of the 3 Monarch cat's siblings and put it in the cage too. Now there are 4. Yaay! Here is the block with fresh leaves I prepared before opening the cage of resting cats.

NOw for the delicate transfer, which they were ready for. I allowed some to crawl on for themselves and gently tapped the others in to situate them before sealing them up again.

Here it is all ready to seal up again.. Yeah, it looks a little crowded, but the way these guys eat, it won't be for long, LOL!