OK .......... I have a question or 2 ........... as some of you know I have been infested with assassin bugs ......... I went out this morning and I had cats ......... at least queens and monarchs....... I have cut the limbs that they were on and now have the branches stuck into sponge in a plastic container with a lid covering the water .........
QUESTION # 1: The (cut) milkweed is withering badly ..........is that ok? The cats seem to be moving around and still munching on it .......... I need some guidance here please .....
Question # 2: Is there any other type of food that they will eat ?
I had not planned on trying to raise butterflies until next spring, but in light of the recent conversation a few of us had about assassin bugs ......... I just decided to try and even the odds for the cats some ..... I hope that I can pull this off.....
thanks in advance for the help i know that I will get from you guys and gals !!
james t
HELP: I have a question or 2 or 3 .........
Hey James. I will help you the best I can but hopefully someone more experienced will come along shortly.
As to Question 2 I think you are out of luck. I believe, at least for the Monarchs, that milkweed is the only plant the cats will eat. I am not sure about the Queens though.
And my milkweed always wilts extremely quickly also. I am still mainly picking leaves and putting them in the cage but luckily when I ordered my cages from Live Monarch I bought some small milkweed plants. I planted them in small pots and some in the ground. The ones in pots have not grown much but I have put the pots in the cage with the cats and they immediately ate them up. I think they much prefer being up on a real plant than just on the leaves. Not that they will ignore the leaves, lol. Also I have read on here that when you cut the milkweed stalk if you will burn the cut area with a lighter or something, this is to seal the stalk so to speak. As you probably noticed every time you take a leaf or a cutting of the milkweed milk is everywhere. And from what I have read on here with that much milk running through the plant if some is taken from the plant it will wilt really easily. So just put a lighter to the cut end for a little bit. I did try that yesterday and the cutting held up better than they had before but I must admit it is starting to droop now, which is really pretty quick. I don't know if there is another solution for that problem, hopefully someone knows something. So now you are a daddy and it can be a scary thing but you did the right thing for sure with those bugs out there. You will be fine. And here is hoping someone much smarter than I will come along soon and help you some more. Hope I helped some. Good luck to ya.
Leslie
Leslie,
sorry for not replying sooner......... sounds like you are doing a fine job and sound pretty smart to me .....don't be so hard on yourself :o ) ......... I chickened out with the cats and put them back out on the garden ......... I looked the MW over for about thirty minutes before I did ........
james t
Mine also wilt when I cut them, but it seems the stems that are older and starting to get wood like, hold up longer. I do like Leslie does...buy some plants, leave them in the pots and set the entire thing in the cage and then swap it out when it's chewed up. I have about 8 3-gal pots and some 1-gal.
When the cats are in their last couple instars they can really put it away! And it doesn't ever seem to grow back fast enough.
The plants out in the yard are used to attract the females and eggs. I try to leave as many of them out there as possible.
It's not a perfect system, I often get ants in the pots, so I have to put a little drop of ant killer somewhere that a cat won't touch it, usually near the bottom drainage hole in the pot.
Thanks flygirl. I don't have near enough of the little pots to make it through I don't think but I will know next year to stock up on the little potted plants. We live and learn so much from these little butterflies don't we.
James, You are probably okay with your plants since you are checking them so regularly for the bad bugs. Maybe next year you will feel more confident and try to raise some. I am still astounded that your milkweed has held up this long. Keep on keeping on dude. You are doing so great.
Leslie