Butterfly population down?

LOL, Evelyn!

Martha

Mrs_Ed, I have some information about butterfly gardens I had never known before. I e-mailed my daughter recently. Here is her reply (Don is her husband):

thanks Martha. I've heard that about hummingbirds too.

I just posted on Carolina Gardening, "Where have all the butterflies gone?" and I was sent here. I can see this is not ONLY a problem for ME. So, where have all the butterflies gone? I have a dedicated butterfly host and nectar garden. By this time each year, my host garden is a nub from muching larvae. My nectar garden is thriving with many species of butterflies. This year, I have counted 10 total at most for the whole year! My practices have not changed, still organic, not pesticides, good sun, good shelter, etc. Nothing! In the ten years I have nurtured this garden, I have experienced ups and downs with regards to numbers, but never this low. What's up?

cacahuete, did you read Post # 5310385 above? There's your answer.

MW's ....refrenced link. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/p.php?pid=5310385

I knew it was bad when my dh asked me "where are all your butterflies??" He remembered the garden just being "alive" with them last year but only seeing a solitary flier occassionally this year. I have had BST cats but nothing compared to the usual, and nothing else. I think I've only seen BST's, a few GST, one or 2 Pipevine, a Buckeye, some Skippers, recently a few Sulphurs and one Monarch. It's a good thing I've got lots of birds, rabbits and bees to look at! Here's a short article that I rec'd in June, written by Dale Clark of the Dallas County Lepidopterist's Society.

"Where Have All the Butterflies Gone?"

"Over and over again this year I've heard the same lament from butterfly gardeners, watchers and collectors. "Where have all the butterflies gone? I don't have nearly as many as I did last year at this time."

Numbers definitely appear to be down from recent years. The reasons for this are many and complex and are by no means completely understood. An increase level of predators due to last year's plethora of butterflies is one possible reason. Pathogens (viral and bacterial) are also "predators" and which infected many butterfly larvae. May and October are the two peak months for butterfly activity in North Texas, but our spring was something of a disappointment. Some of our single-brooded hairstreaks which are normally on the wing in May, made a pitiful showing this year compared to last year. Normally flower-heads of Bluets (Hedyotis sp.) are covered with Banded Hairstreak (Satyrium calanus) and Soapberry Hairstreak (Phaeostrymon alcestis) during mid-May, but that was not the case this year.

Passion-vine and Dill, two of the most reliable butterfly host plants in any garden, have sat idle waiting for Gulf Fritillaries and Black Swallowtails to find them. Instead of getting phone calls from people asking where they can get more of these plants to feed the voracious caterpillars that devour them, I'm getting calls asking why the plants aren't being eaten.

The paucity of lepidoptera appears to have affected most species in the area. Whatever the factors are that have come together to cause this decrease in numbers, it should be remembered that this sort of "ebb and flow" is perfectly natural and has happened countless times in the past. Populations rise and fall with changes in the environmental conditions and other factors - and nature is never static. Already, at least in my backyard, numbers seem to be increasing over the past few weeks. Let's hope the rest of the year will be better than Spring."

Thanks for posting that Paige. Good to see you posting again too!

I agree with that "ebb and flow" statement, just from my experience with birds in the winter. The common redpoll came far south this year because of a grain shortage up north. I don't expect to see those birds this winter at all. So while this year might be a stinky year for BFs, who knows what next year will bring.

Hi konkrete, good to see your post! I'm really surprised your butterfly garden isn't hopping with action, so you've made me a believer in the low counts for this year! And cacahuete, happy to see your post, too. Now please keep us up to date on the butterflies visiting your garden!

Speaking of counts, NABA does "butterfly counts" in May, July and in September each year and they are always looking for volunteers. I think it's possible to just count butterflies in your own garden or neighborhood, or to join in full scale with observing a 15 mile circle. With all the keen bf observations on DG it seems like our data might be put to good use if reported to NABA too. I know our local Lepidopterist Society does counts also, although they are not connected to NABA. http://www.naba.org/pubs/countpub.html

I really liked the information in Mrs._Ed's link from Monarch Watch about the low number of sightings for Monarchs: http://monarchwatch.org/blog/
and I didn't realize Monarch Watch had a blog now, too, so thanks for pointing that out!

Our garden just picked up activity in the past 2 days. I counted 8 swallowtails nectaring at one time yesterday evening along with 3 monarchs, which is high for us in late July here in our Southwest Ohio garden. (I know it a paltry number for your southerners, though.) (-:

Happy butterfly gardening! t.

tabasco....I haven't seen a Swallowtail in a week or more...your numbers are encouraging!!

It is really bad down here. I did see one Question Mark two days ago, and one Queen yesterday. These singles don't mean eggsI have a huge amount of Dragon Flies and birds. I have a large black bee but not many honey bees. At the first of spring I was overrun by large wheel or Assasin bugs; they were near or on my deck where maybe they over wintered. May or June bugs and Locust showed up but not in large numbers. It is just a freaky year. If the Monarchs don't show up this fall, we will really be sad.

well i have added one more black swallowtail to the Illinois population today. Hopefully the first of 8!!!

S/he flew off very fast, but I saw a black one back by the plox 1/2 hour later and hoped it was the one!!!

Great Ms. Ed....keep'em coming!

States from CA, IN, IL, OH, MD, NC, TX, LA, MS, and FL confirm here there is indeed a remarkable decline in butterflies. Various and sundry reasons on this post are given for the decline, but there is no single silver bullet answer. It could easily be a combination of contributing factors referenced above. Nonetheless, we are all better for knowing we can take an active part in trying to improve conditions for our little friends. Thank you, Datura12 for starting this most helpful thread. I hope new information will continue flowing in.

Meanwhile, not all is lost in my backyard. Finally a beautiful visitor the other day -- a Red-Spotted Purple Admiral. Whoopee!

Its almost uncanny that just as I have a thought about something, I find the information I need here at Dave's. I, too have noticed a drop in winged visitors to my garden, it was nearly alive with them last year! I will celebrate all that I see and hope for a better year for them next year. I also am planting a large area in my backyard with a focus on hummingbirds and butterflies. I need to wait for the heat to abate abit, its nearly 100 degrees here daily with 20-25 mph winds so everything is requiring water twice a day! Some rain would be a delight! We got mo more than 1/4 inch from Dolly.

Chood, good to hear what the butterfly population is in Rosenburg, TX. It's par with other parts of the country. We have had a heat wave here too, but today, FINALLY, we got about an inch of rain. It is, however, sultry hot and humid outside.

Good for you to plant more enticements for bfs and hummingbirds. My yard is small, but I have devoted almost every bed in the backyard to them. If the occasion presents itself, please encourage developers to leave some trees and shrubs rather than scouring their lots barren.

Thanks for posting.

Martha

This message was edited Aug 1, 2008 11:23 PM

This is good news not only for us, but for the butterfly population:

http://mygardenguide.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1131&Itemid=27

Martha

Pssst, Martha, I think Chood was referring to tropical storm Dolly.

Yayyy on the chemical ban.

I was driving home last night as a crop duster was laying down some toxicity. I had to turn all the air of in the vehicle, it was foul!

I am seeing an increase in cats, as well as, adults...just since my posting. I agree with Felder in couraging gardeners to plant more host plants. My garden has a dedicated host garden about 35' x 55' with other host plantings scattered around and a dedicated nectar garden 60' x 20' with a variety of plants in each. I also live in an area of Raleigh were new development is limited. So, my latest theroy, that I don't believe has been addressed, is our very cold and wet spring...any thoughts on that?

I have to say that I was wayyyy out in the country last night and there were tons of painted ladies and sulphurs feasting on clover. Also a number of swallowtails and monarchs at the garden flowers.

Out where people don't use pesticides as much, I am guessing?

I dunno. lots of corn and bean fields, So I would think a fair amount. I saw lots of monarchs above the corn too. Don't know if they were going for corn pollen or maybe some milkweed within the fields. Anyway, TONS of sulphurs! They were uncooperative though in being photographed.

That's SO good to hear! I went to the city today and stopped by a place which has fairly extensive areas of lovely gardens with nectar plants which in past summers always attracted many butterflies. While walking around I only saw from a distance one butterfly flying some distance away from the blooming plants...probably a GF. I visited this place a couple of months ago and saw none at all, but thought maybe this time there would be lots of butterflies. The many blooming plants seemed strangely empty of any insect life except for just a few bees I saw. Very disappointing! My own yard is doing better than that.

Forgive me for assigning you a new name, Chood. lol. Thanks, Mrs_Ed for pointing that discreet nudge!!

Congrats, cacahuete. I am happy that your cats have come.

Does anyone know studies done on the effects of mosquito spraying on bf's? The abundance of country bf's vs. city bf's prods me to wonder. Country vs. city also seems to prove out Felder's point on urban sprawling and development, mown street medians, spraying, and whatever in city life. Additionally, I wonder about poisons for fire ants. My pest man (who does the inside of my house) also treats my yard for ants. What do you think, anybody?

Martha

eeek fire ants.

We have to spray occassionally for ants, but not around plants that are nectar, or host plants / trees.
We were out with our flashlights at the pond capturing frogs for a relocation program Thur night! LOL! Anyway....we came across a trail of big ants that seemed to go from our waterfall "over" rocks along the side, across the walkway and over 10 foot up a tree. We don't know exactly where they were coming or going to, but we got the spray and killed those we could reach. Anyone know of ants that are active during the night and not during the day? Sorry about hijacking the thread, will move to dmail if anyone wants to discuss.

I saw sulfurs today at a nursery. I think the availability of certain kinds of native host plants (especially the native trees) might be greater in the country areas. Spraying can go on in both the city and country. But in my area, there are fewer properties that are actively gardened than in the city, so spraying might be less for the reason that families without gardens mostly spray pesticides outdoors only if wasps or skeeters (or other stinging insects) are bothering them. Most gardeners, on the other hand, tend to always be spraying for this or that. I've read that there are more chemical pesticides used per square foot on average in yards with gardens than on the typical farm. That's a shame, too!

I think it is lack of being informed about what plants butterflies lay eggs on. I know before I got on Dave's and began filling my yard with plants (thanks to plant swaps!); I didn't try to id caterpillars before grabbing for the spray or dust.

yikes. I hear ya. I hear sooooo many people around here mention "sevin". I can't tell you the willies that gives me. I won't even let DH use roundup! I did succumb to a bit of brush begone painted onto some stubborn trees in the fence line. (mulberry and tree of heaven). I had to borrow it from someone else though!

And, It makes me so happy to see honey bees in my yard. I'm very glad I don't have bee allergies! But I haven't been stung in ages anyway. And when I was, it was from one of those crazy fall yellow jacket wasps. They are so mean!!!

I saw two monarchs flying around the milkweeds today first ones I've seen in a while, they were just nectaring though I watched for a long time to see if they were going to lay any eggs but they didn't :(

I saw monarchs on the milkweed a couple of weeks ago. Now, I'm seeing holes in the milkweed leaves and then - nothing. I also see more wasps (who've eaten my cats years before) this year than ever before The wasp predators must be in decline in my area.

Well I saw a monarch lay eggs on my pink milkweed out front today, I should probably save them the way the population is down but I just don't know if I have the time to devote to them but I did have one cat make it a while back I watched a cat looking for something to make a crystal on for a long time and finally gave up then a few weeks later I saw one sunning himself so just figured that was the cat :) I haven't seen anyother cats on this milkweed though. There aren't that many birds out front where this plant is so maybe they will make it.

I have two monarchs laying eggs on my tropical milkweed now, looks like they are having a contest to see which one can lay the most eggs lol The both of them meet in mid air then go back to place more eggs! Better late than never 8) I have soo many wasp in that area too that it really worries me.

LeBug, looks like you're having some luck with your annual milkweed!

So far no takers on mine. Very few monarchs yet this year but we have several swallowtails around...

I have several swallowtails around too but the cats keep disapearing on my rue :(

Say t, can you make a butterfly cage for the cats with old window screens with the metal screen in them, I've skimmed thru a couple of threads about cages but haven't found anything on the old screens and can you keep them in the house until they become butterflies, would it be too cool for them with the air on? I have three kittens this year and they would just love a cat cage outside lol

that's what I was going to do (screens) but then I just cut out a cardboard box and put some tulle in there. however… I later found out that I just could have used a rubbermaid container with a lid and that there was plenty of air in there.

After the stink of the black swallowtail cats, I don't recommend bringing them indoors!!!!

Hi Mrs_Ed :) You didn't put any holes in the RM container? I do have one of those but didn't want to put any holes in it, thanks for your response, if I can use one of those with no holes the kittens couldn't get in it lol

LeBug, I didn't use a RM container yet, just the cardboard box. I was told by pastelpaul that there would be plenty of air in a container, as he raises lots of BFs. I bought a very clear one though in case I find more cats. I thought I might just drill some holes in the lid anyway to let some of the humidity out.

here is my home made one. It was problematic later on because I didn't have the "door" shut and had two escapees. I found one though.

http://pics.davesgarden.com/pics/Mrs_Ed_1215998278_536.jpg

That looks like a nice cage, afraid it wouldn't hold up to the kittens though lol I'll use the RM container and hope for the best, anything is better than the poor cats having to deal with all of the wasps out there, thanks again :) this should be fun and very interesting lol

yay!!

does anyone know which kinds of wasps are the bad guys? The dill when flowering was loaded with all kinds of bees, wasps, etc.