Found bunches of cats in the yard on Tuesday and knew from experience last year that they disappear fast. Checked the sticky here and determined the best way to help them reach maturity is to protect them. Using all the superb info I made little nurseries. Thanks to you all, I have 23 BST's happily growing toward adulthood. Thank you everyone for making this information so clear and readily available!
Just Saying Thanks!
That is so awesome chat. You will have a blast with those as I am raising them now and they are fun and beautiful too. Some of the little stinkers tend to chrysalid on the dill stalks that are in there for their food though and that always worries me, afraid one of the other eaters will get too close. But boy when they come out of chrysalid it is a joy to see. Glad you got so much useful info and are saving those little babies. It is a wonderful thing.
Leslie
You are hooked now Chatnoir!! Great to have another gardener coming to the aid of our bf friends.
Leslie....
I remove the stem the chrysalis is on to avoid a occurrance where a trach. wasp might emerge and wipe out all of my caterpillars. In fact I separate them as they get to be about a inch long into their own Gladware cages. If I have too many to board separate, I will do two or three max. However I combine the chrysalis in a large mesh covered PVC emerging cage that has a drawstring top. I can take it outside and release those that are ready without effort.