Hey guys. Just had to report my first Monarch Sighting. I had finally decided it would be October before I had any in my garden. I was so excited. At first the beauty was feeding off my nectar plants so I figured it was male and would not share any babies. Then I caught HER laying eggs on my milkweed plants. I was so thrilled. She chose all three big plants to lay her eggs on, I guess to keep my searching for the babies. Anyway, I am thrilled because the Monarch is my favorite cat to raise. I am still in the midst of raising gulf frits so I will have two different BF's working at the same time but I don't mind. For some reason the Gulf Frits seem to take care of themselves pretty easily. Just feed them and they do all the rest. The Monarchs take a little extra time because they eat soooo much. I just planted more milkweed seeds in a pot just in case they are needed. Woohoo. Just wanted to share my news.
Also reported my sighting on the Migration map sight.
This message was edited Sep 1, 2008 4:47 PM
My First Monarch!!!!
Wow that's great!
I just got my first monarch yesterday.
I watched it flying around and landing on my milkweeds. Later in the day I looked under the leaves where I saw and it land and sure enough I have two little eggs. This is actually my first monarch ever. I'm so worried about the little eggs. I'm scared something will eat them. I'd thought about picking the leaf off and putting them in a cage until they hatch. I'm afraid to because I've never raised caterpillars before. I guess I'll let nature take it's course and just hope I get to see them grow to adulthood.
Monarchs are pretty hardy. I generally bring mine inside, but the other day I found an empty chrysalis on my wisteria vine. So as much as I like to think they need me, they get along just fine on their own.
Melanie
Good point Mellie but they are so fun to raise. I have brought some eggs in this year. Last year I waited until they were a cat before I brought them in but have accidentally brought some eggs in this year and they have hatched just fine I am happy to say. An update on my first Monarch siting, she and some others I believe have left me a bounty. As of right now I have 36 Monarch cats I am raising with eggs still left on all of my plants. This is going to be quite a sight in a few weeks. LOL
Leslie
Well I decided I wanted to try my hand at raising a couple. I cut a piece of milkweed off that had two eggs. I'm happy to say the first one hatched yesterday and the second one hatched today. They seem to be doing good. I went outside and counted 20 new hatchlings on my milkweeds. I'm sure their is more but they're so teeny tiny. I'm so excited. I marked the calender when they started hatching. I think I read they reach full growth in about two weeks. Is that correct? Then the chrysalis for about 10 days? My boys are loving this whole process as well.
Gina
Great news everyone!!! I love to raise the Monarchs too; but it is a lot of work. Just remembering now I need to get out there and get some leaves for them. Late, but I have a flashlight.
I was telling Dad one of these days someone is going to think I'm a prowler. With my luck, I'd get an officer who was scared of insects. "Ma'am, put down the caterpillar!"
Melanie (who has 19 hungry Monarch cats)
LOL Melanie. A queasy cop would be your best bet.
Sounds like everyone is enjoying raising their Monarchs. It is a fun time. I have noticed mine growing pretty slowly. I am used to the Gulf Frits growing every day or so and the Monarchs do too but just grow a teeny bit. What I love about them is that you can see their stripes the minute they are born. They are the cutest thing. And the head bob really gets me going. I have to talk to them occasionally to get that head bob going, it is too cute.
Good luck to everyone.
Leslie
Congratulations on having early Monarchs, Leslie!
Deborah
Sheila,
Are Monarchs more work than BST are? If so what is it about them that is more difficult?
I remember growing them in Vermont as a kid and it was a lot of fun.
I just went to your page and saw how you use green foam. . .I need to try that. I've always used a cup covered in saran wrap.
Also I noticed that you grow them in small containers. Do you move them to a bigger container after they form the chrysalis so they'll have room to spread their wings?
Okay guys, since this thread is getting more attention than the one I asked the original question on I am going to ask it in this thread. How to keep the milkweed from going extremely limp extremely fast? I have placed the stems in ice water as soon as they are cut, I have singed the bottom of the stems to close them up and am still having no luck. I am putting them in the wet floral foam with foil around it. These things just will not stay fresh. I need any ideas you might have as I cannot afford to waste any of my milkweed with 37 cats and more on the way. Please help.
Thanks a bunch.
Leslie
Leslie.... This works for me.... I take a cup (not ice cold just tap) out so when I cut I can put them in water then; but I don't sear the ends myself. I try also to clip them when they are in the shade early morning or late afternoon. I find if I have to gather some during the day, they don't last as long. But also I try not to clip any more leaves than I have to have. If the cats are 1st or 2nd instar, they need new tender leaves and I will cut a top if I have enough. I clip the larger lower leaves for the bigger cats and they go so much futher. I also prick a new hole (using a toothpick) in my wrapped foam each time to place the leaves. That way the leaf is supported better and has moisture against it. I tried laying leaves in the bottom of a cage and find I have problems with wilting and smaller cats getting lost in the debris. Hope that helps.
Mommacude.... Let me send you a dmail to answer you questions about BSTs.
Thanks Sheila. Right now I am cutting and laying the leaves on the plate. I am not however, punching new holes each time. Will try that and that might help. I know what you mean about the little babies getting lost in the shuffle. I take about an hour a night going through each dried up leaf to make sure there are no little cats on it before I toss it out. It is a horrible thought to think I might accidentally throw one of them away. So put it in water the minute it comes in, cut when not in the sun and then stick it in a new spot on the floral foam. I have been trying to get the bigger leaves to the big guys and the smaller, newer leaves to the little ones. They all seem to really like to climb the stalks though so I always try to have a stalk or two in the cage and that is where they all seem to congregate. Thanks again Sheila. Will try this tonight.
Leslie
I separate them by sizes as they are easier for me to do that. I use the Glad containers and put only three large ones per container max. The smaller ones I can manage 4-5 per container w/o problems.
Several times when I've been at the museum I've had caterpillars crawl up from the trash and onto the rim. Sometimes they make it up to the table, too. I always put them back with their friends. One time I found a White Peacock Cat in with the Polydamas. Still can't figure out how that happened!
Melanie
I think that I had a BST in the trash because one went to the top of the shop door to make it's chrysalis. We all know what the disturbed smell of the BST is; and for a few days before that happened I kept smelling it as I went in and out of the shop. But since my cats were just inside the door I never gave it a second thought until after I found it's chrysalis. I guess we were shaking it as the door opened and closed! LOL!
hahaha poor little guy! My kids think it's hilarious to wiggle a finger in front of them and watch them fuss.
My two caterpillars made to chrysalis. I ended up bringing about 15 cats in on our screen porch. I sat them in the screen window hoping they would crawl to the top and make their chrysalis and they did. I've these five and on the other side we've got two and the other ones went other places but we did find them all. They are all doing good so far and we should have our first monarch today. We've got a bunch on our front porch where the milkweeds are and one crawled about 45 feet to the back of the house to make his chrysalis on the outside of the screen porch. We've had so much fun. Can't wait for the butterflies.
I can't believe how they group themselves like that. pretty cool.
It seems a lot of caterpillars do that. They must follow the scent of the first one.