News & Information
October 13, 2024 Update: Cape Henlopen State Park Monarch Butterfly Refueling Station
Three months prior to this posting date the Cape Henlopen State Park Monarch Butterfly conservation area did not exist. A vacant lot across the street from bicycle paths would become the state's first migratory monarch butterfly welcome station for millions of monarch butterflies arriving from as far away as Nova Scotia.
Cape Henlopen State Park
Designed as a strategy to provide much needed nectar for monarch butterflies that have flown the entire Delaware Bay without landing, the results are in. Success! While the monarch butterfly conservation area remains in development, the monarchs below could not wait for it to be completed. Curators of the monarch refueling station shared the images below of monarch butterflies heading to Mexico to overwinter taking a much-needed rest to rebuild their energy on seaside goldenrod in the Cape Henlopen State Park. .
First monarch to visit the Cape Henlopen State Park conservatory
Photo by: Jo-Anne Wazlowski
A male monarch nectaring after a flight over the Delaware Bay
Photo by: Jo-Anne Wazlowski
A New England female monarch reaches the refueling station
Photo by: Jo-Anne Wazlowski
A female monarch enjoys seaside
goldenrod nectar before taking flight
Photos by Jo-Anne Wazlowski and lead curator Julie Callahan capture the moment these male and female monarchs were drawn to the abundant and highly nutritious nectar of native seaside goldenrod.
The design team (Julie and I) was fascinated by how quickly monarchs found the reserve and began nectaring. The monarchs more than proved the adage "build it and they will come". As cited in the October 4th, 2024 entry, seaside goldenrod nectar is high octane fuel containing the right balance of proteins, amino acids, sugars and other trace minerals.
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The future is bright. The monarch conservation area is designed such that 80% of its plantings will provide late season nectar. The area is only 25% complete and expected to open in 2025. It is remarkable to think the site was a vacant lot 90 days ago and the plants themselves were grown from seeds measuring no more than 1/32" in June! Like any first-year garden feature we will learn a lot and make continuous improvements.
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The park region has experienced moderate drought in the last three months and is 75% behind normal rainfall. Unfortunately, this included the time our project first broke ground. The drought has had a negative impact on the plantings by discouraging the development of extensive root systems. This, combined with sandy soil, makes us thankful for the hardiness and the effort put forth by the goldenrod to offer such full blooms (left).
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There is much more to come. The monarch station will eventually look and feel like a prairie and be home to many pollinators in addition to the summer season and migratory monarch generations.
Photo by: Jo-Anne Wazlowski
Photo by: Jo-Anne Wazlowski
The good news, despite a very late start and poor growing conditions, we have been able to offer nectar to this year's migrating monarchs. The goal remains to meet the heavy demand for nectar for Cape May, New Jersey's monarch population. Cape May remains the country's most dense population of fall migratory monarchs due to the likelihood that New England monarchs use, in part, the coast as a visual cue to fly south and west. Cape Henlopen State Park's seaside goldenrod offering is the first site of a larger state initiative. With DNREC's (Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control) support, coastal Delaware could become known as the 'gold coast' named after the planned abundance of seaside goldenrod adorning its beautiful coast.
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The Delaware coast is the first landmass monarchs and other migratory wildlife land on after crossing the Delaware Bay. The Atlantic coast is one of the monarchs few natural 'flyways'. The Delaware Bay is the largest natural barrier to eastern migratory monarch butterflies. The Delaware coast is the first landmass monarchs can land safely. Offering millions of seaside goldenrod blooms late in the fall when the monarchs are migrating will be a key initiative to help the threatened monarch make their epic fall migration a bit easier through the First State.
October 11, 2024 Milkweed in All Shapes & Colors...Even Purple
Purple milkweed or common milkweed imposter ?
Mid October finds most of the eastern monarch butterflies in the first leg of their journey to south-central Mexico to overwinter. The few milkweed leaves remaining collect frost as they begin their winter dormancy. This time of year monarch enthusiasts and gardeners reflect on the 2024 season.
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There are over 120 milkweed species in the United States. Gardeners review the offering they planted to attract monarchs and wonder if there were enough, planted too close together. Was there enough variety of different native milkweed species available? For me, I critically evaluate my pruning strategy. Did I create enough new growth on mature milkweed for my September monarch larvae? This reflection is not only healthy but a good exercise to improve your local plant offerings and, perhaps plant something new next year.
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Milkweed plants are available in all shapes and sizes. From the low growing 6-10" whorled milkweed to the towering 8'+ common milkweed. Experts support planting a variety of well-spaced milkweed plants to entice female monarchs, even purple milkweed if you can find it.
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Purple milkweed is the oxymoron of the milkweed world. It is widespread in 25 states as well as Ontario, Canada but is rare to find and not available in garden centers or nurseries. In fact, purple milkweed is an endangered species in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and, Rhode Island. In my experience, purple milkweed is difficult to grow and attracts pests, diseases and even rabbits.
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Purple milkweed (Asclepias purpurascens) is difficult to identify. It closely resembles common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). Flower blooms and seed pods may be the best characteristics of the plant to determine if you have a rare plant or a common milkweed. Purple milkweed have a deep reddish-purple flower with star shaped flowers whereas common milkweed has pink flowers. Seedpods of purple milkweed are smooth and common milkweed have spikes on them.
Common milkweed
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Common milkweed has mauve colored flowers and grow in large clusters. ​Seed pods of common milkweed have a rough textured seed coat.
Purple milkweed
Arthur Haines, GoBotany
Arthur Haines, GoBotany
Purple milkweed flowers are far darker and more starshaped than common milkweed flowers. Seedpods are smooth and resemble swamp milkweed seed pods.​
October 7, 2024 A Closer Look on Monarch Caterpillar Growth
In order for monarch butterflies to reach adulthood they need to have gone through a rapid growth phase as a caterpillar. Beginning life as an egg a baby caterpillar (larvae) emerges at only 1/16th of an inch long. If conditions are right, such as abundant milkweed, warm days and nights, the monarch caterpillar can growth 2,000 times larger in just 10 days. What most of us do not see is how they do it.
The goal of this site is to educate. We hope providing content specifically for monarch butterfly conservation and habitat restoration the result will be an improved environment in each and every yard.​
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Unique photos help the typical gardener and even monarch enthusiast to see and appreciate the intricate the lifecycle of the monarch. Listed as a threatened species today, migratory monarchs are on the brink of being classified as endangered.
Shed skin
Head mantle
Even for those who have studied monarch butterflies for many decades have never seen the transformation that took place left of this text. To better understand the unique aspect of this image one has to understand how a monarch caterpillar grows from 1/16th of an inch to 2" in a little over a week's time.
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Monarch butterfly caterpillars appear plump and soft bodied. Infact, the monarch caterpillar has a hardened exoskeleton! Like all of nature's exoskeleton organisms, shedding is the only process that allows the specimen to grow. The image to the left is fascinating. The caterpillar crawls out of its old skin peeling it down like our rolling down a long sock. Most interesting was the caterpillar's discarded head mantle shed portion. It appeared as if it were a mask. The hardened head exoskeleton was separate from the caterpillar's body shed.
Like all newly creatures that have just shed, its body was soft and needed to dry and harden. The process of shedding enables the caterpillar to eat more and build body mass. Each shed is referred to as an instar. There is a total of five instars in the caterpillar stage of the monarch butterfly's life cycle.
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Monarch caterpillars emerge from their egg nearly translucent. The warning yellow, black and white banding colors seen in all monarch caterpillars only appear after their second shedding, referred to as their second instar of life.
October 6, 2024 Thoughts on the Housing Market for Monarch Butterflies
A recent trip to enjoy and celebrate the efforts of the migratory monarch butterfly in beautiful Cape May, New Jersey re-surfaced the ongoing debate of captive raising caterpillars. The New Jersey Audubon's Nature Center of Cape May is a treat for anyone interested in monarch butterflies. Since 1990, the organization has been studying monarch behavior, cataloging decades of data and lead the nation in tagging migratory monarchs. The majority if not all monarchs tagged at the Nature Center of Cape May are non-captive bred, wild migratory monarchs.
There I noticed a variety of containers used by visitors to house monarch larva (caterpillars) during my visit from Delaware. This reminded me of the debate of how much effect, if any, captive breeding of monarch larva has on the health of the emerging adult butterfly.
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To establish common ground nothing can replace mother nature. Nature, while cruel sometimes, has since the beginning of time enable only the strong and adaptable organisms to survive and continue their specie. Captive breeding of monarch eggs or larva cannot replicate all the conditions developing monarch larva need to be strong and resilient. In the case of migratory monarch - any compromise of health resulting from captive breeding would reduce the chances of surviving the journey to the overwintering roosts in south-central Mexico.
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1600 Delaware Avenue, Cape May, New Jersey
​Studies have shown that migratory monarchs who have successfully made the journey to Mexico have certain traits in common. Dark coloration of the wings and a wing size of at least 2" from abdomen to the tip of the wing ( TROP. LEPID. RES., 22(1): 42-52, 2012) are common traits. One could argue that if you participate in rearing monarch larva you should carefully evaluate your end result. Do your monarchs have a deep rich orange or almost red orange wing color? Are their wings at least two inches from abdomen to the tip of their wing? If you can't answer yes to both of these questions perhaps you should not raise larva in captivity or reconsider the conditions to which you are exposing your developing larva. You might be doing more harm than good.
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A common commercially sold butterfly mesh cage (right) accommodates many of the conditions needed to rear monarch caterpillars. When used outdoors it provides diurnal temperature and humidity, good air circulation, possibly beneficial UV rays and even the potential for morning dew to provide hydration. The potential drawback of such an enclosure is it encourages enthusiasts to put more than one larvae in the cage. In the wild one rarely sees more than one larger monarch on a milkweed branch. As monarch caterpillars grow, and they grow quickly, the likelihood of caterpillars encountering one another and begin to experience competition increases. Ideally, this type of enclosure would support just one monarch caterpillar guaranteeing no risk of competition. In the study referenced above (A. Davis, 2024) however; even outdoor enclosures compromised the health of developing larvae.
October 4, 2024 The Epic Monarch Butterfly Migration is in Full Swing
Early October represents the heart of the eastern migratory monarch butterfly migration season. Millions of monarch butterflies are heading toward the mountains of south-central Mexico to overwinter. The Mexican government has established defined mountainous areas as sanctuaries as monarchs have returned to the same conifer forest for millions of years.
The monarch in this image was likely born somewhere in New England as it is one of millions flying southwest toward a more tropical environment. It was seen nectaring on goldenrod and aster in southeast Pennsylvania. Flight takes tremendous energy and monarch butterflies need to find flowers to retore their energy reserves in the form of lipids. If monarchs cannot find late season flowering plants such as aster or goldenrod their chance of survival is low. Monarchs need to fly well beyond the U.S. boarder as they are tropical insects and are programmed to fly to a narrow longitude and latitude where winter conditions are just right.
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The 'goldilocks' zone for monarchs is found in the mountains of Mexico for the eastern population of monarch butterfly. The Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Sierra Chincua and the Monarch Butterfly Reserve both provide the narrow range of conditions monarchs need from November through March. In order for monarchs to enter what's called a pseudo hibernation or diapause, temperatures need to remain in a specific range. Daytime highs in the 50's and lower 60's and nighttime lows in the upper 30's to lower 40's enable monarchs to maximize energy conservation. Since monarchs cannot fly during temperatures below 55 F, daytime maximum heating enables monarchs to leave their roosts and hydrate at streams nearby the forest floor. Little to no nectaring (the act of consuming nectar and restoring energy) is possible in during their five-to-six-month rest period.
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Closer to home, you play a major role in improving monarchs survive their journey.
Migrating eastern monarch butterfly
Planting late season blooming perennials not only enhance the beauty of the fall season on your property they provide what migrating monarch butterflies need during their migration. Goldenrod is an excellent choice for monarchs as it blooms up to the frost season and holds its bloom for weeks. There are more than 100 species of goldenrod from which to choose. I recommend seaside goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens) as it tends to bloom later in the season and offer some of the most concentrated flower clusters among goldenrods. Once established, goldenrod is a tough perennial surviving drought, deer and rabbits and best of all for allergy sufferers - it is not ragweed and does not cause seasonal hay fever.
Fall is goldenrod season
A close up of a seaside goldenrod bloom shows how many individual flowers there are within a small sample of a larger cluster. Solidago is the genus name of goldenrod. In Latin solidus means "to make whole" referring to its medicinal properties for conditions including arthritis, inflammation, tuberculosis and diabetes.
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While goldenrod and ragweed bloom at the same time, the pollen of goldenrod is large and sticky and not likely to be windblown unlike ragweed pollen which is far smaller and easily carried by wind.
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Goldenrod blooms are rich in proteins, fats and minerals and why monarch butterflies seek this plant. Seaside goldenrod is typically not available at garden centers, nurseries or big box stores. There are websites that offer seeds. Contact me if you'd like to order seaside goldenrod seeds. I grow this beautiful perennial and may have seeds to send. Goldenrod prefer full sun. Germination is easy in the spring.
High quality nectar blooms
September 30, 2024 Unpacking for Mexico
Millions of monarch caterpillars are emerging (eclosing) from their chrysalis having completed an amazing transformation from terrestrial caterpillar to flying adult monarch butterfly. Below is a rare view into the world of the brief but miraculous process of how monarch butterflies emerge from their chrysalis.
Chrysalis' change from bright green to clear 24 hours before the monarch butterfly emerges. The butterfly typically emerges between 7am to 11am taking advantage of the morning sun to help dry their wings. It takes up to four hours for her wings to completely dry. She will test her
wings repeatedly before flying off.
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The monarch enters the chrysalis phase where the monarch transforms from caterpillar to butterfly.
In most U.S. states there are four generations of monarchs from May through August. The four generations remain in their chrysalis for about 10 days during typical summer temperatures.
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The final generation of monarchs enter their chrysalis phase in the fall when temperatures are often 20 degrees or more below summer highs and lows. Cooler temperatures slow the metabolic process of transformation from caterpillar to butterfly. While summer transformation averages 10 days, fall monarchs can spend between 14 days up to 30 days before emerging. Mine are averaging 13 days this year. ​
The fall monarch is genetically programmed to migrate rather than mate. While mating will eventually occur, it won't be until the next spring during their flight back from their overwintering roosts in the mountains of south-central Mexico to the southern coast of the U.S. The monarch butterfly's epic migration from the U.S. to Mexico and back spans over a 9-month period and requires thousands of stops along the journey in search of nectar to enable flight.
You play a major role in the monarch's migratory survival by planting late season, long-blooming native flowers. A list of the most common include goldenrod, aster, and ironweed. Each of these plants are perennials and bloom well through the monarch migratory season.
September 20, 2024 Meet a Few of the Class of 2024 Migratory Monarch Butterfly Caterpillars
The 2024 historic monarch butterfly migration is in full swing. Easter monarchs from as far north as southern Cananda are making their way south in search of nectar along the way and for their winter destination in the mountains of south-central Mexico. Before they took flight, meet a fraction of the class of 2024 in their caterpillar stage. Each uniquely patterned as a fingerprint.
By the time you read this it's likely many if not all of the above monarch larva have emerged into beautiful healthy butterflies. While all the larva looked a little different, they are all heading to Mexico. On behalf of all of your and myself...adios amigos.
September 17, 2024 Milkweed Seedpods Make a Great Snack for Late Season Monarch Larva
Mid-September finds many late season monarch butterfly larva searching for lush, nutritious milkweed leaves. The long harsh summer has turned any remaining milkweed leaves dry and damaged. As opportunists, monarch caterpillars turn to seed pods where the milkweed plant sends its energy to produce seeds. Pictured below is why leaving some of your milkweed to 'go to seed' is a great idea.
An earlier article posted on June 22, 2024 recommended that a careful pruning strategy of your milkweed on July 1st would result in dividends in the fall. The strategy was to cut 1/3 of your common milkweed down to 2" above the ground. The second third of your common milkweed was to be cut halfway down the plant to regenerate new growth for summer monarchs. The final 1/3 of your common milkweed plants was to be left alone. By doing this, it allowed the plants to develop seed pods.
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Milkweed plants redirect their latex sap from generating leaves to developing seed pods in the fall. As the name implies, the seed pod is the plant's tactic of continuing its survival by producing hundreds of seeds within each pod. As milkweed head toward annual dormancy, high levels of cardenolide latex are transported to the seedpod. The natural aging of milkweed results in little to no energy for leaf production. instead creating seed pods which mature in September and October.
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Perhaps by design, seed pods become available for the migratory monarch caterpillar generation (late August thru September) when no leaves remain on the plant. For the milkweed, generating seeds in the fall enable seeds to fall to the ground to begin the overwintering conditions (wet and cold) required for germinate late next spring.
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Monarch butterfly larva endure competition for food during their entire lifetime. In the summer tussock moth larva and milkweed beetles devour nutritious leaves frequented by monarchs. In the fall milkweed bugs congregate on seedpods and devour them.
5th instar migratory generation monarch larva
So, for those of you who let 1/3 of your common milkweed mature to where it is now producing milkweed seedpods, visit your plants and do two things: 1) Remove every milkweed bug on your seedpods. 2) Enjoy watching your migratory monarch butterfly larva enjoy its last meal before it enters the chrysalis stage in preparation to its journey to south-central Mexico for the winter.
September 16, 2024 Monarch Larva Patterns Vary but their Message is Consistent
Monarch butterfly caterpillars (scientifically termed larva) have a unique color pattern. Larva spend their entire lives on milkweed plants which typically have lime green to emerald-green leaves. Unlike most larva in nature that blend into their setting to protect themselves, monarch butterfly caterpillars display vivid bright yellow, black and white banding almost in contrast to their surrounding.
Common color pattern of monarch larva Monarch larva patterns can vary but each will produce a magnificent butterfly
In nature, animals and insects use camouflage to blend into their surroundings. This is most typical in wildlife that has little or no means of defending themselves. An example of this includes the walking stick insect. In the animal kingdom the chameleon changes her color by the second as she moves to blend in as they have no means of physical defense.
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While monarch caterpillars always feature bands of yellow, white and black colors it is interesting how varied the color schemes can appear. These colors are intended to be seen and serve to protect the larva as a sign of danger from predators as monarch larva accumulate toxins from the monarch leaves they eat.
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In addition to looking as if they are wearing caution tape to protect themselves, monarch caterpillars larva have another body feature that protects it. False antennae are appendages used by many insects that are slow and vulnerable. False antennae look like an insect's primary antennae (used for navigating and sensing) but appear on the rear of the insect to confuse predators which is the front, and which is the back. Many predators attack from the back or abdomen to avoid jaws or claws which typically appear at the front of potential prey. Antennae on both ends of the monarch butterfly caterpillar are thought to reduce the risk of attack by confusing the predator.
September 10, 2024 Coming Soon...The Cape Henlopen State Park Monarch Refueling Nectar Station
Hundreds of thousands of migratory monarchs from New England navigate (in part) using the Atlantic coast as a visual reference. Along their way south they seek nectar plants to regenerate their energy reserves for their long journey to south-central Mexico. One of the most challenging natural structures migratory monarchs endure in the United States is the Delaware Bay. Based on monarch tagging data there is a high concentration of fall monarchs along the coast of Cape May, New Jersey. As monarchs use the coastal 'flyway', they need to cross the entire Delaware Bay without landing until they reach the Delaware coast. The closest landmass to greet New England's monarchs is the beautiful Cape Henlopen State Park. It is here where the new monarch butterfly refueling station is being built.
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Positioned across the street from the new Joe Biden Environmental Center, officials of the Cape Henlopen State Park approved the use of a vacant lot to create a natural prairie experience. The site was carefully selected. One of the primary migratory flyways is directly over Cape Henlopen, Delaware. Migratory monarchs need to frequently nectar to fuel flight. As a result, visitors will see roughly 80% of the plantings offering late season nectar from seaside goldenrod and aster to name a few. These two native plants are long and late season blooming perennials which are highly targeted by fall monarch butterflies.
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Goldenrod (left) is one of the best choices for helping migratory monarch butterflies. Seaside goldenrod flourishes in harsh conditions and meets all nature's coastal demands including drought and sea salt spray. These plants have an extensive root system which help preserve coastal dunes while providing late and a long blooming season with abundant flowers offering nectar. Nectar sources can be difficult to find in the fall.
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The plant to the right features another late season, long blooming must have, the beautiful New England aster. A favorite flower for many late season insects looking for a dependable nectar source, aster require a slightly more moist substrate to flourish. ​These two plants are essential for migrating insects including the monarch butterfly.
Monarchs on seaside goldenrod New England Aster
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At the time of this site posting the Cape Henlopen State Park Monarch Refueling Station is in development. Visitors during the fall and spring of 2024-2025 will find the once vacant lot begin to come to life with native pollinator plants. 20% of the plantings will include native milkweed species including common milkweed and swamp milkweed. to meet the needs of late spring and summer monarchs that live in the park. There are four or sometimes five generations of monarchs each year. Wamer years support five generations.
The first plant in the new Cape Henlopen State Park Monarch Refueling Station was a seaside goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens)
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Visitors to the state park will need to be patient as the plantings are going in later than planned. Additionally, the plants are all grown from seeds it will take a year or so for them to mature. That said it was only a week after breaking ground that the first monarch butterfly was spotted.
The first monarch butt4erfly arrived Monday, September 2nd. It was a male and likely flew across the Delaware Bay given the proximity of the state park to the bay.
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The monarch's arrival validated the hypothesis that New England monarchs use the coast to assist in their migration to overwinter in south-central Mexico..
Julie Callahan, Delaware Master First Monarch Arrives
Naturalist September 2, 2024​
Site of the newest feature at the Cape Henlopen State Park
The Migratory Monarch Butterfly Food & Fuel Station as of September 7, 2024
The goal remains to set as many young plants in the fall of 2024 prior to the first frost to establish robust root systems. Additional plants will be added in the spring of 2025 and beyond. Planting are being done by select Friends of Cape Henlopen State Park.
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Features will include: a covered pavilion and a color tri-fold brochure which includes monarch gardening information, locations of nurseries that carry local pollinator plants to help you get started. A winding path will offer a prairie like experience with classic butterfly milkweed in raised planters.
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Plants will attract a variety of pollinators including butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.
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The site is a registered Monarch Waystation and National Wildlife Federation Habitat.
For more information about the Cape Henlopen State Park in Lewes, DE call: (302) 645-8983. For updates on the progress of the Monarch Butterfly Fuel Station within the park check back here on this site or use my 'contact us' button and I will give you the latest information.
September 2, 2024 Good Insects that Share Milkweed Plants with Monarch Caterpillars
Milkweed plants are showing stress this time of year. New tender leaves are rare and those that are sprouting are likely covered with milkweed aphids. Female monarchs have laid their last eggs on the newest plant growth they can find. In previous news updates I've focused on insects which pose a risk to either monarch eggs or monarch larva (caterpillars. This update features two of the most beneficial insects you'll want to see in large numbers on your milkweed plants.
Ladybug larva
The threatening looking insect to the left is actually a baby or as scientists call them larva. This is a ladybug larva (Coccinellidae). It is impossible to look at this six-legged spiny insect which is often black and orange and imagine it will turn into a ladybug.
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Ladybug larva are welcome on milkweed plants because they eat milkweed aphids...a lot of them. The ladybug larva is just one stage of the ladybug's life. The larva lives for about 3 weeks molting several times during the three weeks.
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It is common to see many ladybug larva on one plant. No worries, they don't appear territorial and as you know, there are plenty of aphids to go around. In addition to
ladybug larva, you will likely see the other stages of ladybug including its pupa stage (right) which looks much closer to what we think of as an adult ladybug.
Leafyplace.com
Ladybug pupa
The other insect more than welcome on your milkweed plants is the lacewing i(Chrysopidae) insect. Lacewing insects are somewhat hard to find. The lacewing adult flying insect is nocturnal however, you know you have lacewings on your milkweed by observing their eggs.
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The image below shows eggs produced by an adult Picture below is the adult green lacewing. While it looks
green lacewing insect. When you see these eggs near the tip of fragile it is a carnivore and an aggressive hunter of mites,
your milkweed leaves it is because your milkweed plant is infested aphids and yes, young caterpillars. Lacewings however with aphids are not known to be a threat to monarch caterpillars/ ​
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Green lacewing eggs
Green lacewing adult
Milkweed plants attract many insects large and small. Nature balances predators and prey and has for millions of years. Monarch caterpillars find their way and continue to thrive provided there is enough milkweed to counter the natural threats in addition to the manmade ones.
August 24, 2024 It's Pre-migratory Monarch Season, What You Should Be Doing
For much of New England and the mid-Atlantic mid-August is the eve of the great monarch butterfly migration. Eggs laid this month will generate the migratory generation of monarch butterflies. In order for this important generation to thrive, milkweed leaves need to remain healthy and available. As a monarch enthusiast and or gardener you'll want to take action this week. If you followed recommendations made earlier this year to cut back common milkweed July 1st, you should have relatively young leaves for late August monarch larva to eat. Here is your action item for this update: check to make sure there are no vines strangling your milkweed.
Two common vines found in the wild are Hedge Bindweed and Morning Glory. Left unchecked and removed, these vines can completely wrap up and strangle healthy strong milkweed plants. The vines begin growing in the summer and mature to do their greatest damage in the late fall when monarch caterpillars are searching for easy to access leaves. These vines can completely wrap up even the strongest common milkweed plant limiting their availability and resource for monarchs.
Removing entangled milkweed requires an important technique. Simply pulling the vine to remove it will strip milkweed leaves and risk knocking off monarch eggs or caterpillars. The best technique for removing hedge bindweed or morning glory is to find the vines at the base of the plant where they emerge from the ground and snip them with scissors or sheers. Leave the vine on. This will result in the vine going limp and relaxing its strong hold on the entire plant. Within a day or so the vine will no longer restrict the milkweed from spreading out, photosynthesizing and offering its leaves to female monarchs to lay her eggs or monarch larva from consuming its leaves.
Everyone is seeing aphids! If you have milkweed plants, you have aphids this time of year...by the thousands. Bright yellow, they're not ugly but like most gardeners you wish they weren't there or at least you'd settle for not as many. Of course, pesticides are never an option so some turn to either using a hose or a spray bottle throttled to the jet spray setting of the adjustable nozzle. It is important to remember that aphids not a threat to a healthy milkweed plant and they're also not a threat to emerging monarch caterpillar larvae. Aphids, milkweed and monarch caterpillars have existed for millions of years with no dire consequences to the plant or developing monarch. Resisting the need to remove aphids may just be to the advantage of helping monarchs, here's how. The image to the right is an example where a female monarch carefully chose to lay an egg in a cluster of aphids. Why she did so is likely associated with the egg was deposited on the plant's most delicate and immature leaf branch. Not surprisingly, this is also where the highest concentration of aphids are found. So, spraying any high force water stream has a good chance of dislodging monarch butterfly eggs which can often be difficult to spot. If you're going to err this season, do so by leaving the aphids or removing them using a toothpick. By using this method you'll spare the accidental removal of precious monarch eggs.​​​​​
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One never wants to lose a monarch egg as it has the potential to grow into a majestic adult butterfly. The egg to the right may be the most important egg of the monarchs' four generations as this egg holds the caterpillar which will, with 200:1 odds against it, become the adult monarch who will fly over 2,000 miles to overwinter in Mexico. Interesting to note the 4 generations of monarch preceding this egg carried the gene to migrate within their DNA. It is only the fall monarch that migrates rather than breed. It will breed along its journey north the following year.
Early growth of Hedge Bindweed
Monarch Egg
Strategy deposited monarch egg nearest to new
plant growth
August17, 2024 It's mid-August...What Should You Be Doing for the Monarchs On Your Property?
It's mid August and wondering what you should be doing for the monarch butterflies you have enjoyed all season long. The simple answer is - sit back and enjoy the final show. Depending your longitude, mid to late August monarch butterflies are either beginning their migration to Mexico or the female is laying her eggs which will be the migratory monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus, plexlippus).
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Your Milkweed Plant Status
Your milkweed looks tired. Common milkweed has large dried early leaves. The few new shoots are covered with yellow aphids. Swamp milkweed plants are faring a little better with new shoots and tender leaves but they too are covered with aphids so you cannot see the stems. You're not alone. Summer heat, insects, and aging have prepared your milkweed for the final generation. While none of your milkweed will provide nectar as flower stalks are long gone, there is a huge surface area of leaves that the fall migratory generation of monarch larva (caterpillars) will find irresponsible. Hopefully your July 1st heavy pruning efforts have provided you with new common milkweed shoots for August through October.
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Action Items
Watch for and remove: milkweed beetles, milkweed bugs, praying mantids. Migratory monarch caterpillars are voracious and eat all portions of milkweed plants. The fall is not a good time to share your plants with bugs and beetles. ​​
Milkweed bugs (pictured right) are not a direct threat to monarch caterpillars but they will multiply by the hundreds on your plants and devour all your seed pods. Milkweed bugs eat your milkweed seeds! So, remove them by hand by placing a jar over the seed pod and shake them off. Many gardeners like to harvest newly opened seed pods and save the seeds for next year. If you don't remove the milkweed bugs, there may not be any seeds when you remember to harvest. Additionally, monarch caterpillars enjoy eating the outcoat of the milkweed seed pods. Removing milkweed bugs provides more food for your monarch caterpillar. ​​​​​
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Milkweed beetles are no better. They ravage leaves, stems, flowers and cut small branches of your milkweed making it unavailable for monarch caterpillars...so, they have to go! There are several types of milkweed beetles. Most common are the red milkweed beetle and most often found on common milkweed. There are other species notably the milkweed beetle which causes the same food shortage for your monarch caterpillars.
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Tussock month caterpillars eat faster and than an average adult human teenager (almost). They appear out of nowhere. Yesterday your milkweed was fine, the next day your have this invasion of, albeit kind of cool looking) caterpillars that look like they're made of yarn. May be somewhat attractive but they definitely have to go...right now, not in an hour, right now. They will devour your plants down to the stem leaving nothing but stalks. ​​
extension.illinois.edu
Milkweed bugs - eaters of milkweed seed pods
extension.illinois.edu
Red Milkweed Beetle Swamp Milkweed Beetle
extension.illinois.edu
Tussock moth caterpillars
Praying mantids are not a threat to late fall monarch caterpillars. Adult female mantids are one of the largest insects in north America with appetites to match. In the late summer through the fall large female mantids are found perched on fall flower stalks. They are a threat to migratory monarchs. During migration monarch butterflies seek out nectar rich flower stalks and mantids 'know' this.
The image to the left is nothing short of spectacular and disturbing. Having been in the monarch conservation field for decades I thought I had seen it all. As an advocate and supporter of monarchs I do all I can do while appreciating nature has things taken care of without any help.
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In October of 2023 I was returning 4 tagged monarchs to a late season blooming plant that had attracted many pollinators. I figured it was a good idea to release the adult monarch butterfly on a flower cluster with an abundance of nectar to give the newly tagged adults a good meal the next leg of their journey. I checked on them an hour later to find a pile of monarch wings directly under the flowers of which they were enjoying nectar. Among the scattered wings were the four tags I had placed an hour ago.
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Upon a careful analysis of the crime scene i noticed a large female praying mantid that had camouflaged herself into what looked like a silver robot! She had taken down all four adult monarch butterflies within a 60 -minute window.
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Taggers beware - check plants before returning monarchs to a flowering bush.
Mantid takes 4 monarchs out of fall migration
As early fall begins, remove any competitive insects off your milkweed. Remove all plants around your milkweed to enable female monarch butterflies to lay their eggs. If a monarch can't easily navigate around your milkweed plants, you will have far fewer eggs in which monarch butterflies can continue their species.
August 1, 2024 Damaged Milkweed Leaf Stalk ? It's All Part of the Plan
Mid-summer finds every gardener admiring their hard work from the last three months of planting, weeding and watering. Admiration turns to shock and disappointment when monarch enthusiasts see their most prized swamp milkweed cut and hanging on by a thread. To further the disappointment; the best and most healthy part, including promising flower stalks of your milkweed were targeted. Disappointment turns to anger and then determining who to blame.​​
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Deer? Rabbit? In nearly all cases where the plant appears to be cut the monarch caterpillar was likely to blame. Suddenly you feel a little better but still stare helplessly at the gorgeous green stalk of what was to be food for your monarch caterpillars. Here's the good news - damage to milkweed like the image to the right is all part of nature's plan and the monarch's strategy to reduce risk of being mired in white latex sap from the plant. Remember, plants have survival defenses. High pressure release of milkweed sap is one of milkweed's half a dozen tactics to ensure its survival.
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The millions of years monarchs and milkweed have been squaring off has resulted in remarkable advancements for both plant and animal. As a result of monarch's severing of leaf and stalks, milkweed plants have evolved to rapidly replace lost limbs. While the caterpillar culling process provides a day or two of fresh milkweed leaves and flowers, the severed point of the milkweed stimulates new growth just below to the damage. The net result is a win for the caterpillar. The plant however will require an expenditure of energy to produce a new stalk with more leaves to continue photosynthesis and to feed itself in the process. ​​
Above are three examples of how milkweed regenerate either after a foraging event or deliberate seasonal plant pruning. Nature has created this interactive dynamic between milkweed and monarch to ensure each generation of monarch butterfly caterpillars have new, soft and nutritious leaves. On average, there are 10-14 days between when a caterpillar stops eating and wanders off to form a chrysalis. At the same time, it takes 10-14 days for a milkweed to regenerate new foliage. Under nature's watch, the new foliage is the most tender on a mature milkweed plant and where female monarch butterflies lay their eggs. This guarantees the newly hatched monarch caterpillar (measuring less than 1/8") need not travel for its first several days meals. ​​
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Damage to your milkweed? It may not be as bad as you think, in fact, it is beneficial acting as a natural pruning service with just enough off the top without harming the balance of nature.
July27, 2024 Aquatic Milkweed - An Excellent Addition to your Garden
Aquatic Milkweed - (Asclepias perennias)
The aquatic milkweed also goes by the name 'white milkweed', or 'swamp milkweed' not to be confused with swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata). This plant is not native to the eastern seaboard nor the mid-Atlantic. It is a mid-western to southern plains plant and a favorite of monarch butterflies. ​
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Unlike tropical milkweed which is also non-native, aquatic milkweed is not a threat to altering monarch butterfly migratory instincts as the blooms are limited only to the summer and early fall.
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Aquatic milkweed thrives in moist to nearly submerged substrate. While I have seen it grown in traditional gardens, it requires the gardener to water frequently. To demonstrate how water based this plant is, the seeds are buoyant and have what has been described as 'wings' to help them float down current.
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​As a perennial, my aquatic milkweed has emerged for 3 summer growing seasons since planting in 2021. The image to the left provides a single plant plenty of room to grow, flower, seed and complete winter dormancy. Winter exposure and temperatures in the low to mid-teens have not been a problem. The planter is however submerged all year long with the water temperature remaining above freezing. Aquatic milkweed is more difficult to find at nurseries and garden centers out of its native growing zone.​​
July20, 2024 The Swamp Milkweed, my 2024 Perennial of the Year
Monarch butterfly enthusiasts are a passionate group. We can't wait for spring to begin and even then we have to wait to see the first sign of last year's milkweed to emerge. It's a game of patience. I selected the swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) as my perennial of the year for 2024. Reasons go well beyond the brilliant white and deep reddish-purple flowers if offers.
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Unlike the common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), swamp milkweed requires consistently moist soil to fluish. Once established, swamp milkweed will tolerate drought conditions but prefer moist soil over its milkweed brethren butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) and common milkweed which prefer to stay on the dry side. ​
Swamp Milkweed - (Asclepias incarnata)
'Ice Ballet'
Swamp Milkweed - (Asclepias incarnata)
'Cinderella'
A question was submitted to our site asking....
"How can I grow dry loving milkweed (butterfly weed, common
milkweed) together with swamp milkweed or even aquatic milkweed
(Asclepias perennias) on my small property?"​
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The answer is to provide each species of milkweed what they need to grow best. Since most milkweed grow best in full sun, make sure you choose the best sight with full sun. As for managing the different needs of moisture there are two tactics that work well. The first works well if you have a garden with a higher and lower end. Plant butterfly weed and common milkweed on the higher portion of your garden and swamp milkweed on the lowest level. The grade or slope of the garden will help in establishing your swamp milkweed after the first year Like all seedlings or new plants, manually watering twice a week for the first growing season is needed.
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A far more reliable tactic for growing swamp milkweed or aquatic milkweed is to grow them in containers without drainage holes. As their name implies, these two brilliant species of milkweed love moist conditions. Below is an example of an inexpensive and proven methods of easily growing swamp and aquatic milkweed. Since these two species of milkweed lack the extensive tap root of the common milkweed your container need not be too large. An additional advantage of planting these two water-loving plants is you can move their containers to the sunniest part of your property including in the garden itself. I suppose it is feasible to sink your container directly into the ground provided you select a container without drainage.
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​ But does it work? 6 Monarch Butterfly Larva and Counting...​​​​​​​​
In as little as 10 days a total of six monarch caterpillars were seen on potted swamp milkweed. It is important to note those six all were different stages of development proving monarch eggs were laid at different times.
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Gardeners can grow every available and native milkweed on their property tor all moisture needs. Success in growing milkweed plants all the way to flowering and seeding simply means knowing how much moisture each species needs and then plan on how to provide it. From the most arid loving common milkweed and butterfly weed to aquatic milkweed, anything is possible. See which species of milkweed monarchs on your property choose. ​​
July18, 2024 The Heart of the Monarch Breeding Season - Predators Loom and What to do about it
Nature has a plan for every animal, plant and even protozoan! Monarch butterflies are certainly no exception to. A monarch butterfly protects itself from predators through the consumption of milkweed leaves and the toxic sap within the leaves, flowers and stem. The monarch caterpillar (larvae) isn't harmed by the chemical (cardenolides) having evolved a process called compartmentalizing. While caterpillars ingest it, it doesn't adversely affect them.​​
Only 1-2% of all monarch eggs result in a healthy adult monarch butterfly. This culling process is common in nature to ensure adults have enough of what they need to breed and continue their species. With the number of monarchs dramatically decreasing over the last 20 years - every gardener that sees the image to the left is saddening
Monarch predators come in all shapes, colors and sizes. Some we can easily see, others require a microscope. Spraying insecticide is NOT an option. We need to let nature run its course to ensure only the strongest and those making the best survival decisions pass their genetics to the next generation. There are simple actions you can take without changing the course of nature but reducing short-term risks for monarchs in your garden.
Only 1-2% live to become
a butterfly
Common monarch butterfly predators on your milkweed
Tachinid Fly
(Tachinidae)
Flies look innocent enough but certain flies, the tachinid fly for example is a first-line predator of monarch caterpillars. Tachinid flies lay their eggs in live caterpillars where they grow and eventually kill their host. Fly larva eat their way out and fly larva drop out on silk strans to the ground where they pupate and hatch into adult flies to repeat the cycle. There is little to nothing a gardener can do to prevent this.
The jumping spider is, for those with arachnophobia, the least menacing looking of the class arachnida. It is however a predator of very young and emerging monarch butterfly caterpillars. It is not uncommon to find a jumping spider on your milkweed plant. Their sole purpose of being there is to feed on emerging larva. Gardeners can relocate them easily far away from the milkweed plant.
Jumping Spider
(Arachnida salticidae)
Mantids are top predators in the insect world. When you see a mantid on your milkweed it is as much a benevolent visitor as it is a threat to monarchs. Adult monarch butterflies are on the mantid menu. Mantids will set up on the plant's flower stalk and wait. It will snare anything it can hold including beneficial pollinators. Gardeners will buy egg cases to put in their garden, monarch enthusiasts may relocate them.
Praying Mantis
(Mantis religiosa)
Assassin bugs are as menacing as they sound. They should be removed from your plant and taken far away. I've witnessed these predators many times piercing and feasting on instar 3,4,5 (medium to large) monarch caterpillars. Immune to the toxins, assassin bugs have no place in a hardworking gardener's garden. Large and hungry, they need to go. If monarchs have nightmares...the assassin bug is in it.
Assassin Bug
(Pselliopus spp.)
Birdwatchinghq.com
Stink Bug
(Halyomorpha halys)
Stink bugs. The name says it all. Stink bugs are a predator of monarch butterfly caterpillars. A common pest in the home, stink bugs are commonly found on milkweed plants. Stink bugs come in a variety of colors including black, brown, green, orange or a combination of these colors.
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An invasive species, stink bugs are most active during warm weather and hide when the weather cools in the fall. Stink bugs lay their eggs in large batches in garden vegetable plants, particularly pumpkin, cucumber and other large leaf vegetables.
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Removing stink bugs is best done by putting a plastic soda or water bottle over the insect and pushing it into the container. Capping it prevents it from escaping or smelling their pungent scent.
Common monarch butterfly visitors on your milkweed
Reddit.com
Milkweed beetles are not a threat to monarchs but they, like the monarch caterpillar have milkweed on their menu. I highlight this insect because when and if you have a shortage of fresh, tender milkweed leaves you will not want to have your plant and flowers consumed by the large numbers of this specie of beetle that frequents garden milkweed plants. Save milkweed leaves...relocate them to that plastic soda bottle.
MIlkweed Beetle
(Tetraopes tetophthalmus)
Common Aphid & Ant
Aphids....they appear out of nowhere. Aphids are a common pest on milkweed but do not present a threat. Aphids and milkweed have coexisted for millions of years. There's no need to remove them unless your milkweed develops a black sooty look to them. At that point you can use a spray bottle and shoot them off. Ants consume the honeydew the aphids produce. I've not seen these ants be a caterpillar threat
Lacewing
Welcome to the Lacewing insect. This is a wonderful insect to find on your milkweed. Lacewings are delicate but veracious at the same time. Translucent wings and delicate lime green abdomen, lacewings have an appetite for aphids second only to the ladybug larva.
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You want to cheer and support lacewings on your milkweed as they will devour aphids by the hundreds. When a lacewing has found a mass of aphids, she will deposit a single egg on a strand of silk as pictured here on the left.
​Lacewings are not a threat to monarch caterpillars. (reference)
Lacewing Eggs
(Neuroptera ssp.)
Ladybug, also referred to as ladybird, ladybird beetle or ladybug is also a welcome visitor to your garden. Ladybugs are often thought of as red and black but can also appear yellow and black. or orange and black and other combinations including all black.
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The ladybug larva (right) may be the best natural aphid remover of any insect.
Ladybug
(Coccinellidae ssp.)
Ladybug larva
Enjoy the summer and determine whether you have enough milkweed to meet the number of monarch caterpillars you see on your plants. Summer is also a good time to evaluate the health of your milkweed. Do you have the variety of milkweed to meet the monarch's needs? I have to recommend the swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) to you once again A survey I conducted today found 4 monarch caterpillars on swamp milkweed for every 1 monarch caterpillar on common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). Swamp milkweed thrives in more moist soil than common milkweed, but the rewards of more frequent watering are worth it. Tips on how to master growing swamp milkweed in my July 20, 2024 update.
July12, 2024 Careful Planting Choices in your Monarch Pollinator Garden
Every pollinator garden will please a monarch butterfly but only a monarch butterfly pollinator garden will have milkweed as one of its main attractions. When planning a monarch butterfly garden, it is very important to create the following list:​
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* Do you want perennials, annuals or a combination
* Will the plants bloom in sequence from May through November
* Will the plants spread either by rhizome or by seed
* Will the plant choice exceed the size of your dream garden size
* Plant only native species, monarchs will know the difference
* Never plant tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassivaca)
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This feature article focuses on plant selection. Making a list of the plants you want in your garden is only the first step. Your second step is to scribe next to each plant listed how tall and wide they grow. The picture to the right features a poor choice for this garden. The plant, Joe Pye Weed (genus Eutrochium) is a favorite of monarchs and other pollinators.
Most Joe Pye Weed grow to seven feet or higher in full sun. There is good news however for gardeners with less room. Joe Pye Weed is now available in a cultivar (a plant variety created by selective breeding or crossbreeding) version. Cultivar Joe Pye weed species grow to a more conservative height of three to five feet.
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Read plant labels carefully or you might end up with far more than you planned for and the need to transplant a great choice that simply outgrew its boundaries. ​​
July10, 2024 While July is Cut/Prune your Common Milkweed...Look Carefully for Monarch Eggs or Larva
Photo courtesy of Rhoda McNitt
July is the ideal time to cut back your common milkweed. By mid-July you'll know which stalks you want to keep for seeds or which you wish were never there. Common milkweed is an aggressive, spreading milkweed specie. Cutting it back will not kill it, in fact, it will stimulate new growth. It is the new growth that is so important to the September migratory population as we've learned from the article just below.
When pruning or cutting common milkweed down to the ground, make sure to inspect every leaf, stalk and flower cluster to make sure you are not discarding monarch eggs or small larvae (monarch caterpillars). If you don't have time to do a thorough inspection of each of your discarded plants simply lay the plant in front of other common milkweeds that you are not pruning. Any eggs that hatch will enable the young caterpillar to climb to living milkweed nearby. Any small monarch caterpillars will climb off the wilting leaves and onto adjacent healthy living plants as well.
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Look closely at the picture to the left. There is a sizable monarch caterpillar in the dense center of this flower cluster. It is easy to overlook something even as large as this late-stage monarch caterpillar.
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So, while July is 'prune your common milkweed month' to promote healthy new plants for the migratory monarch generation, be mindful of the current generation in your garden that play an important role in passing along their genetic material to the next generation. Special thanks to Rhoda for sharing her photo with us. ​Do you have any interesting monarch larva or butterfly images to share?​
June 22, 2024 It's Time...Time to Cut 1/3 of your Common Milkweed to the Ground
7 Days After Mowing
14 Days After Mowing
30 Days After Mowing
Common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is second only to swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) as the preferred plant for female monarch butterflies to lay their eggs. Second only perhaps because even as swamp milkweed grow into mature plants their leaves remain small and tender, just the right recipe for a 1/16th of an inch baby monarch caterpillar. As the name implies, common milkweed is the most common and abundant specie of milkweed along the mid-Atlantic and northeast coast.
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Common milkweed comes in second for 'most desirable egg laying plant' because the leaves of the common milkweed can grow to an enormous size and undesirable thickness. As the plant ages, it becomes impossible for a new monarch caterpillar to eat its leaves. Unlike the common milkweed, swamp milkweed leaves remain the same size and tender through the plant's long life. Female monarchs will seek out the newest growth and or most tender leaves to deposit their eggs.
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Common milkweed is an aggressive perennial. Growing to heights exceeding 7', leaf production slows toward the late summer and fall. This reduces the attractiveness of common milkweed for mid-late summer generations of monarchs. Of particular importance is the last generation of migratory monarchs. The August and early September timeframe is when female monarchs are depositing their eggs which will become the migratory monarch generation. IF there are fewer ideal target leaves for females to lay their eggs, there is a potential for a lower butterfly count for this critical generation. There is good news, make that GREAT news. The common milkweed has several advantages over the stylish swamp milkweed.
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Common Milkweed Advantages for Female Egg Laying
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* Remarkable regrowth - whether a branch or the entire stalk is cut, common milkweed regenerates
new growth faster than any other milkweed species.
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* New growth offers soft, tender and highly attractive new leaves for egg laying female monarchs
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* Common milkweed often sends out rhizomes (underground roots) to generate new plants
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* Plant regeneration is FAST. offering a fully pruned common milkweed to produce a new plant
in as little as two weeks giving gardeners the opportunity to prune or cut back in mid-July to
have fresh new, tender leaves for the migratory monarch caterpillar generation.
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The images to the left are all of the same plant. Township mowing took this plant to ground level on May 20th. Within a week there were 8-10 new leaves. A week after than it had over a dozen new leaves and had sent out a new shoot. One month after being completely cut to the ground the milkweed became a new, stronger plant.
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Dates Leaf production Rainfall Temperature Range
May 20-27 10-12 leaves 0.05" 55 F - 87 F
May 28 - June 4 12-20 leaves 0.30" 47 F - 87 F
June 5-20 33 leaves 3.24" 52 F - 90
Common milkweed is resilient. This study of a roadside milkweed under normal growing and climate conditions produced over a new leaf each day. This information is extremely important! Gardeners now have a guide on when to cut their milkweed to ensure female monarchs in late August and September have fresh new milkweed leaves to lay their eggs and for their larva (monarch caterpillars) an abundance of edible leaves rich in nutrients.
It is critically important monarch caterpillars feed on a healthy palatable milkweed in
late summer into fall. This generation i(eastern, non-southern monarchs) are programmed to migrate and not breed until the following year. The fall monarch
caterpillar produces a considerably larger adult monarch butterfly following a slightly
longer period of time in their chrysalis. Wings averaging 4" help the monarch conserve
energy by catching thermals (columns of rising warm air). Fewer wing strokes means
less energy expended. Leaves and lots of them are needed this time of year.
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ACTION ITEM - Find your pruning sheers
Gardeners it is advisable to prune back your common milkweed. I'd recommend you
cut back half of your common milkweed close to the ground July 1st and the other half
August 1st. This will create a series of new growth for the final generation of egg laying
female monarchs. For those who collect seeds for the following year, you might consider a pruning program of: 1/3 cut by July 1st, 1/3 cut by August 1st and leave the remaining 1/3 for seeds and to allow larger instar 4 and 5 caterpillars to eat eat the seed pods, that is of course if they can battle the mob of red milkweed beetles that time of year.
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A bonus for a pruning program is it ensures you will have plenty of fresh milkweed leaves for those educators or taggers that choose to captive breed a few in the fall.
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Studies have shown however captive breeding to be a potential hazard to the health of the migratory monarch. Stress, lack of environmental conditions such as diurnal temperature and humidity swings, UV rays, hydration, diurnal light exposure and increased load of the spores of the OE protozoan are variables thought to contribute to less than healthy migratory adult butterflies. Unlimited fresh, tender milkweed leaves are perhaps the most critical to larval health and development so you'll have that to offer.
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If you're like me, it's difficult leveling your common milkweed to within inches of the ground since you've been nurturing them all season long but they will come back stronger for the experience.
New, soft & tender common milkweed ieaves are
scarce in the fall - just when they're needed most
June 15, 2024 Like Guacamole? WATCH The Netflix Documentary: Guardian of the Monarchs
Buy Avocados Grown in the U.S.A
copyrighted
The Netflix documentary: Guardian of the Monarchs uncovers the danger and damage the Mexican cartel is unleashing on the sacred sanctuaries of the monarch butterfly in the mountains of south-central Mexico. Designated as protected habitat by the Mexican government in 1986; the documentary shows heavily armed and masked militants illegally logging, burning acres of conifer trees and diverting steams and aquifers toward avocado plantations. The danger for the monarch butterfly is the disregard for the few acres where monarchs overwinter. Destruction of Mexican overwintering habitat could be the single greatest threat and to the migratory monarch. Mexico exports more avocados than any other country in the world. The United States however does grow avocados in three states.
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"Unfortunately, drug cartels control much of the state of Michoacán, where they charge avocado producers a protection fee to avoid damage to the crops."
(World Atlas.com)
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The destruction Mexican monarch butterflies overwintering acres to satisfy consumer's appetite for Mexican grown avocado for guacamole is heinous.
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Solution?
Buy avocados grown in Florida, California or Hawaii.
So how do you know the guacamole you ordered was made with avocados from Mexico? Ask. Ordering guacamole made with avocados from Mexico further increases the chance of habitat loss for monarchs and pushes them closer to potentially an endangered status.
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I designed the logo above to support U.S. grown avocados. The monarch's tag indicates this monarch was tagged in the U.S. and made it Mexico. It along with myself ask you to buy and consume avocados only grown in the United States. If demand goes down for Mexican grown avocados there is a chance the overwintering mountains of south-central Mexico will once again be a safe haven for migratory monarchs' overwintering sites from November through late March. While habitat loss, use of herbicides and pesticides partly responsible for the declining population of the monarch, the destruction of overwintering sanctuary sites have rapidly become the #1 threat to the eastern monarch population. The speed and destruction of Mexico overwintering habitat by the cartel may play a role in the World Wildlife Federation's determination of whether to advance the classification of the monarch from threatened to endangered. Do your part. Buy only U.S. grown avocados.
May 10, 2024...Feature: Swamp Milkweed
This segment will focus on the female monarch butterfly's favorite milkweed plant to lay her eggs:
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The Swamp Milkweed.
(Asclepias incarnata)
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This beautiful perennial grows on long sturdy stems that fork as it grows taller. The vanilla scented summer blooms are deep pink to purple. There is a cultivar variety that offer a white flower. This plant is native to every state except: California, Oregon, and Washington state. While the name suggests incarnata is limited to swamps or ponds, once established it will flourish in normal garden conditions. It is not drought tolerant, however.
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Pink Swamp Milkweed Flower
Pink Swamp Milkweed
"Cinderella"
White Swamp Milkweed
"Ice Ballet"
White Swamp Milkweed Flower
This milkweed is a favorite among gardeners and monarch enthusiasts as it does not spread. Swamp milkweed lacks a rhizome (an underground root system). This plant grows upright. You can expect incarnata to reach a height of 3-5' and it offers plenty of space between branches enabling other garden plants to share the sun. Like all milkweed plants, once established, it does not like to be moved.
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Swamp milkweed is the ideal plant for early and mid-summer generations of monarch butterflies. The final generation of monarch are mate in early August followed by the female laying her eggs in mid-late August. Unlike its Asclepias relative the common milkweed, swamp milkweed does not regenerate when heavily pruned or mowed. That said, leaves and branches eaten by monarch caterpillars (larva) will regrow. Since the lanced shape leaves remain soft throughout the season, female monarchs love this plant through the first frost. In short, do not heavily prune swamp milkweed...leave this task to the common milkweed where aggressive pruning will reward you with new tender leaves just in time for the fall monarch caterpillars.
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Swamp milkweed is toxic. The plant is not under the intense latex flow pressure of common milkweed but incarnata does contain the same white latex fluid that makes the monarch caterpillar poisonous. Like all milkweed plants swamp milkweed is very late to emerge in the spring. I usually leave stalks from the previous year's plant to remind myself where I planted them the previous year. Enjoy this fabulous milkweed.
Since pink and white milkweed share the same needs of full sun and moist soil they pair well together. Since swamp milkweed is a favorite of female monarchs make sure you leave enough room for the 4" winged monarch butterfly to easily navigate around the plants.
Milkweed planted too close together will limit the number of eggs a monarch will deposit. Theories that support this include an increased number of predators on plants too concentrated. Additionally, the female monarch will not be able to fly between the plants limiting the number of targeted leaves she will be exposed to.
April 1, 2024...CAUTION: Milkweed is slow to emerge, it's where you left it last year
If you had milkweed in your yard, garden or field last year, it is still there! Don't be discouraged if you haven't seen any new sprouts as milkweed is one of the last perennial plants to emerge. Spring is notorious for teasing gardeners with swings of unseasonably warm weather, particularly in early April. You can expect the first signs of last year's milkweed sprouts by the end of April or as late as mid-May depending on the soil temperature.
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Gardeners need to be particularly careful in how they prepare and clear their garden following winter. New milkweed shoots are fragile and easily broken when garden hoes or rakes are used to clear weeds that have already established themselves on top of where milkweed sprouts will emerge. For this reason, it is recommended that weeding is done carefully by hand where milkweed grew last year.
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The emergence of milkweed will vary even within the same species. The amount of sunlight that hits the ground on last year's milkweed underground roots will determine which spouts appear first. The warmer the ground, the sooner the emergence.
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I found it particularly helpful leaving the dried, hardened stems from last year's milkweed plants. It assures me where to expect this year's plant and, more importantly, where to most carefully weed by hand.
Emerging Orange Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
February 16, 2024...Weed control in your garden this season
This time of year gardeners look at the calendar and out the window...a lot. Spring can't come soon enough. Not helping matters, garden centers and big box stores have fully stocked shelves of planting trays, annual and perennial seeds. Gardens in late winter look pathetic. Clover and chickweed are thriving even before pitchers and catchers arrive in Florida for baseball's annual spring training. Gardeners feel overwhelmed by the barrage of weeds that take front of center well before plants are even available at local nurseries. Winter plans turn to weed control for the new season once and for all. Retail, hardware stores and online sites offer choices for eliminating weeds but come with important fine print, potentially life-threatening fine print for some, in a word Glyphosate.
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Glyphosate is the active ingredient in many weed killer products, most commonly associated with the product: RoundUp®. While an effective systemic weed killer it is non-specific in what it kills. Glyphosate is present in many weed killers and has no place in gardens. Milkweed and other high nectar emerging plants will be permanently eliminated by broad spectrum weed killers. While you might be tempted to reach for the sprayer to get that pure topsoil look with no greens before planting this year, don't. You have far more to lose than you do to gain.
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Reminder! Milkweed is a perennial. It is one of the last plants
to emerge in the spring. A soil temperature over 65 degrees
is needed for last year's milkweed to emerge. In the
mid-Atlantic this is commonly around the middle of May.
Use of broad-spectrum herbicides will destroy healthy
emerging milkweed plants like this orange milkweed,
Asclepias tuberosa and others. (right)
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There are natural products that control post-emergent weeds without controversial chemicals. Vinegar preparations are one type gardeners report success with. A call to your local nursery or even university can assist in making this year's weed control safer for you and your returning perennials. While weeds grow quickly, they can't grow faster than you
can remove them. Use of a hoe or long handled rake gives you control which weeds you rake out. Early and new weeds from seeds have very shallow roots and are easily unrooted.
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Drugwatch is an A+ Better Business Bureau rated consumer-based agency providing help for those injured from products like RoundUp®. For more information and updates on lawsuits associated with RoundUp® visit here.
RoundUp® is a registered trademark of the Monsanto company.
Red Deadnettle
Harry Bittercress
Common Chickweed
May 14th, Oxford, PA
February 10, 2024...Eastern Monarch Butterfly Overwintering Declines 59% Over Previous Year
World Wildlife Federation, February 7, 2024. The eastern monarch butterfly population declined by 59% over the previous year. Calculated by the number of acres where monarchs were observed in overwintering sites, the 2023-2024 data is the second lowest population count since 1993 when record keeping began (WWF, 2024).
Reasons for the Year's Dramatic Decline
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* Increased temperature & drought along
the monarchs' migration routes
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* Reduced availability of milkweed resulting
in fewer eggs being deposited on leaves
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* Increased herbicide use
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* Decreased availability of nectar plants.
Nectar plants enable migrating monarchs to renew their energy and fat storage for
their epic journey to Mexico
worldwildlife.org
Experts cite monarchs are resilient and will find a way to prevail. The long-term trend however from 1993 to the 2024 data shows a 95% reduction from a high roosting population in 1996-1997 of 18.2 acres down to only 0.90 acres in 2024. Monarchs remain a highly specialized insect relying on only one genus (Asclepias) of plant for survival. While there are over 100 species of milkweed across the United States, natural habitats are declining due to an increased footprint of structures such as storage facilities and distribution plants. Charles Darwin cited in his work The Origin of Species that an organism that cannot adapt and evolve in their environment are at increased risk of long-term population decline or extinction. (Darwin, 1859).
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While we cannot change the extremes of weather, which experts believed played a significant role in reduced availability of milkweed and nectar plants along migration routes last year, we can plant and irrigate milkweed and high nectar yield perennial plants that bloom during the fall migration on our own properties. Goldenrod and aster remain late season, long blooming and drought resistant favorites of migratory monarchs. Below are two outstanding organizations helping monarchs and providing signage for your monarch 'food & fuel garden.
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Support: Monarch Watch here
Support: The World Wildlife Federation here
February 9, 2024...Looking back on 2023 highlights and remaining challenges
A total of 101 monarch caterpillars were collected from local milkweed plants for analysis. Of those, 51% were male. Of the caterpillars raised in environmentally controlled containers, 80 butterflies were tagged and released. Of the 20 that didn't make it, 10 fell to parasitic fly predation. The remaining 10 did not make it out of their chrysalis possibly attributed to Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (Oe) infection. Of the 10 that died in their chrysalis, 82% were 4th or 5th instar caterpillars.
Parasitic Fly Analysis
2023 was a record low year for deaths due to parasitic flies with only 10% of caterpillars infected. The two previous years had record high fly predation rates of 50% in 2023 and 58% in 2022 of their total caterpillar count. It is unclear why the 2023 season had such a low incident of mortality from the same species and location of Tachinid flies. Every parasitic attack took place before September 6th, possibly reflecting on the seasonal lifecycle of the parasitic flies at this location. Parasitic larvae can be either Tachinid fly or parasitic wasp larva. This season, like the past four seasons at this southeastern Pennsylvania site, only Tachinid flies were the predators.
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Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (Oe)
The 2023 season found the lowest severe (defined as a total spore count) Oe rates and the most butterflies with no infection at all in the last four years of analysis. Reasons for this may include thorough care in cleaning materials used to house developing caterpillars. A 20% bleach solution soaking followed by a full dishwasher cycle was used to prevent Oe spore contamination from season to season. A concerning uptick in moderate infection rates was noted, however. Oe can be fatal but is not always. It remains unclear how many
moderate or severely infected monarchs fail to complete the grueling fall migration because of this parasitic protozoan.
January 28, 2024...What is "Oe" and how is it a threat to the health of monarchs?
Ophryocystis elektroscirrha, more commonly referred to as "Oe", is a growing threat to monarch butterfly populations. Oe is not a plant or an animal but a protozoan parasite with a specific host which includes monarch butterflies, queen butterflies and other butterflies that rely on milkweed to lay their eggs. Oe exists as spores on the leaf of milkweed. When a caterpillar emerges from its egg it begins eating milkweed leaves and in doing so the spores on it. Once inside the caterpillar the spores 'hatch' into a single-celled organisms and begin rapidly reproducing inside the growing caterpillar.
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The ill effects of the OE begin to appear in some but not all emerging adult butterflies.
Damage caused by OE includes, but are not limited to an inability for monarchs to
emerge from their chrysalis, malformation of wing development and negative
consequences in navigation. Researchers noted healthy monarchs (those completing
migration) have far fewer incidences of Oe infection. Experts in the field of Oe research
have linked raising monarch caterpillars in captivity to higher incidence of Oe exposure.
For this reason, if one chooses to raise caterpillars only older caterpillars of
instar 4 or 5 caterpillar should be collected. Contamination by captive breeding may
spread OE infection.. 'Migratory culling' is a term applied to monarchs. It is a
demonstration of only the strongest specimens migrate to south-central Mexico to
overwinter and return in the spring. Those that don't migrate (Florida populations for
example) have the highest incidence of infection.
One common link to high incidences of Oe is the presence of the tropical milkweed (Asclepias
curassavica). This is a tropical plant and should remain in the tropics. It not recognized by monarchs north of its native growing longitude (South and Central America) and will not survive colder
climates.
The average gardener will never know if monarchs are infected with Oe. Microscopic spores
accumulate on the abdomen of adult monarchs and are extremely resilient. Ongoing Oe research
and publications are being led by Andrew Davis and his team at the Odum School of Ecology,
University of Georgia. To assist in their research on Oe prevalence for monarchs in your garden, visit
their site at Project Monarch Health.
Project Monarch Health offers those interested in determining Oe levels for their monarchs by
requesting a no cost kit to sample up to 30 butterflies. The kit includes complete 'how to'
instructions, data sheet, adhesives for gathering spores and a return address envelope. Researchers
from the university send results of your sampled butterflies back to you while the data becomes
part of a larger ongoing national study of Oe.
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Oe spores and protozoans have been around as long as monarchs and milkweed plants. New data suggests a relationship between commercial and residential rearing of monarch caterpillars and tropical milkweed plantings with increased prevalence Oe infection rates. (Journal of Animal Ecology, 16 February 2022 https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13678.)
Adult monarch butterflies infected with Oe spores look identical to one with no spores at all. Only under a microscope can the spores become visible.
The image on the left is a newly emerged adult monarch moments away from being tested for OE spores. The materials used for this important research are available from:
The image to the right shows how small each spore is when viewed through a microscope (next to wing scales). Spores accumulate on the abdomen of adult monarchs. Researchers individually count the spores to determine the level of infection.
Credit: Project Monarch Health
Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica)
Likely infected with Oe protozoans
January 14, 2024...Building a better mousetrap...optimizing conditions for raising caterpillars
The goal of all monarch conservation is to improve the environment of which these majestic insects once thrived. Planting more milkweed, reducing pesticide and herbicide use and protecting overwintering sites is the answer. That said - raising monarch caterpillars whether for hobby, research or tagging will continue. Knowing this we must raise them in habitats that will result in normal sized, healthy adult butterflies. Previous news articles (on this site, Aug. 12th & 28th, 2022), listed conditions for healthy caterpillar development. Looking back on last season, I was overlooking key conditions needed for healthier caterpillars: natural light, natural exposure to moisture and diurnal temperatures. This prompted me to build a better housing container, 'mousetrap' if you will, for next season (image right).
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The new habitat enclosure enables one to keep the developing caterpillar outdoors This provides:
* protection from all predators * diurnal natural lighting * diurnal humidity
* diurnal temperatures * reduce competitive stress * mobility of placement
* easy feeding & cleaning * water for milkweed stem * ease of transportation
Outdoor Single Monarch Caterpillar Enclosure
The new habitat enclosure removes critical stressors proven to be detrimental to natural caterpillar growth in published clinical papers. Enabling natural light and dark cycles supports caterpillars' circadian rhythm cycles. Isolation removes competitive stress of potential food shortages since monarch caterpillars are not communal. Placed outdoors in a filtered sunlight location, caterpillars will develop under more natural conditions and therefore have a better chance of normal development. Leaving caterpillars to fend for themselves is best of course, however; if one wants to raise a few for hobby or research, providing the most natural conditions makes sense.
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Monarch enthusiasts should refrain from any enclosure that can't provide natural light and uninterrupted light cycles as these conditions were detrimental to monarch navigation. (UC, 2022)
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Limitations to this enclosure remain. Thorough cleaning of the materials to remove the seasons OE (Ophryocystis elektroscirrha) protazoan parasite contamination completely remain to be seen. Limiting room for broader foraging may be a limitation on exercise and may prove to be a limitation. Evaluation of 20 new enclosures compared to 20 in mason jars using an outdoor garage method will be conducted in the upcoming season. Endpoints include: survival, wing size from the migratory generation and OE from year to year. Stay tuned.
December 31, 2023...An analysis of when migratory monarchs are tagged 39'.79" N -75'.94"W
Monarch conservation and care is a year-round commitment. Some times of the year are slower than others of course but, if you're really committed, every month counts. Winter for example is a time to make sure you've submitted all your data to various university studies including tagging data, parasitic data and OE abdomen samples. If you're like most people and don't get into any data mining, winter is a time of reflection. What did I do right last year, what could I have done better? For me, winter is a time to look back on my data. How many monarchs did I tag? How many were healthy? Did my captive bread caterpillars produce full size or larger adults? IF one chooses to raise caterpillars in captivity - it needs to result in producing large, healthy butterflies. Do I even know what size the migratory monarch's wing should be? These and other data questions will be answered in a future site posting.
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2019 - 2023 Analysis of When Monarchs were Tagged
Monarch tagging data can tell you a lot. It tells me when not to plan travel away from home. For instance, I'll be unavailable until further notice between September 10th through the 25th. The graph above shows the early, mid and late season for tagging for a five-year period ending in 2023. The weather, specifically the temperatures during the later summer and early fall weather play a factor on when monarchs enter their chrysalis and how long they remain in their chrysalis before emerging into an adult butterfly. Daytime high average temperature for September and October were very close over the 5 year study window differing by only 2.0 F while the overnight low averages varied by as much as 8.0 F. Warm temperatures accelerate monarch development while cooler temperatures prolong development. Case in point, in 2020 a cold air mass dropped an overnight low temperature of 38 on September 22nd. This year also coincided with 2 monarch butterflies emerging from their chrysalis as late as November 2nd. (red circle).
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The year 2023 found an increase in average day temperature by 3.2F and a warmer overnight low average increase of 2.9F. The monarch tagging season did show a positive correlation to earlier emergence from chrysalis compared to other cooler years. Of the 80 tagged monarchs in 2023, 56% of monarchs emerged as adult butterflies before September 15th compared to other years with only 35% of butterflies emerged before September 15th.
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In the depth of winter there are many tasks and considerations for the upcoming year. Did all the milkweed you planted do equally well? If not, was it too wet for the orange or yellow butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) or too dry for the swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) you planted? Did your milkweed not produce robust flowers and seedpods? Perhaps there was not enough sun where you chose to plant them. Now is the time to reflect on what your garden will look like in the new year. Don't be concerned about digging out last year's milkweed - expand to a brighter, sunnier area next year. Just one or two plants apart from each other will make a difference. Remember our motto - Save the monarchs...one milkweed at a time.
November 19, 2023...Book Review: 100 Plants to Feed the Monarch
We are delighted to offer our site's first book review. Published in 2021 by the Xerces Society, the 288-page softcover book 100 Plants to Feed the Monarch is a valuable resource for every gardener. It is formatted in an easy-to-use field guide layout and includes the top nectar plants, trees, shrubs and vines needed for monarchs. The milkweed chapter alone showcases 34 North American native milkweeds. Each plant featured includes a sharp color image of the plant's bloom and foliage along with the plant's common and scientific name. The authors include a 'native rage' color map for each plant to ensure the plant will thrive and be recognized as native by local monarchs.
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One of the features we like best is the reference banner for all 100 plants. The banner not only the features the plant but the conditions the plant requires to thrive. Below is an example of a popular monarch milkweed.
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Butterfly Milkweed (Butterfly Weed, Orange Milkweed), Asclepias tuberosa
100 ways to help monarchs
Exposure Soil Moisture Bloom Time Flower Color Height Availability
Sun Medium to dry Summer Orange 3 feet Wide
The introduction to the 'Life of a Monarch' first chapter is followed by an excellent chapter entitled: Guidelines for creating and protecting monarch habitat. A step by step of 'what to do and not to do' helps even novice gardeners be prepared for a productive monarch season. Pages 38-39 provide a sample garden layout by plant type and bloom time. If you own just one or two books supporting monarchs, this should be one of them.
November 5, 2023...Blueprint for Creating the Delaware 'Gold' Coast
Seaside Goldenrod Thrives in
Coastal Areas
Recommendations to improve conditions for the endangered species monarch butterfly (Danaus plexipuss plexipuss) by notable organizations such as Monarch Watch, Project North, Xerces Society, the North American Butterfly Association include increased plantings specific to monarchs' needs. Increasing the availability of native milkweed is the universal push to increase the surface leaf area for female monarchs to lay their eggs and for their caterpillars to consume them. An important concern for monarch survival includes too little food in the form of fall nectar plants through their migration route.
Migratory Monarchs on Seaside Goldenrod
As summer wanes nectar plants die off. Roadside and highway mowing further decrease nectar sources for migrating monarchs. The problem is widespread throughout the United States. As discussed in the October 30th article below; the Delaware Coast is an opportunity for qualitative and quantitative improvement for monarchs. As a barren coastal area for migrating monarchs - seaside goldenrod is recommended as the plant of choice to extend and expand nectar sources.
Flight Route of Fall Migratory Monarchs
Proposed Planting Sites of Seaside Goldenrod
To evaluate the need of migratory monarchs one needs to identify their flight route. That route takes thousands across the Delaware Bay. The Delaware Bay covers nearly a 600 'monarch mile' flight without the ability to land or refuel. While determining needs, there may be a higher concentration of monarchs in the southern portion of New Jersey, specifically Cape May, NJ. as monarch butterflies follow their food source while flying southwest toward their winter roosts in southcentral Mexico.
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The map (left) highlights coastal Delaware where high nectar fuel plants would be most welcomed by monarchs who have completed the journey across the bay. Since monarchs don't fly groups of flocks, it makes sense to consider the coast of Dover, DE through the tip of Cape May, NJ as logical targets to plant seaside goldenrod on Delaware's sand dunes.
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Seaside goldenrod is an inexpensive, native, hardy and favorite nectar source of monarchs. Goldenrod is native in all 50 states. The seaside species is particularly valuable for this project as our planting sites include sand dunes to create a visual attraction for arriving monarchs. Seaside, as the name implies, is suitable for harsh marine environments. The beauty of this plant is the timing of its prolific golden flowers which coincide with the monarch fall migration.
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Benefits of planting goldenrod also include excellent erosion control. Given the fragile nature of coastal sand dunes, goldenrod should be well received by local and state governments and environmental authorities. The vision? Deep yellow-gold bursts of goldenrod color will illuminate and secure coastal dunes while offering refueling centers as they land on the country's first state.
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The message: Welcome to the Delaware 'Gold' Coast refueling centers.
The success of the project requires state and local government approval since planting sites are on protected, state owned sand dunes. Once approved, local garden clubs, nature centers, state parks and conservation organizations would play a role in creating this historic project.
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Proof of this project's success include spotting monarchs feeding on the newly planted goldenrod. Additionally, there's a scientific component that includes reporting monarchs with a tag on their wing. Each monarch spotted on a 'gold coast' goldenrod is a demonstration the project improved conditions along the migratory route.
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Efforts are underway to gain the state support needed to make the project happen. We have gained traction to date. Leadership of the Cape Henlopen, DE State Park have broken ground on a Monarch Butterfly Welcome Station. Targeted to open in the summer of 2024, the park will feature an education center and a field dedicated to the monarch butterfly with a blend of 70% late-season nectar plants for the migratory generation and 30% of native milkweed species for spring and summer generations. More on this as it develops.
Improving and maintaining the monarch butterfly population conditions are a long-term project. While the state project above is lofty and requires tremendous coordination, the beauty of saving monarchs is as simple as our motto: "Save the monarchs...one milkweed at a time."
October 30, 2023... Migrating Monarchs Find No Nectar to Refuel on this Delaware Beach
Tens of thousands of monarch butterflies from New England migrate south to overwinter in Mexico each fall. Their migration route is thought to be aided, in part, by the Atlantic coast. This route funnels many into southeast New Jersey just east of the expansive Delaware Bay. Once monarchs take flight from the secure ground of the New Jersey coast - there's no place to land until they reach the coast of Delaware. Relative to their size, the flight distance is roughly 500 miles. The monarchs that congregate in southern NJ are treated well, very well. The officials and townspeople of southern NJ offer fall migratory monarchs plenty of what they need - nectar rich native plants to replenish their energy reserves. Their journey however has just begun. The next step for NJ fall monarchs might be their most treacherous - flying the entire Delaware Bay in one flight with no place to land until reaching Delaware.
The Delaware coast needs to step up their efforts to meet the needs of famished monarchs. Monarchs constantly look for late season plants that offer a high ratio of nectar to flower. Today's barren dunes in Delaware may contribute to a high regional mortality of monarchs flying south for the winter. There is hope however as an exciting conservation project has begun.
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The first safe landing ground for many of New England's coastal migratory monarchs include a coastal band from Dover, Delaware through the point of Cape Henlopen, Delaware. This strip of coastal land consists of beach and sand dunes. One might think it an inhospitable environment for a late season flowering nectar plant. Fortunately, nature offers the perfect native plant - the perennial seaside goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens), a monarch favorite.
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Landing Sight for Thousands of Migrating Monarchs. Not 1 nectar plant in
sight on Delaware's longest beach
Seaside goldenrod checks all the 'must have' boxes as the perfect migratory monarch plant. It is native to all 50 states, salt, deer and drought tolerant, has prolific late season and long-lasting blooms. If that weren't' enough - seaside goldenrod has an extensive root system which helps control dune erosion.
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While evaluating all the late season, high nectar yield monarch favorite plants - the goldenrod becomes the obvious plant of choice given its durability and ability to grow in harsh conditions while requiring little if any care.
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As I looked at the barren Delaware coast last year it was void of any color and completely inhospitable for monarchs, it became clear what was needed. The Delaware gray coast needed to become: The Delaware 'Gold' Coast - gold referring to seaside goldenrod. A comprehensive commitment to adorning 50 miles of sand dunes with goldenrod would become this migratory monarch project impetus.
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October 22, 2023... Lessons from this year's season
The 2023 monarch butterfly tagging season ended with reports of good sighting numbers this year compared to last. The weather in the mid-Atlantic supported healthy returns of last year's milkweed plants. A good milkweed year provides millions of healthy leaves for monarchs to lay their eggs.
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While cleaning my monarch lab this year I took note that a few decisions I made earlier in the year made studying monarchs easier for me and healthier for the caterpillars I raised. If you tag monarchs to help Monarch Watch's ongoing study or participate in other university studies, you'll want to make this hobby enjoyable and efficient. Below are tips for next year for those who raise monarch caterpillars for study or fun.
Not all Ball jars are equal. The more you see the better for you and the caterpillar
Retrieved 8/29, Instar 5, chrysalis formed August 31st
Isolation reduces stress, reduces OE risk and allows you to move jars outside
Tweezers help remove most of the caterpillar' silk
* Choose a canning jar with the clearest view, Unobstructed views allow you see how much milkweed remains in each jar
* Remove the top of the jar and hot glue a screen to allow air circulation. Simply trace around the metal top of the canning jar on screen and cut
* Use painters' tape on each jar to record data including date collected, instar, date of chrysalis, measure wing size
* Fold tape to create a tab for easy removal after the season, painters' tape leaves no residue behind keeping the jar clear
* Tweezers help remove most of the silk spun on jar screens
Every jar should be sterilized after each caterpillar. Put a tablespoon of bleach in each jar, fill it with water and let soak for 30 minutes. Then place each jar in the dishwasher for a full cleaning cycle. Experts recommend this thorough cleaning to reduce OE transmission.
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Successfully raising monarch caterpillars require replicating their natural environment. Isolating
each caterpillar reduces stress and transmission of disease.
October 16, 2023... Goldenrod Plant vs. Ragweed
Goldenrod is NOT ragweed. It bears repeating - goldenrod is NOT ragweed. Think of ragweed as the evil imposter of goldenrod. Ragweed causes annoying, disabling allergies, respiratory disorders and for some worsens chronic respiratory diseases. Ragweed is not a plant you can purchase, want to plant, or have near your home while goldenrod is.
Goldenrod bloom
Goldenrod is a completely different plant genus compared to ragweed. Despite this; the two plants look similar when blooming, bloom at the same time of year and even have a similar flower structure called cluster flower stalks. Additionally, both flowers attract pollinators including monarchs.
Goldenrod leaves
Ragweed leaves
Ragweed bloom
Photo: Blogspot.com
Photo: Sight owned
Photo: Blogspot.com
Photo: Blogspot.com
Goldenrod is an important pollinating plant for monarchs that does not have the sinus irritants ragweed does. The easiest way to determine the difference between goldenrod and ragweed is looking at the shape of the leaves. Goldenrod is one of the few late season blooming plants for monarchs that aren't considered an allergenic plant. As monarch butterflies migrate from northern climates to southern, more tropical climates they need to restore their energy reserves. Plants, such as goldenrod, provide much needed nectar and enable migrating monarchs to reach their overwintering roosts.
Goldenrod is widely available at nurseries and garden centers - to my knowledge there is no market for selling ragweed which sends its own message.
October 12, 2023... What makes a successful monarch migration season ?
The great monarch migration is well underway. The migratory monarch butterfly (Danaus plixipuss plexipuss) may be the most miraculous living organism on earth. Weighing less than a paperclip, some fly 3,000 miles in as little as four months. A tropical insect, it must escape the cold and barren states of North America to overwinter in south-central Mexico.
Migratory monarch favorites - goldenrod and aster
The Perfect Conditions for Successful Monarch Migration
Several factors impact the ability for monarch butterflies, from as far as Canada, to safely navigate to Mexico to survive the winter.
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Weather
Sun and warm temperatures are ideal migrating conditions. They allow for plants along the monarchs' migration routes to keep their blooms and provide nectar which refuel butterfly energy stores (lipids). Sunny weather also creates thermals (rising columns of air) which help butterflies conserve energy when flying. It is suggested monarchs take advantage of cold north winds to push them south further conserving energy. Winds pushing up from the south create a headwind. On these days monarchs are thought to maximize loading up on nectar staying closer to the ground and flowers. While not scientifically proven, we can't put it past them to fly south with a tail wind and fuel for days with a headwind. All bets are off however when temperatures are 55 degrees or colder as monarchs cannot fly below 55 degrees.
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Flowering Plants
Monarch butterflies, unlike when they were in their caterpillar phase, can only drink to gain energy. The sole source of energy is nectar. Like the hummingbird, nectar is the only source of energy to allow flight for monarchs. Nectar is only available from flowers for all migrating monarchs. Proper growing conditions for fall flower plants have been a critical survival factor influencing the migratory monarch migration.
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Severe drought or wind fires can reduce or eliminate regions of life saving nectar plants. Increased land development is erasing the once abundant fields of goldenrod
and other go-to high nectar yield flowers monarchs depend on.
Climate is playing an increasing role in monarch survival. Paralyzing early fall snow or ice storms along migration routes can kill millions of monarchs before ever reaching Mexico. Warmer than average springs can trigger early migrations running the risk of late spring snow and ice storms which can kill migrating monarchs returning to North America to jump start the next year's season of monarchs.
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What can you do to help the monarch migration?
Consider planting late season, long blooming and high nectar yield plants.
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Seaside Goldenrod New England Aster New York Ironweed
Photo: Journeynorth.org
Late or early winter weather can kill
Butterfly Bush
Goldenrod is not ragweed. Ragweed contributes to late season allergies and hay fever symptoms. Goldenrod is a drought and deer resistant plant that thrives on neglect. There are many species of goldenrod, I chose seaside goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens) as it has large blooms very late into the fall season. Butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) was included as it is available in a non-invasive species form (Miss Molly, Lo and Behold series) and available as a dwarf species for those with limited space.
October 7, 2023... Reflections of one 2023 tagging season
The tagging season for the northern and mid-Atlantic regions is nearly completion. A few late season chrysalis remain.
Allow me, if you will, to reflect on my season's tagging efforts. I tagged 80 adult monarchs of the 100 caterpillars I retrieved. The captive bred caterpillars were retrieved from milkweed at an instar of 4 or later. My choice of the last caterpillar instar selection is to allow natural selection to yield only the strongest survivors. My strategy is to expose the pre-chrysalis caterpillar to 98% of its life as a caterpillar in the wild. My hope is that the 1-2 days I raise in an isolated, sterile environment with food, hydration, diurnal temperature and humidity swings will not compromise their health, growth and ability to navigate to Mexico. While I support tagging, I believe every precaution should be made to replicate the caterpillar's natural conditions.
First monarch tagged this year
Likely brothers & sisters
It is difficult to find a small monarch caterpillar and think you can protect it from the harm of predators, parasites and obstacles in their way. It's human nature to think we can out-perform mother nature but consider this - if we can increase successful populations from nature's 1% survival to adult butterfly of 80% in captivity- where will the additional 80% of milkweed food and egg laying plants needed come from? Food for thought so to speak. The pros of modest tagging by individuals or organizations are two-fold; purchasing tags from Monarch Watch supports their conservation efforts and creates migration data. I purchased 200 tags knowing I won't need them all but offer the money overage as a donation to this great non-for-profit organization. Additionally, I grew 1,200 milkweed plants from seeds and donated 1,100 to my community through my road-side donation program 'Save the monarchs...one milkweed at a time'.
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Experts suggest the best strategy for helping struggling of monarchs is to plant more native milkweed. By expanding the overall surface area for female monarchs to lay eggs, more eggs will be deposited, and, in return, more plants mean more food in the form of milkweed leaves. It makes sense not to accelerate the growth adult monarchs under artificial conditions if we haven't created an infrastructure for them to survive.
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In order to walk the line between natural selection and the joy of tagging - I'll continue to captive-raise late-stage caterpillars (known by some as the 'walking stage') while planting or donating far more plants than I tag. Of the total caterpillars I raised to tag this year, 20% were lost to parasitic flies, OE or something else. My goal is to plant or donate 1,000 new milkweed plants in 2024 meeting my goal of ten times the number caterpillars I captive-raised for tagging. If each of us who tags monarchs grows and plants native milkweed, the concern of a food shortage will be lessened.
October 6, 2023... Time to Milk the Milkweed - Harvest Those Seeds
October finds the last of the migratory adult monarch butterflies taking flight on cool northwest winds. It's this new season more northerly wind that helps conserve energy for monarchs that are pushed south to warmer latitudes where greater supplies of flowering nectar plants are found. So...is the season over...?
Far from it.
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October is the ideal month to find and retrieve milkweed seeds. The milkweed plant produces thousands of seeds, far more than it needs to return the following spring. Nature has designed an ingenious system of spreading seeds called dispersal. Each seed a fluffy sail-like feature called floss or silk.
Healthy Common Milkweed
Seed Pod and Seeds
Why would I want to
collect milkweed
seeds?
Healthy Swamp Milkweed
Seed Pod and Seeds
Designed to catch the wind, the milkweed seed has been created by nature to travel to new areas where milkweed may not have been established. It does the plant no good to drop its seeds directly where the parent plant has already been established. A seed and silk can travel for miles before catching on to something, when it does, it will drop its seed.
If you collected seeds for the following year - they will need a cold, damp stratification period before they will germinate in pots. For field planting, scatter a small amount over a large area, patches of milkweed are better for monarchs than too many growing close together.
Only a few milkweed pods are worthy of harvesting their seeds. Many pods find damaged seeds, mold and mildew or show evidence of milkweed bugs both in larval and adult bug form. The image above would be a seed pod worth leaving on the parent milkweed stalk.
Milkweed Bug - Image: Univ. of Warwik
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October 5, 2023... Friend and Foe of the Monarch Garden
The preying mantid is, unquestionably, the apex predator of the garden. Fearless; they attack anything that moves including hummingbirds! In the summer, they can be beneficial as they eat both tachinid flies and parasitic wasps that await monarch caterpillars. Tachinid flies and parasitic wasps lay their eggs in monarch caterpillars. Once inside they hatch into maggots inside the caterpillar or chrysalis. The fly or wasp maggots eat their way out of the developing monarch resulting in 100% mortality of the monarch. So, preying mantids are beneficial as the eat predators of monarchs but, unfortunately, mantids also eat monarch caterpillars and adult monarch butterflies later in the season.
Camouflage mantids prey on monarchs
Mid-summer attack on tachinid fly
ATTENTION - ALL THOSE WHO TAG MONARCHS...
Preying mantids feast on adult monarch butterflies. Not only do they devour monarch butterflies - but they are especially aggressive with the fall, migratory monarch generation! Typically, female preying mantids are the threat as by September and October they will have mated and eaten their male mate. Fall mantids are large and relentless. With a dwindling fall food supply - mantids are commonly found camouflaged, waiting on flowers. Insects, such as monarchs seek flowers to gorge on their nectar. Fall flowers with high nectar yield are scarcer than summer flowers. Mantids are cunning and strategic in their hunting technique. Rather than hunt, mantids wait for their food to come to them. Unfortunately, monarchs are drawn to fall flowers such as goldenrod, butterfly bush, ironweed and aster. Waiting patiently on flower stalks, mantids, with their excellent eyesight, see the orange and black monarch coming long before it lands.
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Monarch enthusiasts who tag monarchs for fun or research often make the mistake of placing newly tagged monarchs on plant's flowers so they can easily fuel up on nectar before their long journey to Mexico. Captive-bred; newly tagged monarchs are at the greatest risk of being eaten by a mantid. The reason newly emerged tagged monarchs are most at risk as that it takes 2-4 hours for new butterflies to dry their wings before they can fly. Monarchs are completely defenseless and unable to fly until their wings are dry and firm. Before placing a newly emerged, wet to damp-winged monarch on a flower, consider a more reclusive stem or branch. I've learned the hard way how important it is to release new butterflies in a safe location - see image to the left.
Mantids are magicians at hiding themselves. The mantid on the left turned from bright emerald green from the leaf she was previously on to the dark grey shade of a dead twig in less than a minute. A word of advice for anyone releasing the vulnerable butterfly carefully survey an area several times before releasing a monarch.
October 1, 2023... How to Avoid a Caterpillar Food Shortage
For the record, Iam not against township mowing. As you have read from the August 27th article below, mowing benefits outweigh letting aggressive weeds overtake milkweed and pollinator plants. Additionally, predators are kept in check with routine mowing. This article will focus on how to effectively keep young, healthy milkweed alive for the final generation of monarch butterflies.
The final generation of monarch caterpillars do not have the luxury of time on their side due to dwindling milkweed availability for August egg laying females. This may be a factor in a reduced population of the final generation monarch butterflies. Along with roadside and highway mowing, milkweed plants are weathered, dry and feeling the effects of 4 months of blazing sunshine. Imagine if you could offer your egg laying migratory generation female monarchs new, fresh and tender milkweeds in late August through November.
Introducing, my field of dreams. The image to the left looks much like a late spring common milkweed. Infact, it is a late August stand which is an example of ideal mowing timing. Estimates place up to 34% of all available milkweed grows along roadsides (Flockhart, 2015). Eliminating or even reducing this source of potential egg laying and caterpillar food would be devastating.
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For monarch enthusiasts, especially those who elect to tag monarchs, having a steady, reliable and healthy stand young vibrant milkweed in late August is critical. The key to abundant milkweed for monarchs from August through November is a combination of careful mowing and pruning of milkweed.
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It is best to prune milkweed to keep some older, seed pod sections while pruning lower branches to generate new growth.
August 30th - My Field of Dreams
Milkweed is hardy and regenerates relatively quickly. Factors include how low to the ground the plant is cut and the weather. If the milkweed is cut at a typical level of 4" - it often takes 45 days to regenerate new growth suitable for a female to lay her eggs. It is important to note that studies have shown female monarchs seek out young, tender new growth to deposit their egg(s).
Temperature, and to a lesser degree, rainfall also play a role in how long it takes for a milkweed to regenerate. Basically, the warmer the temperature, the more rapid the milkweed recovery.
Plan of Action to have Fresh, Strong, Young Milkweed from August thru November
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1. Find or plant a stand of common milkweed under your control (where mowing will not occur)
2. Cut 1/3 of the plants down to 4" above the ground July 1st (check for eggs or caterpillars before discarding)
3. Cut another 1/3 of your milkweed 1/2 of its size (check for eggs/caterpillars) on July 30th
4. Leave the remaining 1/3 of your milkweed uncut, to grow allowing for seed pods to develop
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Controlling the growth of common milkweed mid to late summer will ensure all stages of plant growth. This will give the migratory
female monarchs a choice of where she would like to deposit her eggs and it will create viable leaves for her caterpillar offspring through their lifecycle.
August 27, 2023... Now You See Them...Now You Don't Mowing Killed Them All
Before Mowing
After Mowing
Township mowing is, I suppose, a service intended to improve visibility for drivers and prevent hardwood trees and invasive species from taking over.
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We can assume mowing roadsides after August 1st that every monarch egg, caterpillar, milkweed leaf and seed pod are destroyed. An unnecessary tragedy. Every egg and caterpillar killed were one of a critical migratory generation. Considering the migratory monarch is now an threatened species...this should not continue.
Mowing roadsides and along highways destroy habitat and nectar plants needed for migratory insects. Mowing does provide an important service for traveling visibility; however, the timing of mowing needs to be re-evaluated. Since monarch butterflies take, on average 20 days to go from an egg to an emerging adult butterfly - the availability of milkweed throughout these 20 days is critical. State DOT's and local townships need to create a once a year NO-MOW window policy to protect the habitat of the migratory generation of monarch butterfly. Ideally, refraining from mowing from July 15th through November 1st will respect the timeframe needed for the year's last generation of monarch butterflies. Published studies have shown that mowing actually has a positive impact on milkweed growth and regeneration - just now during the most critical generation and time of year. The final generation of monarchs' face thousands of miles and months of near non-stop flying to Mexico and risks, the least we can do is coordinate mowing times to give them all a good start.
August 22, 2023... The Tussock Caterpillar - hungrier than 100 teenagers
Loss of available milkweed is considered by many to be an important variable in the decline of the
monarch butterfly population. The last thing monarch butterfly caterpillars need is competition to
the tender leaves of the milkweed plant. Introducing: the milkweed tussock moth.
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The tussock moth caterpillar is one of Nature's few creatures that not only tolerate the poisonous sap of all species of milkweed plants - but they seek it out and ravage the plant before your eyes. I'll admit I'm bias to the monarch butterfly and any naturalist will say there's plenty of food to go around so don't worry about sharing your milkweed with the tussock moth caterpillar. I can not.
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Monarch butterfly caterpillars normally find themselves alone on a milkweed plant because female butterflies lay only one or two eggs per plant to assure the caterpillar will have all it needs to eat through its 5 instars. Monarch caterpillars are slow but deliberate in choosing the leaves they eat. They appear in no real hurry. Enter the tussock caterpillar...or should I say, an army of tussock caterpillars with appetites like no other. Many gardeners visit their milkweed only to find them stripped of all their leaves with only green stalks remaining. Tussock month caterpillars appear, almost out of nowhere, on milkweed in incredible numbers. They consume milkweed leaves 10x faster than most monarch caterpillars leaving little if any food for monarch caterpillars. My advice? Remove them all as soon as you can. Do with them what you please but they are a serious threat to the supply of milkweed leaves for monarch caterpillars. One word of caution: do so carefully.
The Tussock Caterpillar
The hairs of the tussock moth have their charm but can cause irritation if touched. Some recommend using gloves when removing them from your milkweed as they can create a rash. Monarch enthusiasts know how valuable every milkweed leaf is for a growing monarch caterpillars so it seems logical to remove competition by removing every tussock caterpillar. If you're concerned for their wellbeing, consider this - tussock caterpillars also feed happily on the dogbane plant. Considering monarch caterpillars cannot live on dogbane and tussock caterpillar months can...the decision is easy.
August 11, 2023... When you know you're a "science geek"
Most people consider it a good day if they go to their mailbox and don't have any bills. An even better day is when your mail includes a check you weren't expecting. For some (and you know who you are), the best mail day is when your Monarch Butterfly Tagging Kit arrives from Monarch Watch! If you feel exhilarated - you're probably a science geek, consider it a badge of honor.
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Experts are divided whether rearing monarchs negatively impacts the success rate of monarchs reaching their overwintering site in Mexico. Tagging monarchs provides researcher valuable information. While many 'taggers' solely tag adult monarch butterflies using nets, others raise caterpillars until they pupate. It has been estimated that only 1% of
tagged monarch butterflies make it successfully to Mexico. For those monarchs that are raised and then tagged; the success rate drops by half or down to one half of 1%. An additional huge challenge to a successful migratory tagged monarch story includes the fact that the tag needs to be found and reported. I was lucky enough to be in the half of 1% in 2022.
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To increase the chances of having your captive raised caterpillar successfully emerge as a healthy butterfly, tagged, and make it successfully to Mexico let me offer these 'need to haves':
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* Fresh milkweed at least once daily * Clean container daily * Replicate outdoor humidity 24/7
* Provide diurnal temperature swings * Provide UV lightning * Provide natural ventilation
* Provide hydration (very little, daily) * One caterpillar/container * Protect from curious predators or pets
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The list above strives to replicate the caterpillar's natural environment. The positives of raising monarch caterpillars include the enjoyment of doing so, but also to remove all threats of predation through their grown cycle. By providing as many features of a monarch caterpillar's natural environment while rearing them - you are increasing the chance your emerging butterfly will be as large and strong as wild monarch butterflies.
My lucky tag ACZL522 traveled 2,508 miles from where it was tagged in Oxford, PA to El Rosario, Mexico. Good luck to you.
August 11, 2023... The extent one monarch caterpillar travelled to transform to a chrysalis
As a seasoned monarch butterfly researcher, I thought I'd seen nearly everything! When I drove up to my local CVS store several weeks ago, I saw how driven monarch caterpillars are to find out of the way sites to change from caterpillar to chrysalis. There were no visible milkweed plants in the shopping center where these pictures were taken.
When one considers how far she traveled off her milkweed plant, through a busy shopping mall and across the pharmacy drive-through, it reminds us how important it is to provide your milkweed garden a safe for caterpillars to escape to.
Why do monarch caterpillars risk such a journey? It is thought monarch caterpillars leave their host plant and sole food source to reduce the risk of predation by flies, wasps, assissin bugs and select birds immune to their toxins.
July 26, 2023... Be on the lookout for monarch eggs...
A young swamp milkweed got the attention of a female monarch. She laid her egg on an unusual part of the plant but mostly likely did so because she couldn't fit under the leaf!
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If you've never seen a monarch lay one of her 300 eggs it's quite easy. Any monarch butterfly that flies around a milkweed plant without any blooms or on a plant not feeding on the flowers is likely getting ready to lay her eggs. She will land on the surface of the leaf and dip her abdomen under the leaf and deposit a single egg. Female monarch butterflies 'are wise' in not laying more than one or two eggs per plant to ensure the hatching caterpillar has enough to eat and not have to compete with a sibling. It is also important to note that the younger and more tender the milkweed leaf - the more attractive it is to deposit an egg.
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July and August are the months where 2nd and 3rd generation monarch butterflies are laying their eggs. Since roadside milkweed are common sites for female monarchs to lay their eggs - try to anticipate your township's mowing along the road. By anticipating mowing down milkweed and the eggs on their leaves, you can play an important role of relocating eggs or small caterpillars before you see this:
Relocating eggs, small and larger monarch caterpillars is easy. To relocate an egg, simply
break the entire leaf off the host plant and place the leaf on a milkweed plant out of
mowers. Since the egg only takes 3-7 days to hatch - it will have a far better chance at
survival than under township mower blades.
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Relocating caterpillars is best done by also bending and breaking off the entire leaf and
placing it on a milkweed plant where no current caterpillars are feeding.
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It's difficult to predict when your township will send out crews to mow down all the wild
flowers supporting beneficial pollinating insects. There are two strategies I use. One, when
plants reach 3' tall it's time to start looking and relocating monarch eggs and
caterpillars. The second cue it's time to save all the eggs and caterpillars is when you
see mowers in other neighborhoods in your township.
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Is it worth the effort? Considering each one you save carries the DNA for the final generation to fly to Mexico - the question answers itself.
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July 16, 2023... Monarch caterpillars search for privacy and protection
A new generation of monarchs have arrived for most of the country. You'll notice that many of
your milkweed plants have frass on their leaves which means that either a monarch caterpillar has
been dining on your leaves or better yet - there's one somewhere on your plant. Monarch caterpillars are shy and cautious. They prefer to feed from under the leaves to keep from being seen by predators.
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The caterpillar in the image to the left is feeding on a white swamp milkweed. You'll note how she has pre-cut the main stalk to reducing the flow of sap thus reducing her risk of being stuck to the plant. This technique doesn't hurt the milkweed, in fact, this type of natural pruning actually helps the plant regrow new leaves and make the plant shorter and stockier. New growth is very attractive to adult female monarch butterflies as this is a highly attractive portion of an adult plant.
Stage 5 monarch caterpillar
The need for protection is never great than when a caterpillar transforms from a caterpillar to a chrysalis. The caterpillar in this image was one day away from leaving her host plant and searching for an out of view and harm's way. Monarch caterpillars leave their host plant to reduce the risk of parasitic flies and wasps that prey on monarch caterpillars. The box above and behind the caterpillar is a monarch butterfly caterpillar changing station. I use these to offer caterpillars a place to transform close to but not too close to where they stopped feeding. Protection from rain, UV rays, mammals including mice is the primary goal of using such a structure. Monarch caterpillars have been known to crawl through lawns in search of a structure suitable for their transformation.
Having seen this - it prompted me to offer these safe havens to monarch enthusiasts.
July 3, 2023... Milkweeds are difficult to move
At this time of year milkweed you've planted or last year's established plants are likely in
full bloom. Congratulations and thank you on behalf of all the female monarch butterflies
looking to lay their eggs. Sometimes you buy milkweed from a roadside stand (thank you)
or even if you pay the high retail cost of milkweed at your nursery, milkweed are not fond
of being transplanted. Some species are more for-giving, many are not.
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The reason? Milkweed not only have very long
and established root systems but the roots
are extremely fragile.
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Here is a list of the milkweed and their forgiveness in being 'dug up' and transplanted.
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I will never forgive you I'll be mad but get over it Move me gently
Common Milkweed Swamp White or Pink Milkweed Whorled Milkweed
Orange or Yellow Milkweed Aquatic Milkweed
Purple Milkweed (pricey, temperamental)
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One final word on transplanting (besides: don't), if you have to relocate one - do so during their most dormant period. Dormancy for milkweed are in the winter months. Include as many of the roots as possible and store them in a cool environment such as a refrigerator. Replant entire root ball in April or early May.
Thank you for visiting me
Extensive root system already!
July 1, 2023... Provide your monarch caterpillars a safe place transform into a butterfly
Monarch butterfly caterpillars are, for the most part, defenseless. Once they've eaten all they can they scurry to find a safe place to transform from a caterpillar to a butterfly. Monarch caterpillars search for a safe, out of sight place to attach themselves to a secure structure. Once attached, they spin a small silk pad, hang upside down and transform into a chrysalis. The chrysalis phase of butterfly development can take 10-14 days or more depending on the air temperature.
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A safe place keeps the chrysalis out of direct sunlight and out of view of predators. Safe places are not always easy to find. Monarch caterpillars often leave their milkweed plant and can travel hundreds of feet to find just the right spot. To meet the needs of monarch caterpillars some gardeners choose the Monarch Butterfly Caterpillar Changing Station. This exclusive product is offered as not only a safe haven for monarch caterpillars but also makes a decorative garden addition. Learn more about this product in our virtual Store.
Thank you Joann
April 18, 2023... Importance of Light When Germinating Milkweed Seeds
Growing milkweed from seeds requires: cold winter storage, patience, consistently warm soil temperatures and the right quality of light. This segment will focus on the need for the proper lighting when germinating milkweed seeds. The seedling to the left is a butterfly weed
(Asclepias tuberosa) plant. It is a Hello Yellow variety, known as a cultivar. The
seed was started in early April and grown using a heat mat indoors to keep the
soil near 80 F.
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The plant emerged inside where the first two leaf peddles grew quickly. While it
takes time for the seed to sprout - once it has, it rapidly reaches for the sun.
Note the two first leaf stalks inside the red ovals. The stalks grew quickly in artificial light. It was immediately moved to an outdoor greenhouse with full sun exposure. The young plant responded favorably and rapidly producing its first
two true leaves and its second pair of adult leaves shortly thereafter.
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I'd like to call your attention to the shape and distance between the leaves. When
seedlings, or adult plants are starved for light they get what is called 'leggy'.
By increasing the length and intensity of natural sunlight the seedling began growing stockier meaning the distance between the leaves shortened. This is an indicator the plant is getting enough sunlight and has a good future. Gardeners do not have the luxury of time when germinating milkweed seeds. Waiting as little as one day too long can ruin a germinating plant. If the stem exceeds the plant's ability to support itself, it often results a poor prognosis the plant will grow into a healthy adult plant.
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April 18, 2023... Unearthing Last Year's Milkweed
Spring means cleaning out last year's leaves and beginning the task of weeding. As a perennial plant, milkweed emerges each year, normally well after all other garden weeds have completely covered the ground and even flower. How you prepare your garden for the coming growing year is very important. Below are emerging orange and yellow milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa).
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Emerging milkweed may look like an ordinary weed. The leaves are fragile and easily broken. Gardeners are wise to be careful of where they walk and never simply rake out weeds. Clearing a garden of dead leaves and weeds must be done by hand. A good technique for remembering where last year's milkweed was growing is to leave several of the stalks from the previous year. Be patient, the soil needs to be 65 F or higher for milkweed to emerge or for milkweed seeds to germinate. Unfortunately, most spring weeds grow in far cooler soil temperatures. Expert your emerging milkweed to be crowded by annoying weeds including, but not limited to clover. Be careful not to disrupt your milkweed root system when removing weeds such as clover near the base of milkweed plants as root systems of clover are extensive.
April 7, 2023... Visiting Your Favorite Nursery? Buy Goldenrod & Aster
Early spring means seed and plant catalogues in your mailbox. Thoughts turn to your favorite nursery and wondering if they have their plants out. Seasoned gardeners head right to the perennial pollinator section. In early spring, greenhouse plants from wholesalers offer a few hardy favorites for the most impatient gardeners. With a few species on the shelf and for the highest prices of the season - you find yourself buying plants you wouldn't ordinarily buy later in the season. Milkweed is not in the offering in the early spring. Milkweed is one of the latest emerging plants and therefore one of the last plants a nursery will put on their shelves.
Much of the focus of helping monarchs
is to plant milkweed. In addition to milk-
weed is the recommendation to buy and
plant goldenrod and aster. These two
plants are critically important sources
of nectar for migrating monarchs late in
the season. These two plants are also
late and long blooming flowers. Since
milkweed won't be available for sale
until early May - plant these native,
perennials to meet the need for the
migrating generation of monarchs visiting your garden. Experts have identified the lack of, or a shortage of nectar as a significant reason for mortality of monarchs trying reach Mexico to overwinter. (Agrawal, 2017) Milkweed remains the most important 'food' plant for monarch butterflies and their caterpillar young. Goldenrod and aster are plants now being recommended as 'fuel' plants for adult monarch butterflies. The nectar of these late season plants enable monarch butterflies to convert the surgery nectar to lipids. Lipids are energy stored as fats monarchs draw upon during migration and hibernation.
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It may be a lot to ask gardeners to think about what their garden will look like in October, however, strategic planting of goldenrod and aster in the spring will allow these plants to become established. Planted early in the season will ensure these plants will be in full bloom when the last generation of monarchs visit gardens.
Seaside Goldenrod
New England Aster
March 17, 2023... The Dreaded Dampening-Off
You have been patient all winter waiting to plant those milkweed seeds from last year's
plants. An unexpected and terminal problem with germination is the dreaded dampening off.
Dampening off is a soil-born fungus that feeds on the seeds themselves. This disease is most
common under cool and damp conditions.
Seeds will appear strong and healthy up to the point where the milkweed's first 2 leaves
appear. Then, overnight, the plant will collapse usually at ground level. Dampening off can also
affect the root system and result in weakened growth or the death of the plant. This 'disease'
is not limited to milkweed plant seeds and is a common problem even for the best gardeners.
There's little one can do to avoid a percentage of seedlings to fall to the pathogens that kill
seedlings. Milkweed seedlings might be somewhat higher at risk for dampening off than other
plants, particularly swamp milkweed species and the milkweed plant Aslecpias perennias,
a true aquatic milkweed.
March 17, 2023... Growing Your Own Milkweed
St. Patrick's Day makes one think, for some, of the green of a newly sprouting milkweed plant. It's time for stored milkweed seeds from last year's plants to be removed from your refrigerator or garage and get them started. Beginning milkweed seeds before Spring has risks. The primary risk of planting this early is lack of bright sunlight.
Germination of properly stored milkweed seeds can take as little as 5 days to emerge with the proper soil temperature. Once the first true leaves appear you will need to p provide either a plant light or grow in a greenhouse. Windowsills will not provide enough light and result in the plant growing so quickly it will outgrow its ability to support itself. The plant will likely never recover. I've never had luck saving milkweed plants with only two leaves and a non-supportive stem.
The time it takes a milkweed seed to germinate will vary be species and the soil temperature. In my experience orange milkweed germinates relatively quickly followed by yellow milkweed. Yellow milkweed is a cultivar of the orange species and is often plant and more difficult to raise to adulthood.
One major problem of growing milkweed from seed is the dreaded dampening off condition. This is a fungus discussed above in more detail above.
Beginning milkweed seeds before Spring has begun requires careful attention to the plants need for its tap root to grow rapidly. This feature of the milkweed plant makes growing them in pots a challenge. Transplanting young milkweed requires great care not to damage the single tap root.
February 13, 2023... The Winter That Wasn't
The weather for most of the eastern half of the country this winter has been unseasonably mild. Average temperatures of 10-15 F above normal were common. While this hasn't impacted the hibernating monarchs in Mexico directly - it will have a short-term impact on milkweed plants in the south.
Conditions in the U.S.
Above average temperatures have been accompanied by normal rainfall supporting a healthy conditions for milkweed along the 2023 migration route north. An early emergence of milkweed is not as concerning as a late cold spell that jeopardizes the survival milkweed. There remains plenty of winter before spring and anything can happen, for now, the winter season has been favorable supporting migrating monarchs this coming season.
Conditions in Mexico
More importantly than the climate in the eastern U.S. this time of year is the high and low temperatures in south-central Mexico. Above average temperatures can trigger an early migration. Early migrations have been shown to be detrimental to monarch survival as lack of milkweed and freezing temperatures can threaten important breeding along the way north.
The forecast in the mountains of south-central Mexico for the
next two weeks may prove problematic. The forecast for the
average high temperature while monarch hibernate is 4-6
degrees above normal. Fortunately, the temperature forecast
for overnight lows is expected to be slightly below normal.
Monarchs enter a pseudo-hibernation, meaning they are not
fully asleep but remain just active enough drop down from their
roosts during the heat of the day to drink and in-take minerals.
Since monarchs cannot fly at temperatures below 55 F,
all monarchs return to their roosting trees well before dark. No
further activity is done since monarchs need to conserve
stored energy reserves for their migration north.
Photo credit: WorldWildlife.org
January 23, 2023... Third week of January 2023 hibernation - perfect conditions
The health of the entire United States monarch population relies on safe overwintering weather conditions. The most severe winter weather event took place in March of 2016 where up to 38% of the population of monarchs died as a result of the snow, wind & ice storm.
Fortunately for the tropical insect, it chooses its wintering rest area in
southern portions of Mexico where severe storms are rare. The risk
remains however as the entire monarch populations spend their winter in
one of only four popular forest sites resulting in extremely concentrated
gathering called roosts.
The winter of 2022-2023 has been on or very near the average high and
low temperatures. The significance of this allows the monarchs to use as
little of their stored energy in the form of lipids from their fall migration.
The picture on the left is not only an example of extreme weather events
Photo Credit: David Kurst
and the devastation caused by this outcome is also very possible if monarchs migrate back to the U.S. too early. Late spring winter storms may be statistically more likely than sub-freezing temperatures in south-central Mexico.
While Mother Nature is not something we can control directly - preparing your property with food in the form of milkweed and fuel in the form of nectar is so important to meeting the needs of majestic insect.
January 16, 2023... The 6 Cycles of Monarch Butterflies
Monarch butterflies are unique among, not only the classification of butterflies (lepidopterans), but in the entire insect world. It is their incredible migration and hibernation needs of this tropical insect that make it so amazing. Unfortunately, with each cycle - there are natural and man-made threats which put entire species at risk.
The six cycles of Monarch Butterfly:
1. Overwintering - where monarchs spend the winter months November through April
2. Early spring migration back to warm southern states Late February through April
3. Breeding through their migration north for the summer March through May
4. First colonization of the summer generation north of 40 degrees N May through June
5. Summer breeding May through September
6. Fall migration to Mexico August through December
Source: Monarch Watch
Looking closely at the six stages of life, 5 of the 6 stages of the life of the monarch butterfly, or 83% of life stages are opportunities for human intervention in the form of preserving milkweed for food and nectar plants for fuel. One could argue the first. and most critical stage (overwintering/hibernating), is also an opportunity for mankind to improve conditions. Progress has been made by the government in south-central Mexico to restrict logging where monarchs spend their winter. So, actually every stage of the endangered monarch butterfly can be improved. Mother Nature is the only variable we cannot control.
Click to "Contact Me" on how you can improve conditions in your area and help return monarch butterflies to a healthy population once again.
January 15, 2023... 2nd Week of January Hibernation...Successful
This week rates overwintering conditions as: "Perfect". There were no storms of snow or ice and overnight temperatures were exactly where they should be enabling monarchs to conserve energy from summer nectar stored as lipids.
Overwintering in southcentral Mexico is the most critical of the 6 cycles of the monarch butterfly. It ranks as critical because 95% of the monarch population gather together within a few narrow acres. Destruction at this stage would result mass destruction of a concentrated area of monarch butterflies expected to return to the southeast of the U.S. in late February through March.
Source: www.msn.com
January 8, 2023... Make Your Most Memorable and Impactful New Year's Resolution
Making New Year's Resolutions are not new, in fact, the custom of establishing a New Year's resolutions date back over 4,000 years ago in ancient Babylonia. What's the one problem with resolutions? Keeping them! Alas let us help you make and keep a resolution in 2023. It's easy, requires NO willpower and you'll be making a huge difference in the lives of millions. What could have such an impact and be so easy? Find out below.
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Make Your 2023 Resolution Here
You'll have the most unique resolution of any of your friends or family members. Here's why this will work. It is
(Simply go to the "contact me" button and ask how to make a difference)
easy, you can measure your results and enjoy the benefits for many years to come.
January 6, 2023... The first week of Monarch 2023 hibernation in Mexico is a Winner
Summer is officially 111 days away as this is written. The monarchs that left your garden in the fall are now in south central Mexico in a town called: Oyamel, Mexico. Most if not all monarchs overwinter there or close to it. Thought I'd share with you this week's weather down there.
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While it's normal to think a nice warm retreat is ideal for Monarch butterflies in the winter, having consistent temperatures too warm can trigger a devastating early migration back to the southeastern United States weeks or months before any food supply would be available. Overnight lows this week are not too harsh and there is no sign of rain or ice which may have a negative impact on survival. We will check back next week to evaluate the conditions of our next season's migratory monarchs.
Source: www.msn.com
December 30 2022... Monarchs Storing Energy, Await Spring at their Winter Retreat...
Source: Monarch Watch
Winter is in full swing and the monarch butterflies that were in your yard this fall are in pseudo hibernation in south central Mexico. Conditions there are perfect to slow metabolism, enable them to rest to conserve energy while occasionally dropping down to drink from the nearby river that nourishes the oyamel fir forest.
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The winter icon at the left of the map is where all the eastern U.S. monarchs spend their winter. All monarchs east of the Rockies and in southern Canada cluster together by the millions on the narrow hilly mountain ridge.
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Just the right amount of: humidity, cool air, fog, conifer trees and water supply attract monarchs to a specific, localized region each year. It is remarkable that 2/3rds of the U.S. population of monarchs congregate in such a small area, nearly 2 miles above sea level. The weight of layers of monarchs on fir trees bend the branches of mature evergreens.
As we've learned in the spring and summer months - monarchs are constantly under threat. While over wintering, severe weather, in the form of rare ice storms are a significant risk to monarch butterflies. Each winter season scientists carefully monitor the weather and estimate pre-migratory population to estimate the overall health of monarch butterflies for the next summer season.
November 3, 2022... Tachinid Flies Resulted in 43% of Monarch Caterpillar Deaths
The close of the 2022 season found what previous seasons have found - parasites nearly dominated the monarch butterfly landscape. One can make a distinction between predator and parasite when studying monarch butterfly populations. While the outcome is similar in death of the caterpillar, chrysalis or adult butterfly - it is relatively easy
to measure parasitic causes of death and impossible to quantify predator deaths.
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The death of monarch caterpillar may be an ant or jumping spider the day the caterpillar emerges from her egg. In later instars a caterpillar may succumb to an assassin bug or green stink bug. None of these predators leave their calling card - only a discarded shell of a caterpillar remains, if this is even found. For this reason, it is impossible to determine how many monarch caterpillars are killed during their instar lifecycle. Parasitic causes of death are, however, easy to determine. For monarch caterpillars, parasitic flies (tachinid flies) and parasitic wasps are the most common threats.
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Of the 124 caterpillars I raised in captivity in 2022, 53 caterpillars
died as a result of tachinid flies laying their eggs directly into
the caterpillar. 43% of the total migratory caterpillar stage of
monarchs died. One of the justifications I use for raising monarch
caterpillars in captivity is to remove the caterpillar from this
specific and common threat. If a caterpillar is raised in a habitat
where tachinid flies cannot access the caterpillar, this should
eliminate the threat completely, in this case 53 caterpillars may
have gone on to achieving butterfly status. To test this theory, one
can look at the stage of which caterpillars were removed from
fly exposure completely. A one-day old caterpillar has far less
exposure than a fourteen-day 5th instar caterpillar.
Data is in-complete and no correlation can be made on this year's sample to determine the % risk of a one instar caterpillar to a 5th stage caterpillar. This will be the focus on the 2023 population.
The number of tachinid flies ranged from only 1 larva that turned into an adult fly to a high of 7 flies in one caterpillar.
Of the 53 caterpillars that were parasitized - an average of 2.6 flies per monarch caterpillar was found.
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A tachinid fly
Close-up of a tachinid fly
October 29, 2022... Temperature's Impact on Time in Chrysalis
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This 2022 season provided an opportunity to study the effect of temperature on the
time it takes for a butterfly to emerge from their chrysalis. Below is data from 57
monarchs reared from August 20th through October 27th.
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Rearing Dates Ave. Low Temp. Days in Chrysalis Samples
August 20-31 66.0 F 9.0 days 4
September 1-14 61.0 F 10.0 days 33
September 15-30 50.6 F 12.7 days 14
October 1-15 43.5 F 20.8 days 5
October 15-27 42.2 F 29.0 days 1
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As fall progressed there was a linear progression of 'time in chrysalis' as days
got shorter and nights cooled significantly. While the sample sizes are small, it
was found that when night lows dropped below 50 F the length of time in
chrysalis increased by 63%, more than 8 days from the previous 2 weeks.
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It took an additional 20 days from late season, fall migratory caterpillars to
emerge compared to early season caterpillars. The shortest time in the
chrysalis stage was 7 days (August 27-Septemer 3) while the longest in
the chrysalis stage was 29 days (September 29 - October 27).
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It takes temperatures of 55 F or higher for monarchs to fly putting the female
on the right in jeopardy by departing so late in the migratory season.
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Source: Oxford, PA Residential pollinator site & tagging station
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This female emerged 29 days after being in her chrysalis due to cold nights. Her chances are slim she will make it Mexico due to cold nights and dwindling supply of nectar plants in late October and November.
October 24, 2022... Summer Flashback - Asclepias perennias Milkweed
As the fall migratory monarchs are making their way to Mexico, they leave us with cool and damp conditions with nectar plants such as NY ironweed, goldenrod and New England aster holding on for dear life having survived numerous frosts and two hard freezes. This segment focuses on a gift of mother nature worth considering next year.
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Aslcepias perennias is a milkweed plant in the large family of the genus Asclepias. This milkweed is a true aquatic milkweed meaning it requires a constant moist to wet soil to thrive. Unlike the swamp milkweeds (incarnata - white & pink) which can thrive in normal garden conditions and weather; perennias cannot tolerate drier soils nor periods of drought making them an ideal choice for water gardens, ponds or potted plants that are watered frequently.
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Perennias is not a native plant of the northeast however it will grow well along latitudes of the Ohio Valley of Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky where it is native. Aquatic milkweed is a modest plant growing to 12" with pink flower blooms followed by snow white flowers with a hint of pink toward the pedals underside. The plant is a prolific flower producer with blooms appearing in late spring through later October making them not only caterpillar friendly for egg laying females but an important source of nectar for the season's last generation of migrating monarchs.
A perfect pond choice
Monarch caterpillar favorite
Blooms summer through fall
October 19, 2022... Monarch Butterfly Anatomy - Taste & Smell
The most important senses for monarchs include their sense of
taste and smell. The ability to find suitable milkweed plants for
females to lay eggs and for adult butterflies to find nectar to fuel
flight is largely dependent on their ability to sense food.
Monarch caterpillars have little to no need for taste or smell as
they are born on the plant for which they will feed until they are
no longer a caterpillar. Occasionally caterpillars are knocked off
their milkweed and need to relocate a milkweed plant to ascend
to the leaves to eat. Given poor eyesight as caterpillars, taste
and smell are developed enough to find a new host plant.
In adult monarch butterflies, taste and smell are achieved by
chemoreceptors located across the entire exoskeleton.
Chemoreceptors are nerve cells that transmit chemical
information to the brain. Receptors on the wings retrieve
pheromones for mating purposes. Receptors on monarch's antennae sense sweet sources such as plants that produce nectar. Female monarchs contain specialized receptors on their legs to taste the plant before laying eggs. Monarchs will only lay eggs on milkweed plants. Tasting and smelling the milkweed plant before laying eggs assures the female monarch it is a suitable plant for her young.1
1 Monarchwatch.org
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October 18, 2022... Monarch Butterfly Anatomy - Hearing
One doesn't normally associate hearing with monarch butterflies. Monarchs
do 'hear' both in their caterpillar stage and as an adult. Caterpillars are
observed demonstrating a defensive posture when a loud noise occurs
near them. At this stage of life it isn't traditional ears that enable the
caterpillar to 'hear' but vibrations picked up by microscopic hairs on
its body.
Adult butterflies are thought to hear through the veins in their wings.
There is limited study data to support this theory but, of the monarchs
that have been studied, veins and the specialized hairs that cover the
veins appear to function as hearing. 1
1 Monarchwatch.org
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October 18, 2022... Monarch Butterfly Anatomy - Sight
Monarch's eyesight is poor in its caterpillar stage. A handfull of cells
function to provide only the ability to detect degrees of lighting. Considering
the caterpillar spends 100% of its time on milkweed leaves and flowers,
sight is not an important sense for the first two weeks of their lives.
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As an adult, compound eyes, similar to dragonflies, make up thousands
of specialized cells supporting decent eyesight. Images are processed by
these cells and transmitted through nerve cells to the brain. Monarchs can
see in color and a wide range of motion. Compound eyes let the monarch see
forward, backward, up, down, and from side to side all at the same time.
It is thought their weakness lies in their ability to judge distance and patterns.1
1 Monarchwatch.org
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October 16, 2022... Monarch Butterfly Anatomy - Touch
The monarch butterfly has extraordinary senses that enable it to find food,
search for mates, avoid predators and complete their epic journey during
migration.
This segment focuses on the monarch's ability to sense its environment
through touch. Monarchs have tiny hairs all over its body. These hairs, called
tactile setae, transfer environmental stimulus to nerve cells. Nerve cells
send messages to the brain where information is processed. Wind, gravity,
the butterfly's head, thorax, antennae, legs position are a few pieces of
information typically processed. These hairs also appear on the monarch's
antennae and help it smell and taste.
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October 14, 2022... It's October...Where are the Seed Pods?
October is an active season. Monarch butterflies begin their flight to the conifer hills of Mexico to over winter. Those who are committed to help save the monarch butterfly are keeping their eye to the sky looking for monarchs flying southwest and to their butterfly bushes, goldenrod and New York ironweed where fall monarchs frequent.
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As covered in a previous information entry, October is an ideal month to pick and store milkweed seeds. During a site visit last week - a client asked, 'why do some common milkweeds not offer any seed pods despite looking remarkably healthy for the middle of October?'
The answer to her question was why the plant looked so youthful.
In order for milkweed, or any plant for that matter, to produce seeds it needs to produce flowers that have been pollinated. The reason none of the common milkweed plants in the picture have seed pods is the plants had been mowed by the township after they flowered but before the plant could develop seeds.
Interested in collecting milkweed seeds? There are two methods of collecting milkweed seeds.
1. Ensure the milkweed plants are not cut after flowering, this includes roadside plants and ones in your garden.
2. When cutting milkweed to feed caterpillars raised in captivity - do not cut the stem, use only lower leaves.
Common milkweed along with butterfly weed seeds need at least 30 days winter stratification.
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October 14, 2022... Symbiosis - Aphids & Ants on Your Milkweed...Even in October
During a late season walk through my pollinator garden I found
what I thought were only mid-summer visitors to milkweed. Aphids
are common on all species of milkweed. They siphon plant nutrients
and excrete a byproduct called honeydew. This sugary substance
attracts ants and wasps - both direct threats of monarch butterfly
eggs and monarch caterpillars of all stages.
The ant-aphid relationship is called a symbiotic relationship because
both parties benefit from one another. The ants benefit from the
honeydew and the aphids from predators that might threaten the
defenseless aphids.
October 1, 2022... Monarch Season Ends, Seed Collection Begins
Even the most careful search on remaining milkweed plants won't turn up any more
monarch caterpillars in the mid-Atlantic and points north. All species of milkweed
look haggard. Common milkweed, swamp milkweed, butterfly weed and whorled
milkweed have provided up to 4 generations of monarchs from early summer through early fall. Now is the time to collect milkweed seeds.
Seed pods should be left to dry until they open. Opening seed pods too early will find
immature seeds that are light colored and will not produce new plants next spring.
Only after the milkweed seed pods open should you retrieve the seeds for storage.
Mature seeds will appear dark brown and slightly dry.
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To store milkweed seeds, choose a container that allows adequate air circulation.
Keep seeds cool and dry to prevent mold. A refrigerator is a good choice.
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Orange milkweed seed pods.
September 30, 2022... Former Hurricane Ian Will Impact Migratory Monarchs
The 2022 monarch season is coming to a close. Many
of September's monarch butterflies have made progress
flying to Mexico. Unfortunately, extra-tropical storm Ian
will have an impact on not only flight patterns into the
teeth of the expansive system but also presenting cold
and damp conditions where monarchs should be
refueling their energy reserves. Extreme climate is a
factor experts are analyzing and its impact on declining
monarch populations. Monarch butterflies are unable to fly
at temperatures below 55 F.
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noaa.gov
weatherbug
September 26, 2022... Thought from an Expert on the Decline of the Monarch
The
decline of
the monarch has
been blamed on the loss of
milkweed. A. Agrawal, a Cornell biologist
writes that perhaps the problem is the decline
of critical supplies of nectar plants for the migratory
generation. Nectar provides energy in the form of lipids. Lipids
are stored energy the monarch needs to make the journey of thousands
of miles and the months of overwintering in Mexico. Herbicides blamed on destroying
milkweed has also had devastating effects on the survival of plants such as aster, goldenrod
and other late-season plants migratory monarchs need to refuel. So, in addition to planting milkweed,
consider planting late-season, high nectary yield plants on your property. You've just created a 'Food & Fuel' garden.
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Flowers that bloom from
summer through fall are ideal
sources of nectar for monarchs
September 24, 2022... Update on the Spotted Lantern Fly & Milkweed
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Since the first sighting of the invasive and destructive spotted
lantern fly in 2014 in Pennsylvania - many questions have
arisen. Grapevine and fruit trees are common targets of
lantern flies however, over the last several years, gardeners
and monarch enthusiasts have found adult lantern flies
on stems and leaves of milkweed. Concerns immediately followed.
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We know milkweed is toxic to most insects. Observers
have found dead spotted lantern flies on and at the base of
milkweed plants suggesting their defensive toxic sap may
protect them from damage. More research is needed and is underway.
September 18, 2022... How Many Days Does It Take a Monarch to Go from Egg to Butterfly?
I'm often asked:
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How long it takes for a monarch
butterfly to go from an egg to an adult butterfly?
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The answer is not absolute as cooler temperatures
and damp weather conditions delay the complex
process of transforming the monarch from a
crawling, chewing caterpillar to a nectar drinking
butterfly. It takes approximately 27 days.
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Egg phase: 3-5 days
Caterpillar phase: 10 - 12 days
Chrysalis phase: 10 - 12 days
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There are dangers at every phase of monarch development. From ants, jumping spiders and stink bug nymphs to parasitic flies and wasps - it's no wonder that only 1 or 2 of the three to four hundred eggs laid make it to a flying, healthy monarch butterfly.
September 16, 2022... Technique for tagging monarch butterflies
Those that have never participated in the monarch tagging program may wonder how on earth can one handle something as delicate as a butterfly much less put a sticker on their wing and not hurt it in the process. Below is a step-by-step guideline to help beginners.
With your Monarch Watch tagging kit [includes unique white numbered stickers, tagging
sheet], use a clip board to record each monarch tagged. At the end of the tagging season,
which usually concludes in mid-late October in the mid-Atlantic, you'll be asked to transfer
your paper data to an exact electronic format for easy transmission.
Use of the paper form may be more work than simply entering the data directly into an excel
sheet but much of the work in tagging and recording data is done outside or in the field - likely
not close to your laptop or tablet.
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I've found the use of a simple wooden
toothpick is an excellent to use for not
only removing the small monarch tag
but it also provides the precision needed
to place the tag on the monarch's
forewing.
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Successful tagging requires technique and timing. The technique is how you handle the butterfly you will tag.
Monarch butterflies are quite durable provided you respect the direction its wings, legs and antennae normally bend. When using your toothpick to remove the sticker, do so in a manner that uses as little as the sticky side of the tag as
possible. Once you've positioned the tag on the upper forewing, use your pointer finger not holding the butterfly's wings
and gently press the sticker on to the scales of the wing.
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Timing refers to how long after your butterfly has emerged from its chrysalis. It takes roughly 60 minutes for an emerging monarch butterfly to unfurl, pump fluid into and stiffen its wings. I recommend handling, which includes tagging only after your subject has been able to exercise its wings. The only risk of waiting longer is your butterfly will want to fly off and you don't want to lose your chance to affix its tag.
September 12, 2022... Double Trouble for Caterpillars
Monarch caterpillars face a variety of predators of all stages of their development. Pictured here are two common predators of monarch caterpillars.
The jumping spider (on the foreground) and a stink bug nymph (background)
have no other business on this 4-week -old swamp white milkweed seedling than
to wait for food.
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These insects have chosen to wait on a plant few other insects can eat and
survive. The monarch and lacewings are the few insects that use milkweed to
raise their young. Defenseless, monarch caterpillars cannot defend themselves
from either of these predators.
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There's not much you can do. Female monarchs look for new, young, healthy,
tender milkweed to lay her eggs. It seems as if nature has programmed
predators on where to set up and wait, why else would they establish themselves
on a plant they can't use for protection, raise their own young or consume the plant's leaves. The best thing you can do
is to remove them by hand so, should a monarch caterpillar egg be laid under one of the leaves, it has an improved chance to survival.
September 8, 2022... A Call to Action
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) was founded in 1948. This organization categorizes biological species based on their risk of extinction. On July 21, 2022, the IUCN elevated the monarch butterfly from threatened to endangered, one step closer to extinction.
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A Call to Action…
Educators, Park Managers, Corporations can play an important role by establishing a designated area specific for monarch butterfly education & habitat. Education signage and or creating a unique garden for monarch caterpillar and butterfly is low cost - high result plan of action.
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This simple sign is educational, weatherproof and the
perfect backdrop for a simple pollinator garden.
Include several different species of milkweed to
provide leaves for female monarchs to lay their eggs and
for monarch caterpillars to eat.
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Add spring, summer and fall high nectar yield perennials and you've just met the criteria for creating
your own Monarch Waystation!
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Contact me so we can create something that will bring you, your classmates, or employees many years of enjoyment. You'll be playing an important role in helping save the monarch from becoming critically endangered or possibly even extinct.
September 6, 2022... Visitors in Your Garden, Friend or Foe ?
Your garden is alive with insects you can see and far more with those you cannot see. Below are two insects commonly found in your pollinator and milkweed garden. Gardeners are thrilled to see these aggressive predators because they target and eat hundreds of aphids in their larval form.
Lacewing larvae Ladybug larvae
The problem with these good insects is they don't discriminate against caterpillars, including monarch butterfly caterpillars. When I encounter either of these larvae, I relocate them onto a milkweed without any caterpillars or monarch eggs, especially milkweed that could use a little aphid grooming.
Dan Simon Photo
September 5, 2022... Handling Tips for Tagging
As we approach the heart of monarch butterfly tagging season a question came across the 'contact us' button. The question was how to best handle the monarch when tagging. The answer begins with understanding the process of the emerging monarch from her chrysalis. The day and evening before a monarch emerges, the chrysalis becomes nearly clear. Most all monarchs emerge from their chrysalis in the morning, typically between 7-10am. This allows them to use the morning sun to dry their wings as they pump fluid from their abdomen through the vasculature of their wings. Gravity plays an important role in helping unfurl their large wings.
It takes several hours for a monarch's wings to straighten and strengthen. I prefer to wait until the monarch begins to test her wings before tagging them. Unlike some butterflies and most moths, monarch wings are made of scales and will not rub off on your hands. They are somewhat durable and holding them between your index finger and thumb allows you to apply a Monarch Watch tag and to retrieve spores from their abdomen if you're supporting the OE study on protozoan impacts on monarchs.
Wings are wet and not ready
or tagging
It takes several hours to fully
dry her wings
After she flaps her wings a few times, it's time to tag
September 4, 2022... Keeping Milkweed in Stock
Milkweed is literally the lifeblood of monarch butterfly
caterpillars. If you choose to raise monarch caterpillars, you
need to make sure you have plenty of milkweed - this means
up to 2 changes of leaves per day. Recently, several acres
where I grow milkweed was accidentally mowed down at the
worst possible time of year. The field was intended to provide
fresh leaves from mid-August through October. Eggs and
early instars of the migratory generation - all gone!
This segment is to help monarch enthusiasts preserve precious
cut milkweed. If a plant is accidentally cut down or immediately
following township roadside mowings where milkweed was
growing - the following will help salvage leaves for up to a week.
1. Retrieve the whole milkweed plant as soon as it is cut.
2. Make an angled stem cut leaving 4" of leaf-free stem.
3. Place in a bucket of water that only covers the leafless stem.
4. Keep the plant outside but out of direct sunlight.
If leaves are submerged - a terrible rotting odor will develop. Do whatever you can to prevent the leaves from getting wet. Only the stem needs to remain under water.
Leaves should have been removed below this line
September 3, 2022... Dangers to Monarch Caterpillars - Herder Ants
Aphids! They're everywhere. If you have even one milkweed plant on your property you likely have hundreds or thousands of yellow aphids. Aphids won't hurt an otherwise healthy milkweed plant or even an emerging sapling milkweed. I used to stress over knowing they were slowly sucking the life out of a plant I worked so hard to grow. Alas, milkweed has evolved over millions of years and has developed its own defense systems - some direct others indirect, both designed to protect it. Let me explain.
Aphids are small and soft bodied defenseless insects. They have many enemies including but not limited to ladybugs and ladybug larva and lacewing larva. So, what allows aphids to reproduce and envelop plants? Herder ants. Herder ants, also known as farmer ants, have a symbiotic relationship with aphids. As aphids feed on milkweed, they secrete a sweet dew called honeydew which herder ants find irresistible. So how does this impact monarch butterfly caterpillars? Unfortunately, herder ants will prey upon monarch caterpillar eggs and young instar caterpillars. So, not only do herder ants protect and allow aphids to flourish by guarding them, but these ants will also prey upon monarch caterpillars.
One strategy to reduce aphids is to use ant traps. As ant traps reduce or remove ants from the milkweed plant, aphids lose their protection and become more vulnerable to predators.
Heartspm.com
September 2, 2022... Dangers to Monarch Caterpillars - Jumping Spiders
Jumping spiders are a common visitor to all gardens. Unique to most other
spiders: jumping spiders have excellent eyesight, short legs and, as their
name implies, jump to ambush their prey. The good news is their prey
include stink bug larva and adults which, as we learned below, attack
monarch caterpillars. The bad news? Jumping spiders also attack
caterpillars such as monarch caterpillars.
Unlike stink bugs which prey upon somewhat larger and more mature
monarch caterpillars, jumping spiders commonly prey upon instars one through three.
Getty Image
September 2, 2022... Dangers to Monarch Caterpillars - Stink Bugs
Monarch butterfly caterpillars face many dangers growing up. Despite residing on a poisonous plant and being poisonous themselves - there are dangers at every turn and on most every leaf. In this article we highlight the stink bug larva. We are too all familiar with stink bugs as they often find their way into our homes as fall approaches, to seek a warm place to overwinter. It is estimated that 2/3'rds of stink bugs are herbivorous meaning they are only a threat to plants. One third of stink bugs however, are predatory and carnivorous.
If you see any bugs that resemble the shape of the larva on the left image remove it and destroy it. Stink bug larva wait on milkweed leaves for monarch caterpillars. The image, above and to the right, show how threatening these bugs to monarch caterpillars. Even late-stage 5th instar caterpillars are not safe from these insects. Inspect your plants carefully, the green species can camouflage quite well. Weekly checks should be sufficient. Stink bugs larva may be green, brown, orange and black and orange with a textured pattern on their shell.
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Adolescent stink bug on milkweed
Stink bug kills 5th instar caterpillar
September 1, 2022... Leftovers again
Monarch butterfly caterpillars need milkweed to live, in fact, most people think that's all they eat, and they would be right. However, if you're the savvy type you can win a trivia contest by adding that monarch caterpillars actually eat one more thing other than milkweed - their shed skin.
The shedding process and consumption of the skin takes only seconds and is rarely seen, even by those who routinely raise monarch caterpillars.
It is well documented that when monarch caterpillars hatch from their egg, the first thing they do is crawl out of their shell, turn and eat their shell. It is nutritious and easy on their new mouth parts.
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Many are surprised to learn that when a monarch caterpillar grows, its skin stretches until it splits. The caterpillar sheds or molts its skin 5 time before it pupates. Each stage (called an instar) results in the caterpillar walking forward and leaving its old, compacted skin behind it. It exhibits the same behavior as a new-born caterpillar of turning and eating its old skin before returning to its normal diet of milkweed.
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August 29, 2022... Hydration for Monarch Caterpillars
Food and water are the necessities of life for all living creatures - this includes monarch butterfly caterpillars. Feeding monarch caterpillars is easy. Providing new milkweed leaves once or twice daily meet your caterpillar's need for fresh milkweed as they would have in the wild. Little is known, written or understood however about the hydration needs of monarch caterpillars. Do they receive all the fluids they need from milkweed? It has been suggested that captive raised caterpillars result in weaker and smaller adult butterflies...is lack of hydration the reason?
I discovered something remarkable this morning. I was adding a drop of water on fresh milkweed to provide adequate humidity for one of my 5th instar caterpillars and was shocked as it drank the entire drop of water in 16 seconds. Mouthparts designed for chewing apparently can also allow it to drink. I began adding a drop of water for each of my caterpillars to mimic morning dew - below are the dramatic results of just a few.
Every caterpillar offered a drop of water took right to it confirming that morning dew, fog and rain play a critical role in their healthy development. Caterpillars in the wild will drink from free standing water.
For those who enjoy raising their own monarch caterpillars - introducing one drop of water on the first morning milkweed leaf may be meeting an important, basic need for optimal health. Some naturalists and organizations suggest captive bred monarchs emerge less "fit" than wild monarchs and may be one factor reducing the numbers of adult monarchs that can endure the journey to Mexico to overwinter.
This exclusive video proves that milkweed alone does not provide the hydration needs of monarch caterpillars. Supplemental environmental moisture is sought by monarch caterpillars of all five instars. More research is needed to determine the optimal amount and frequency of water for each instar.
3rd Instar Monarch Caterpillar
4th Instar Monarch Caterpillar
5th Instar Monarch Caterpillar
Real-time Video
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5th instar monarch caterpillar needed only 16 seconds to finish a full drop of water with mouthparts designed for chewing.
Video property of this site
August 28, 2022... The Captive Bred Controversy in More Detail
There remain questions and concerns about raising monarch butterflies in captivity. The concern from naturalists, some scientists and the Xerces Society include the strength (fitness) of monarch butterflies raised from eggs or various instars. Claims of butterflies not having the strength to make the journey to Mexico are the primary concern. Proof of sub-optimal adult fitness in captive bred monarchs is based on lower rates of tagged monarchs associated with being raised in captivity. There remains one very important variable not discussed by the thought leaders against raising caterpillar in captivity: the conditions provided for the caterpillars in captivity.
One reason I support raising the final generation of monarch butterflies is the ability to eliminate all threats from egg to chrysalis except OE. To maximize not only the survival, but "thrivall", the following conditions must be offered:
Diurnal & nocturnal temperature ranges
Diurnal & nocturnal humidity ranges
Fresh milkweed leaf to meet the instar need
Natural light including some UV w/out over-heating
Habitat to enable crawling (exercise)
Good ventilation if not access to moving air
Provide each caterpillar its own habitat
Removal of frass daily
Ironically, the conditions above mirror the natural
environment of the monarch caterpillar. While no studies
have been conducted on the conditions of captive bred
conditions and the overall health of the resulting
butterfly, it makes sense theoretically, the closer one
can offer monarch caterpillars natural environment -
the healthier and stronger the captive raised butterfly will
be.
Non-commercial, captively raising monarchs with modest number of subjects will continue due to curiosity, education, and for those who participate in tagging for migration research. It is important for anyone raising a monarch caterpillar to give it the best chance at emerging healthy and strong.
I now add one drop of water on the opposite vein of each leaf for every caterpillar to stimulate morning dew. In doing so, the humidity is raised and maintained through mid-morning.
Drop of Water
August 24, 2022... When Harvesting Milkweed - Check Each Leaf Carefully
This is the time of year when people in the mid-Atlantic region, begin rearing late-stage monarch caterpillars
in hopes of tagging them when they emerge from their chrysalis. In order to feed large caterpillars, large amounts of fresh milkweed are needed. It is common to cut a plant 1/2 way up and store the plant in water to keep its leaves supple and have ample supply for days, possibly up to a week. You should check each
leaf very carefully. This time of year (mid-late August) female monarchs have laid their season's final generation of eggs.
Monarch eggs and new hatchlings are incredibly small and difficult to see, unless you're looking for them. It would be easy to overlook an egg or newborn caterpillar in haste when handling and feeding leaves to 5th instar monarch caterpillar. Since monarch eggs from August 15th and later are surely future migrating adult butterflies - take your time examining each white, grey or black dot on each milkweed's surface and under the leaf . A magnifying glass is helpful in this exercise.
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August 23, 2022... Tachinid Flies are Deadly to Monarchs
Tachinid flies are not welcome visitors to pollinator gardens. They are
savages to monarch caterpillars who fall victim to the fly's laying eggs into
the caterpillar. The larvae live and feed inside the living caterpillar and weaken it
until the caterpillar dies. If the tachinid flies attack the caterpillar while it is
in its fourth instar or younger - it is likely the larvae will exhaust and soon
kill the caterpillar. If the flies lay their eggs in a 5th instar monarch caterpillar,
the larvae will often present during the chrysalis stage as shown in the image
to the right. The strands emerging from the chrysalis are repelling lines for
tachinid larvae.
Witnessing tachinid larvae eat their way out of an otherwise healthy monarch
caterpillar is nothing short of horrifying. Those who raise monarch caterpillars
this time of year in hopes of tagging - feel loss and helplessness. The larva to
the right hatched inside the monarch caterpillar before emerging. The worms
crawl for about an hour before turning into the dark brown, potato-like
fly pupae. On average, there are 3-5 tachinid fly larvae per caterpillar victim,
I have however, witnessed as many as 13 larvae in one caterpillar.
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The final phase of the tachinid fly life cycle is the hatching of the next generation of tachinid flies. The damage is done.
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Tachinid flies are said to be beneficial as they are a food source for spiders, mantids and many birds. Unfortunately, of the 150,000 species of flies around the world, this particular species lives in the same habitat as monarch caterpillars and relies on them for their own survival.
August 20, 2022... No Instar is Safe from Predators
Newly hatched monarch caterpillars are virtually defenseless. As they eat
milkweed they accumulate toxins in the form of cardenolides from the sap
of the milkweed plant. As monarch caterpillars grow, the more toxic
they become and advertise it with their yellow, black and white coloring.
The caterpillar on the right died on the common milkweed it was eating.
Despite avoiding danger through the most vulnerable first 3 or 4 instars
of life - adult caterpillars fall victim to insects such as assassin bugs or
predatory stink bugs.
It's images like this help justify captively raising monarch caterpillars.
August 20, 2022... Sad but Common Ending
Many monarch caterpillars succumbed to deformities caused by a tiny
protozoan parasite. The official name is Ophryocystis elektroscirrha,
commonly referred to as OE. It is impossible to know if your caterpillar
is infected until it's too late. OE isn't a plant or an animal, it's a single
celled organism called a protozoan. Monarch caterpillars pick up
thousands or even millions of spores from leaves and inject them
while eating milkweed. Once inside the caterpillar - they will manifest
themselves with severe and often life-ending consequences of adult
butterflies Wing malformation or the ability for the new butterfly to
pump fluid through its vein to unfurl its wings are what we most see.
August 16, 2022... Don't Accept (or Pick) Imitations
Let's see how thoroughly you've been reading this site. What type of milkweed is this?
Swamp Milkweed ? Butterfly Weed ?
Common Milkweed ? Purple Milkweed ?
If you answered NONE OF THE ABOVE, you are correct! The plant pictured above is not a milkweed at all. This plant is called 'dogbane'. It has many of the same characteristics of milkweed, particularly common milkweed. The leaves are similar, it has sticky white sap like milkweed, and the leaves look just like young common milkweed. It even grows side by side common milkweed. You might not have known the difference, but monarch butterflies can - and they're not interested in it at all.
If you are raising monarch butterfly caterpillars, make sure you do not accidentally cut leaves of dogbane instead of young common or swamp milkweed to feed your caterpillar(s).
August 14, 2022... Solution for those On the Fence about Raising Monarch Caterpillars
Raising a monarch butterfly caterpillar from egg to chrysalis requires tremendous commitment and time. The 10-15 days of consuming milkweed leaves may be too much for most people considering each day requires a fresh new leaf. First and foremost, one has to make sure there is a local source of milkweed to meet the needs of the 5 instars that precede their transformation to an adult butterfly.
A practical solution to the time and plant demands that exceed most people's schedule is to select a monarch caterpillar in its 5th instar - a monarch caterpillar that will only eat for one or two days before it transforms into its chrysalis stage.
Unfortunately, there's no exact way to know whether the caterpillar you're
considering only needs one more milkweed leaf before pupating. If the
caterpillar is larger than 1.75" - it is most likely a stage 5. Monarch caterpillars
remain in this final stage for 1-3 days - long enough to consume one large
common milkweed leaf.
If you find a caterpillar that is younger than stage 5, you can simply make note of where it is and visit it each day until it has reached its final stage. It makes sense to remove the largest leaf of the plant you harvested it from the day you remove it for continuity of nutrition. Make sure replicate its natural diurnal environment in every way under your care to increase your chance of a healthy adult butterfly.
August 12, 2022... Is it Helpful or Harmful to Raise Monarch Caterpillars?
During an educational seminar on monarch butterflies at the Kennett Square, PA library today an important question was asked that didn't have a right or wrong answer. The question was, is it harmful or helpful to raise monarch caterpillars until they turn into an adult butterfly? As a general rule, removing a healthy organism from its natural environment is not a good idea. It is nearly impossible to create an artificial habitat without consequences. Is it harmful to raise monarch caterpillars in captivity? The answer may be in how comfortable and natural the caterpillar feels. Replicating diurnal light, temperature and humidity are as essential as providing fresh, new food and cleaning the container it is being raised in.
Cons to Captive Breeding In a 2019 article published by NPR, a recipient of monarch butterflies from a breeder suggested the butterflies he received had difficulty migrating south and attributed their loss of natural instincts to migrate to captive breeding. An additional con to captively raising monarch caterpillars is the impossibility to replicate all the natural conditions monarch caterpillars expect such as dew formation each evening, natural rainfall and UV sun rays. What impact removing these natural events on caterpillar development is unknown.
Pros to Captive Breeding One of the strongest supports of raising monarch caterpillars is the assurance of their safety from the many predators that threaten their survival. It is estimated that only 1 or 2 monarch eggs in 300 ever make it an adult butterfly. Death from ants, spiders, assassin bugs, birds, mammals, parasitic flies and wasps are eliminated by removing caterpillars from their natural environment. While no statistics are available, the survival rate of captive bred eggs and caterpillars is sure to exceed survival rates of those in the wild.
August 11, 2022... Prune...Now !
The summer has been hot and dry for most areas this year. While milkweed is drought tolerant, they are subject to weakening and slowing new growth to protect the plant. As we head into the important home stretch of the monarch season - we need to make sure the monarch eggs that hatch within the next two weeks have fresh and tender leaves. Hatchling monarch caterpillars need newer, softer leaves than remain on most milkweed plants this time of year. Their small mouth parts simply aren't designed for thick coarse old leaves.
It's August 11th
So, prune now!
Prune strategically. Milkweed plants are excellent at regenerating new growth. Prune off the top 1/3 of your plant including any seed pods. It's ok to leave some seed pods as September monarch caterpillars will enjoy eating them when they reach their third instar.
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By pruning now, your plants will generate new growth just in time for newly hatched caterpillars to feed on. In fact, female monarch butterfly's will favor laying eggs on the new growth.
August 11, 2022... Monarch caterpillars this time of year are the 'migrators'
If you see monarch caterpillars from today on, there is a good chance they will mature into the butterfly's that will fly to Mexico. Considering this, I recommend your removing and, either relocating them to a safe plant that won't be cut down or rearing them yourself.
The three, day-old monarch caterpillars above were on common milkweed between the roadside and the telephone line. I will raise these to adulthood for two reasons.
1. These caterpillars are the generation that will fly to Mexico
2. Raising these in captivity will prevent being preyed upon by jumping spiders and tachinid flies
Choosing to raise monarch caterpillars to adult butterflies requires time and commitment. You will need to isolate each caterpillar, so they won't compete for milkweed. See "Tools" article for the best materials. Provide new leaves each day for best results. Remove frass daily. Do not add water to your jar in attempts to prolong the life of the milkweed leaf - drowning is unwise risk.
August 10, 2022... When Do I Begin Tagging the Fall Migratory Monarchs?
Tagging and tracking monarch butterflies has proven to be an important activity to study their migration. The only generation of monarchs that migrate is the fall adult butterfly but, determining the end of the summer generation and the final fall migratory generation can be tricky. The Monarch Watch organization provides the following guidance by geography when to begin your tagging efforts.
When to Begin Tagging by Latitude
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Latitude Begin Tagging
45 7 August
44 10 August
43 13 August
42 16 August
41 19 August
40 21 August
35 24 August
30 27 August
Courtesy: MonarchWatch.org
Monarch Watch publishes a list of all the tags of monarchs that successfully made the trip from the United States to Mexico. On a personal note, a monarch I tagged (ACZL522) in Oxford, PA on September 23rd, 2020 was found in El Rasario, Mexico March 8, 2021. The journey of 2,508 miles took just under 5 months to complete.
August 7, 2022... Don't Underestimate Whorled Milkweed
The Whorled milkweed plant is a native perennial plant that often gets overlooked by more showy species. Whorled milkweed grows to a modest 12-18" tall with delicate white flowers. Available by some nurseries and garden centers - this plant is a welcome site for monarch butterflies looking to lay their eggs or enjoy the plant's nectar.
The plant is unique among milkweeds as its leaves resemble evergreen needles unlike the larger, fleshier leaves of the common milkweed plant. One might think needle-like leaves may not be the choice of monarchs given the small meal each leaf spindle offers. The whorled milkweed is an excellent choice for pollinator gardens, particularly toward the front.
Whorled milkweed produces large quantities of long, slender seed pods that require at least 30 days cold stratification before planting. Propagation by seed has been a challenge for me. Gardeners should be aware that this species of milkweed will spread by its extensive underground root system.
August 6, 2022... Gary's Pic for Perennial of the year for Monarchs
In 2021 I planted a perennial that is considered a perennial in the south but an annual for northern regions. I carefully mulched the tall purple flower before winter and kept my fingers crossed. This summer, it not only came back but seeded and my pollinator garden now has hundreds of this beautiful monarch magnet. Welcome to The Purpletop Vervain!
Growing to 6' tall with striking flower on strong stems - it lives in zones 7-11 as a perennial. It is deer resistant and drought tolerant. Thrives in full sun. Our garden exploded from the previous year's seeds. Plants are easily transplanted. Purpletop vervain are tall but not wide making them ideal to join their other pollinator must haves such as butterfly weed, coneflowers and many others.
Purpletop vervain attract many species of butterflies large and small. Today 6 yellow swallowtail butterflies, 2 spicebush swallowtails and 3 monarchs visited my pollinator garden at once today during the heat of the day.
Because of high nectar yield, beauty, and deer, rabbit
and drought resistance - this is a must have.
August 5, 2022...Life is short
It's not uncommon to find wings or dead adult monarch butterflies on your lawn or in your garden. As long as I've been supporting monarch recovery - I've never gotten used to finding dead monarchs. Death is part of life and non-migratory adult monarch butterflies only live for only 2-4 weeks. The image to the right shows the wear and tear on a monarch who is less than a month old and not a member of the generation who will migrate to Mexico. Missing pieces from wings and significant color fading are signs this male has hours to possibly a day to live. Mating would have been completed by the time this picture was taken.
The final generation of mid-Atlantic monarchs live 6-8 months, and their wings remain strong and colorful - an additional amazing fact about this tropical insect.
Update...July 6, 2022
As expected, our male monarch from the picture (above) yesterday did indeed not make it but hopefully did pass on his genetic material for the second to last generation of monarchs in 2022 - the year monarchs were elevated to an 'endangered' status.
August 5, 2022...Plan now for Fall tagging
If you're thinking about tagging monarchs this year - by the first of August you should have ordered your tags. Tags go on sale in late June and July from Monarch Watch. It's not too late but order them now. If you're new to tagging, you may want to order the minimum number, instructions are included on how to tag and record each monarch and determine gender. Tags will not harm nor impact their ability fly normally.
Tools you'll need in addition to your tags will include a butterfly net if you're going to catch wild monarchs. If you're going to raise your own caterpillars and then tag butterflies when they emerge - you'll need to buy clear glass canning jars and replace the metal cap with a screen wire. You'll need to assess how many milkweed leaves you'll have to offer as food as late-stage caterpillars normally eat a fresh leaf a day. For more detailed information and tools, visit "Tools for the Season" article in The Garden section of this site.
July 29, 2022...Roadside Rescue
I was walking my dog the other day and noticed a stand of about 20 common milkweed along the roadside which gets mowed regularly to keep the weeds down. This "public access" area is the grassy area from the edge of the road to the edge of the telephone pole line. Frequently milkweed can be found in this public area. The area is also routinely mowed to the ground.
Being a conservationist, I walked up the hill to see if there were any monarch butterfly caterpillars at risk. Despite 8 days previously when the monarch was placed on the endangered list - I collected 17 monarch caterpillars and 5 eggs. I relocated the 17 caterpillars to my pollinator garden and will care for the eggs until they hatch - I'll then place them on tender common milkweed leaves. The caterpillar on the right hatched the day after being rescued from mowing.
Established common milkweed is very hardy, rescuing caterpillar and eggs may be a good idea but the plants should never be removed, they'll grow back quickly and provide fresh, soft leaves for the next generation of eggs & caterpillars.
July 24, 2022...Best left in the tropics
One of the threats listed to monarchs that escalated their threat to 'endangered' was, ironically, the sale of milkweed, specifically, the sale of tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica). When the milkweed plant was chosen as the 2017 perennial of the year and nurseries began stocking milkweed - tropical milkweed plants became a unique offering competing with more common native plants of: orange butterfly weed, white and pink swamp milkweed.
Planting tropical milkweed in non-tropical climates can be hazardous to monarchs. The extended blooming season is thought to delay the normal migration schedule by extended availability of nectar. This increases the likelihood of less nectar plants for the balance of their journey to Mexico.
Don't be lured by the colors of tropical milkweed - it may do more harm than good for your monarch conservation efforts.
