My first 4 Monarch butterflies have hatched and have been released. I still have several green hanging pupae. It seems almost every time I go out to pick some milkweed leaves in my garden it turns out I find some eggs on them. I need the leaves for the caterpillars that are still growing. I cut the leaves around the eggs so I can feed the leaves to the caterpillars. I save the eggs until they hatch and then pick more leaves to feed them and find more eggs on those leaves. Endless cycle here. I can’t be too picky about the leaves as they don’t grow back very fast. The last 9 eggs are hatching tonight. I have no leaves left. My milkweed plant is a bare 5 ft stalk with a couple of seed pods on top. There are no leaves at all.
- I bought 2 milkweed plants at a nursery a few weeks ago but lost 3 caterpillars I had put on the plant that were half grown. They just died when they ate that milkweed. The leaves had been washed off but I think maybe there was systemic insecticide in it. So I couldn’t use those plants anymore though I’m saving the seeds to plant next year.
Being out of leaves called for emergency action. We had to run to the store this evening so I took a coke bottle filled with water and a scissors……just in case I spotted some wayward milkweed plant somewhere on the way. Sure enough, in an unkempt parking lot there was milkweed growing along the edge. I jumped out with my scissors and snipped. 3 big stalks. I would have cut more but they wouldn’t fit into the small opening of the Coke bottle. Darn, I should have brought 2 or 3 bottles with me.
It’s a weed to most people but to me it was gold. I actually felt a little rush when I jumped out, snipped, and jumped back into the car and we took off. I almost exclaimed, “step on it!” Would I get in trouble for cutting a weed in an abandoned parking lot? NOT! Would someone see me and think I was a nut? I’m sure.
I lost count of the caterpillars that are half grown right now, I think 9. And then I have 9 more hatching tonight. Luckily, there were no eggs on these stalks I picked tonight. I repeat, no eggs! Phew!! This may be the end of the cycle. But I’m really attached (maybe a bit addicted to) these little striped caterpillars.
6 responses so far ↓
1 Kipper // Jul 25, 2007 at 8:55 am
Eaton Rd in Fairview in lined with milk weed just south of the railroad tracks. Its a public road and has hay feed on both sides so I am sure no chemicals are on them.
2 Lynne at Hasty Brook // Jul 25, 2007 at 9:05 am
LOL! “Step on it!” I could hear the Mission Imposible music in my mind! Your passion for your monarchs is infectious. I found a website to order a monarch ranch that is a collapsable net house. I’d like to give it a try next year!
3 linda // Jul 25, 2007 at 9:53 am
Thanks Kipper! I saw milkweed all over the place not far from our house but all of a sudden everyone cleaned their ditches and fence lines? Figures. But there is a good supply by a nearby store that should keep me in milkweed until the last of them fly off (unless they suddenly decide to whack the weeds along that fence line.)
Lynne, I want to get one of those net houses, too. I think it would make things a lot easier.
4 mon@rch // Jul 25, 2007 at 10:27 am
Very cool for sure and sounds like they are really keeping you busy!
5 Toni // Jul 25, 2007 at 10:16 pm
hehe
Linda you got the bug now. I have one of those collapsible butterfly houses. Get one you’ll need it next year. I’ll have lots of seed pods to give you to plant.
I let my first few caterpillars go on their own. Not sure if they made it. So started collecting eggs and baby caterpillars. Not sure how many I have now. The first ten are just getting ready to form a ‘J’ Last year I had to go out and find leaves also so I am always on the look out. It is fun!
6 linda // Jul 25, 2007 at 11:46 pm
My garden is going to look different next year. There will be lots of milkweed! I have some seed pods so I think I’ll have enough seeds. I also have some purple milkweed that has seedpods that I’ll plant.
I love the caterpillars when they are an inch long. They have those little stubby back feet, they arch their little necks and has stubby little antennae. They are cute!
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