found 7 cats today!!

[NickiM]

I found 7 cats on my milkweed today! I feel just like a proud parent. I've been fighting the aphids and having to water my milkweed several times a week to keep it alive, and I'm so glad I did. I'll keep everyone informed about the cats progress and growth.

[Mona Miller]

I am having to water every day (even with using soil moist in my pots to save water). Our temps are in the 90s and very muggy. Monarchs are zooming through their cycles.

[NickiM]

I later found another cat for a total of 8. I brought them inside and they're all happily munching on some common milkweed I found growing down the road.

[Mona Miller]

Isn't it amazing. Once you know what milkweed looks like you see it everywhere.

[NickiM]

I found a teeny, tiny baby cat on the common milkweed, so now I have 9! Three of them have attached to the lids of the containers and are hanging upside down in a J. Does that mean they will make a chrysalis soon?

[NickiM]

I know the answer to my question, because 1 cat just formed its crysalis. Three others are hanging in the J position. These cats look kind of small and skinny, but I guess they're okay. The tiny baby cat moved from the leaf I found it on over to a leaf I placed in its container last night.

[Mona Miller]

I found a teeny, tiny baby cat on the common milkweed, so now I have 9! Three of them have attached to the lids of the containers and are hanging upside down in a J. Does that mean they will make a chrysalis soon?

It is usually within 24 hours. Mine usually shed around 8 or 9 AM in the morning.

[Mona Miller]

I know the answer to my question, because 1 cat just formed its crysalis. Three others are hanging in the J position. These cats look kind of small and skinny, but I guess they're okay. The tiny baby cat moved from the leaf I found it on over to a leaf I placed in its container last night.

Hope you don't have parasites. I saw some of my caterpillars last year that the flies had laid on go into pupation before their 5th instar and later out popped a fly larvae and then they pupate too and make this oblong tiny pupae.

http://www.mymonarchguide.com/
What is a parasitoid? a parasite?

You better not let you mom see these. She would really freak out!

Make sure you keep enough fresh food in the containers. If they go without food for too long, that triggers pupation, too.

[firewind33]

Haven't posted for a few days- been busy trying to keep my 50 or more cats alive! We must have OE - I had 2 butterflies emerge from their chrysalis - they had trouble getting out and then eventually died. Also have been loosing an average of 1 cat per day- all different stages too! But I am following all the advice about separating the ones that don't eat and or act strange as well as sterilizing my containers. I have been collecting in some new places - probably brought it in myself. Well I think it's under control now- guess we will see. I have approx. 15 that will go to chrysalis in the next day or 2 and then the next are about a week behind them. Well that's all for now- HAPPY HUNTING

[NickiM]

All 8 have formed their chrysalis, and the tiny baby is growing.

[NickiM]

I checked all 8 chrysalis--what is the plural?--for sex, and I think they're all male. I was really hoping to try and breed them, but I guess that ain't happen'. I will double check for the spots on the male's wings after they emerge.

[Mona Miller]

If you have a good magnifying glass you can check the pupae for the sex:

http://www.monarchwatch.org/biology/sexing.htm
Here's directions

[NickiM]

I'm afraid several of my babies have OE--3 of the chrysalis have tan blotches on them. And, the tiny, teeny cat I found has bent, kind of crooked attenae and a couple of black spots on its body.

[Mona Miller]

Put them into a ziplock bag, refrigerate, and then freeze. Clean all your containers and equipment with bleach if possible and rinse thoroughly.

[NickiM]

Very happy to report the successful eclosing of 2 beautiful females and 1 handsome male this morning! I put them on my east facing butterfly bush to warm up and they all began flying about an hour later. Just looking at them made me smile.

[Mona Miller]

If possible let them dry their wings inside, until they drop down and start fluttering. This can take from 2-3 hours. If you put them out too soon, they cannot protect themselves. Here in my yard, I have European Hornets. They prey on butterflies and other insects.

[NickiM]

They were already fully emerged and fluttering their wings when I took them outside. Plus, I stood guard over them until they flew away. I thought it funny how they flapped their wings whenever a bumble bee would get close, kind of like they were swatting at them.

[Mona Miller]

I think you are right about fluttering to tell bees to take a hike when they are trying to nectar. I've seen this behavior also when butterflies are taking nectar from other sources.

[NickiM]

I awoke to find 2 more lovely ladies eclosed. I wanted to watch them emerge, so I set my alarm for 6:30. They were already out of their chrysalises, even though it was pitch black in my kitchen. I really didn't think they would eclose in the dark. Oh well, I'm just glad they're healthy.

It's kind of misty and cool--in the high 60's--here today, so I'm planning to wait until tomorrow to release them. I read on another site the adults could drink Gatorade, but what about hummingbird food? I want to let them feed a bit before I let them fly free. Also, what about cut flowers, like butterfly bush or others that they eat in the wild, will butterflies feed on those?

[Mona Miller]

The first day, they really don't need to eat, but I do give them some mist from a squirt bottle later in the day. The second day I offer them gatorade or you could mix some hummer food. Usually butterfly food is 10% sugar. I think hummer food is much stronger. Juicy, Juicy (the box juices) are also good.

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/monarc ... gFink.html
Dr. Fink (Lincoln Brower's wife) also suggest a sugar solution and here is a video of how to hand feed.

[NickiM]

Hi everyone,

I released my last butterfly--a gorgeous male--yesterday afternoon. I had put his chrysalis in a larger plastic container with a potted plant for him to rest on. I woke up early enough to watch him emerge from the chrysalis. Later in the day, my kitty cats enjoyed watching him flutter around in his "house."
I wish I could have gotten a photograph that would have showed what they were watching, but the flash would have glared too much.

Out of 9 cats, I released 4 females and 2 males. I had to euthanize 3, due to OE. Not a bad result for a first timer. I really want to get some eggs early in the summer next year, and try to breed some butterflies. I would like to be able to encourage them to stay in my garden for at least a few days next year.

[Mona Miller]

Do you have enough hosts (milkweed) and nectar sources? If they are females, they won't stay long, they keep heading north from Spring through Summer. Males take up residence, but they chasing everything else out, even birds. Even fall Monarchs don't stay every long, they tank up and head out that is if they don't get stalled by bad weather.