Your release regimen/schedule?

[skates4marty]

Hello Heavy Producers/Long-term Releasers: Weather permitting, do you usually release the same day or the next day? Mona, I think I read that you routinely release on the next day, is that right? Do you give them a meal that second morning and then send them off?

[Mona Miller]

First I look at the weather, for example, the next two days don't look promising so I released two today (but those emerged late yesterday) and will release another (that emerged this morning), but wait for their wings to dry and for them to become active.

The two that I released this morning are flying around and nectaring in my garden. The sun is shinning today, it is forecast for rain the next two days.

[allaflutter}i{]

Yes, like Mona, I release according to the weather. All things considered, however, I release the next day mostly because I find the tags stick better! I do prefer sunny days so I have to adjust accordingly. I just hit my over 4oo mark with many, many to go!

[Paul Cherubini]

In the wild, I see monarchs emerging from their chrysalids at 7-9 am on mild to warm days
and the butterflies make their maiden (short) flight a few hours after emerging. Here's a newly emerged monarch I saw in the wild at about 11:30 am that not only took it's first flight around 11:30 am, but also it's first sip of nectar: http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/260thd.jpg

If you intend to tag the butterflies, I would wait 5-6 hours after they emerged because otherwise the wings will be too soft

[dandjtaylor]

Same here. Sunny makes for faster readiness. I have a short shed roof that I put them on in the afternoon sun. If they are gone by dusk, they are probably in a tree around the yard. If they are still on the roof, I pluck them off and stow them back in the eclosing box for the night. They usually know when they can fly, however, some need to be recovered from the grass if bothered by a yellow jacket before they are ready.

+400 releases, +300 tagged
+140chrys, 10 clear
+200 cats, all 4th and 5th