I am still releasing Monarchs in MD -- will they survive?

[BlizzardNole]

I released about 30 adult Monarchs today that eclosed over the past several days waiting for decent weather. I still have about 15 or so pupae that will eclose over the next few days. Given how late we are in to autumn here in MD, will these guys realistically have a chance to make it at least some distance south, or will they likely die within a few miles of my house?

[Mona Miller]

If the weather holds for another 2 weeks, they will be able to make it to warmer climates. Even if they make it to Virginia Beach, the weather there is warm enough to winter over.

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/monarc ... r2006.html
Monarchs Overwintering in Virginia? Tagged Monarchs Tell Amazing Tale
2005/2006

[BlizzardNole]

Well last night might have done it -- hard freeze well down into the Carolinas. Too bad because we have some great weather the next few days. Problem is that there probably are no nectar sources for a long way south now, and they'd probably starve to death. I have 13 left....they might be house butterflies at this point.

[Mona Miller]

The wood asters don't usually die with hard frost.

[BlizzardNole]

I was away all day yesterday, but I think I'm going to let them all go today. I'll pump them up with gatorade and send them on their way once it warms up.

This is sad -- the other morning I saw that there will still a bunch of cats still on my nearly stripped tropical milkweeds that were zapped by the 28 degree hard freeze. I'm going to pull the dead plants today, and I guess I'll see a bunch of dead cats on the ground.

[Mona Miller]

A friend of mine actually found some caterpillars last year that made it through a hard freeze. The plants were near rocks. The rocks retain heat during the night. Smart caterpillars.

[BlizzardNole]

OK so I found six 4th and 5th instars when I pulled out the dead milkweeds....I brought them in and offered the last couple tiny potted plants I have left. I'll go to Shoppers tomorrow and see if I can get some Spanish pumpkin.

Oh, and I found a cat hangin in its "J" on the siding of my house......40 feet across the yard from where the milkweed was! Quite a trek. I'll let his C harden and bring him in.

[Mona Miller]

The siding on the house provides more warmth. Smart caterpillar. I left one on my siding on September 27. I was hoping to see how long it would take to emerge. On the ninth day, some thing ate it.

[BlizzardNole]

The siding on the house provides more warmth. Smart caterpillar. I left one on my siding on September 27. I was hoping to see how long it would take to emerge. On the ninth day, some thing ate it.

I got it down and brought it in -- no snacking on this one! They love their place in the storage room of our basement -- with the furnace nearby it's warm in there, and they're under my plant growing lights. I took one of the large tropical milkweeds from outside that was stripped all the way down and potted it to see if it will do anything under the lights, just for fun.

The several cats I brought in on Monday are all pupating....one of them is HALF the size of a normal 5th instar. If it survives, it will be micro-premie small. I'll update.

[BlizzardNole]

The small cat did pupate, and looks OK other than being half the normal size. It will be interesting to see how small this butterfly is going to be.