setting up outside rearing container questions

[maryeleek]

I raised Monarch cats inside last summer but want to try and raise them outside on our deck this spring. Right now my babies are inside but I plan on purchasing a butterfly enclosure to set up on a wooden base on our deck. The big danger I worry about is introducing a little guy that is sick and contaminate the enclosure. Should I isolate new cats for a period of time in seperate containers and only put them into the enclosure when the cats are at least second instars.

How do you clean? Do you use paper on the bottom that you replace a couple of times each day.

If paper is suggested, how difficult is it to be certain there are no babies in the removed paper? Do you just use one sheet to be certain they don't hide between several sheets of paper? If paper is used, I was thinking of buying a roll of plain wrapping paper and trim off each day as newspaper print would make it more difficult to spot stray babies.

How do you cover the pot the mw is growing in? Do you wrap it with something or just set it inside and remove when the leaves are gone.

How do you transfer the little cats to a fresh plant?

Can you think of anything else I should ask?

My thanks for all the help and assistance I receive here. I'm so looking forward to another season with these little guys.

Mary

[Mona Miller]

Mary,

Much has been posted on rearing in "cages" already. Just go to the top right and put "cages" in the search. Good luck....

[Paul Cherubini]

The big danger I worry about is introducing a little guy that is sick and contaminate the enclosure. Should I isolate new cats for a period of time in seperate containers and only put them into the enclosure when the cats are at least second instars. How do you clean? Do you use paper on the bottom that you replace a couple of times each day. How do you cover the pot the mw is growing in? Do you wrap it with something or just set it inside and remove when the leaves are gone. How do you transfer the little cats to a fresh plant?

I doubt any of the cats would get "sick". In the spring, disease seems to be rare. I don't use paper, but you could. The frass of baby cats is so small and minimal in volume that I don't clean it. I do clean the droppings of older cats via using my canister vacuum cleaner. If you place the foliage of a new potted milkweed plant against the remaining foliage of the defoliated plant, most of the cats will crawl over onto the leaves of the new plant. You'll have to help some cats that get "lost". I've heard an artists paint brush is a good tool to use to pick up baby cats. In general, the cats will be healthier when you rear them outdoors and healthier still if you rear them on potted milkweeds. So even if your sanitation is not real good, you'll likely find your cats and the butterflies they produce will be healthy and vigorous.

[maryeleek]

My thanks, Paul, for taking the time to reply to my questions. I'm going to give it a try and see how it goes. We have a lot more rain and high humidity than you likely experience but still, it seems they would enjoy the natural warmth of the outside and I'll just have to try and maintain good cage cleaning habits.

My first outdoor rearing cage has arrived and I'm anxious to see how they will do with it being outside.

Having a terrible time with the wasps getting the little cats that are on the outside garden plants. I think I'm going to try the wasp trap that is produced by a Canadian company, as first customers seem to report good results with it. It amazes me that any of the little cats survive in the wild.

Mary

[Mona Miller]

I hope you can take the time to search on "cages". Many people have written some very good information on this forum.