First eggs of the season!

[GBMonarch]

A beautiful female was very busy laying eggs on my milkweed today. Poor thing, she must know my garden is a Milkweed oasis in a sea of manicured lawns, because she spent the whole afternoon here. She laid eggs on the leaves and on the flower buds. I was busy behind her collecting her eggs and now have quite a few to hatch in the house where they are safe and sound. Needless to say, I'm happy to be starting the new Monarch season.

[dzyg]

I saw my first female here in Central WI about the same time. I collected four eggs and they have now hatched. I haven't been checking my milkweed as much as I should have (I have been busy monitoring nestboxes) and I know I lost some eggs already out there but today I brought in eight more eggs. I have about 40 milkweed plants in my front flowerbeds, most people would pull out those weeds but I don't even though I don't care for the look of them. Makes a great place for them though in amongst all the flowering plants. Hopefully this year will be better than last year, hardly had any eggs/cats or butterflies last year due to the very cold temps of the Summer.