Busy Summer...already!

[dandjtaylor]

Well, it is as if someone flipped a switch on monarch season 2010. Since I reported the single monarch laying a single egg last Thursday, June 24th, we have had multiples in the waystation every day. I have been so busy collecting eggs as they are everywhere: blossoms, new growth, old growth, common, swamp, purple...

Now we had our first to pupate this morning. It is the first in the eclosing box. I built a second box identical to the first one to hold extra capacity this year.

In the 11 days since the first eggs, we have 54 eggs, 179 cats and 1 chrysalis for a total tally todate of 234. I am thankful for the abundance of milkweed in the yard. This is going to be a very busy season. We were hoping for 1000 by the end, it looks like we are well on our way.

[Mona Miller]

It's great to hear about everyone's success. I can't wait until they show up. I'm keeping things alive in my garden. We have been having 100 degree weather and no rain, not a drop

[dandjtaylor]

Same here...no rain in almost 2 weeks...I don't even want to see my water bill! Gotta keep the milkweeds green though, don't we?

[Mona Miller]

I use the Sta-Green potting soil with soil moist. It helps retain some of the water. But, things are still drying out--including me. Tomorrow, another hot day.

[dandjtaylor]

Well, it continues to roll here in New England. The eggs are being collected so fast that I have had to double my containers. We have released 270 'flies already and have 850+ in various stages. Very busy around here. Hopefully, we can help get those numbers back up for the migration.

[applestar]

I don't feel like counting them this year. I think if I knew, I'd feel overwhelmed.
We have 4 community containers.
(1) Nursery: eggs and new hatched 1st instars
(2) Preschool: 2-3rd
(3) Kindergarten: 3rd-4th
(4) Highschool: 5th-chrysalis

I'll number and date them as they pupate. We currently have 4 chrysalises and 4 J's... At one time there were at least 30 in the nursery alone.... So far two cat losses, one was euthanized due to obvious OE spots. One iffy -- I think I see a spot but I'm not sure so I have it isolated. First 2 chrysalises were brought in as 4th/5th instars so I won't relax until they're safely eclosed.

I only bought 50 tags.... I didn't want to jinx them since they were so late in arriving this year.... Now I'm bringing in a few for the Nursery and Preschool every time I go out in the garden!

[Mona Miller]

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=2371
Cup O' Monarch
I quickly devise a container for one because I didn't want this 5th instar to get eaten. Its pupa is huge. I can't wait to see the butterfly.