Infertile Eggs?

[cre0broter]

New here, but 2 years ago I had 2 adult male monarchs and 1 adult female in a huge cage, I put fresh milkweed in there. Few days later, saw several eggs, but they never hatched? anyone have some insight for me?

[Mona Miller]

It takes 3-5 days for them to be old enough to mate and lay eggs. The only thing that I can think of is that those were sterile eggs (she wasn't pregnant (gravid)). Or maybe there was some type of disease or predators. Were the eggs protected from predators? Some times predators sneak on to plants and predators like spiders can suck the eggs dry of the caterpillar and the shell will remain. Assassin bugs can do the same thing.

[cre0broter]

well the milkweed dried up after the eggs were laid, the only things I noticed in the cage that may have caused damage were a few loose luna moth caterpillar hatchlings, maybe they just dried up. I never saw the adults mate, but I did notice just a few days after the female was adult she was touching her abdomen to the milkweed, I didn't rear any monarchs this year, I did find a caterpillar but I never saw the predatory stinkbug on the other side of the leaf...

[Mona Miller]

If the milkweed dried up, then the little caterpillars would not have had food to eat. The newly hatched monarch caterpillars are very tiny--very hard to see.

Here are some websites for you to check out on rearing and parasites.

http://www.mymonarchguide.com/2007/05/r ... llars.html
Raising Monarch Caterpillars

http://www.monarchwatch.org/rear/index.htm
Rearing Monarchs from Monarch Watch

http://www.evansonart.com/monarchdisease.html
Monarch Disease and Parasites

[cre0broter]

If the milkweed dried up, then the little caterpillars would not have had food to eat. The newly hatched monarch caterpillars are very tiny--very hard to see.

Here are some websites for you to check out on rearing and parasites.

http://www.mymonarchguide.com/2007/05/r ... llars.html
Raising Monarch Caterpillars

http://www.monarchwatch.org/rear/index.htm
Rearing Monarchs from Monarch Watch

http://www.evansonart.com/monarchdisease.html
Monarch Disease and Parasites

I cut the little sections of plant with the leaves and put them in a container, I was planning to put in milkweed when they hatched, were they that tiny that I missed them? I usually can see tiny things pretty well.

[Mona Miller]

I have to use 250 magnification glasses to see them, but I'm over 50 now.

Those websites I posted should tell you how to hatch eggs.

http://www.butterflyfunfacts.com/rearingeggs.php
Raising Butterflies from Eggs

Keep them out of full sun even inside.

[cre0broter]

while you're over 50, I'm 14, but I guess I should use a magnifying glass

[Mona Miller]

Magnifying glasses do help. And, age doesn't matter with sight. My son had to get glasses when he was in 5th grade.

Eggs usually hatch within 3-5 days inside, but both inside and outside hatching is dependent on temperature. The colder it is the longer it takes and the hotter it is the shorter it takes. Caution also to keep your containers away from air conditioning.

Rearing Monarchs can be a matter of experience. But, on this forum we can help you gain the experience that you need. I have been raising butterflies and moths for 17 years. All you need to do is ask questions and we'll try to help you with the answers. Good luck with next year.

[cre0broter]

thanks! I hope to rear several lepidopterans this spring, when it comes!

[Mona Miller]

This time of year, I think about getting my milkweed started. I try to grow some annual (tropical) inside under grow lights.

[cre0broter]

do have seeds, but don't think they'll grow

[Mona Miller]

http://www.butterflyencounters.com/grow ... index.html
There are some good videos on this website about growing milkweed. The owner of this company started in his mid-teens growing and selling milkweed.

[cre0broter]

coolio!