So Many Eggs

[NickiM]

I found 60 more eggs yesterday, that brings my total to over 200. I have about 140 cats still munching away and almost 30 chrysalises waiting to hatch.

I'm getting worried about being able to find enough milkweed for everyone. I went on a gathering trip yesterday and did find some--plus 10 more cats--but a lot of it is pretty dry and tough. It's been very dry and hot here this summer, and much of the milkweed has turned yellow already. The milkweed in my garden gets watered and it's still soft and fuzzy. I think that's why I've found so many eggs on it this year.

[Mona Miller]

That's interesting. This is what I told the manager at the Brookside Butterfly exhibit (Wheaton, Maryland). She asked why so many eggs were being laid on their potted milkweed (stock) outside of their exhibit. I told her that most of the rest of the milkweed in the wild areas doesn't look good now due to drought conditions so when they find that sweet, green, watered milkweed they unload.