Rescued Monarch - help!

[mamakramer]

My daughters (ages 3, 6, and 8) found an injured monarch butterfly in our backyard on a 40 degree day. We brought it inside and gave it sugar water and a branch to climb on. It has livened up and is trying to fly around its 8"x18"x18" clear plastic box (with some mesh over the top for air). It has a pretty big tear on it's upper left wing, and a smaller tear on it's lower left wing. We homeschool and would like to take this on as a project. What do you recommend? I am completely new to this. Can we keep this butterfly alive in captivity? Can it survive with its injuries? Do we have any hope of releasing it in the spring? We also know it's a female. We have milkweed in the area, but of course it's all dead for the winter. (we live near Boise, Idaho) We'd love any advice you could give us. We need info on basic care, living quarters, food... Honestly - right now I'm a blank. All info I've found on the web is about the egg-adult care and not so much beyond. I'd appreciate any info you can share!
Thanks!

[Megathymus ursus]

Well, first of all, you will have to see if your butterfly is capable of any flight. No butterfly can fly at 40 degrees Fahrenheit, so you will have to wait until things get warmer and sunnier, meaning next spring, if she lives that long (which she might). If she is able to fly, then you can release her when it is warm (in the spring). If her wing is so damaged she cannot fly, then you basically have a pet on your hands.

Give her the sugar water, or better yet honey water (because honey is made, of course, from actual nectar). Use 1 part honey to 4 parts water. Make sure it is clean, so that no particles will clog her proboscis. Pour it into a rough, shallow dish (rough so that her claws can find some rest). If she does not drink, you will have to manually unroll her tongue with a toothpick (put it in the "hole" in the middle of the circle, and just draw it out until the tip is in the fluid). You will have to hold her, with wings closed over her back, while you do this.

Good luck!
Brian

[Sarah]

We recommend gently cutting of the torn parts. You can try repairing them with clear fingernail polish, but leaving the torn part on (even in a repaired state) tends to impede flight.

It is definitely too cold to release your butterfly, so it is best to keep it indoors. (Monarchs need sun and temperatures in the high 50s to be able to fly.) If it seems to be flying a bit then you should keep it in an area at least 2x2x2 feet; this will give it some room to fly a bit. Honey/sugar water work for feeding and gatorade and juicy juice are fine, too. Be sure to change your "nectar" every other day to prevent fermentation. An old plastic butter dish with a clean pot scrubber or sponge will aid in feeding. Gently set the butterfly on the scrubber or sponge. If it is hungry, it will begin to feed. It should be able to find the feeding dish again on its own. You can also trying soaking cotton balls in your nectar. Monarchs kept in captivity live about the same amount of time as summer reproductive monarchs - 2-6 weeks. Some do live longer, though. However, the odds of your butterfly surviving to be released in the spring are quite small. Each year, there are some butterflies that aren't able to complete the migration and they succumb to cold temperatures. There isn't really a good way to overwinter these butterflies so they can mate with the returning migrants, but you can keep them indoors so they live out their lives rather than freezing to death.

Good luck!

[2BFree]

Sarah,

Could you please explain a little more about repairing with clear nail polish? Do you have any pictures of before and after? Thanks, 2BFree

[mamakramer]

Wow! Thanks for all the info. We will follow it to the letter and give her as comfortable life as possible. I, too, would be interested in more detailed info about repairing the injured wing. As far as cutting it off, I may be able to trim off the lower injured wing, but the upper wing's hole is right about in the center. She wouldn't have much wing left. The nail polish might work?
Karis

[mamakramer]

My rescued monarch flopped over yesterday morning. We thought that was it, but she was back up later in the day. Is this because we let it get down to 55 degrees at night? Or is she just getting old? Also, I'd still be interested in more info on repairing her wing.
Thanks!

[Sarah]

The nail polish is used to "glue" the edges together - paint over the torn part and a bit on each side, too. If she has a hole in her wing there won't be much you can do.

Monarchs usually don't fly if the temperature is below 60 or so, but they are able to cling to surfaces to roost. It sounds like your butterfly is starting to age a big. It seems like the oldest butterflies in our cage are those that don't have much coordination anymore and have some trouble flyiing or can't quite keep themselves upright.

[paulakcmo]

Thanks to Sarah and all for the conversations about injuries and wintering over, a great help to me.

[mamakramer]

I had to report - our monarch is still doing well. She was flying around her enclosure this morning. She seems to be doing well on just the sugar water. We tried others, but she does best on plain sugar water. We brought her inside the first week of November, so she's living a long time. Never thought she'd be sharing space with our Christmas tree!

If anyone has any ideas on other things we can do for her, I'd appreciate it!

[Paul Cherubini]

I've kept overwintering monarchs alive in an outdoor screen tent as long as early May by feeding them a 10% honey water solution. Instead of diluting the honey with plain water, I use a vitamin water sports drink like Propel.

I never had much long term luck using sugar water alone.

In the laundry supplies section of Walmart you can get a pop open perforated fabric laundry basket container for a few bucks. I think the health of your butterfly could benefit from being outdoors in such a basket or screen tent on warmer, sunnier days.

[mamakramer]

What do you consider a warmer day? We are usually in the thirties. Is that too cold?
We have a 2x2x2ft frame covered in 'bridal netting' She flies around in there occasionally. It would be easy to transport outside.
Thanks for the tips!

[Paul Cherubini]

Sunny or partly sunny and about 36 degrees or warmer. Of course, you'd need to bring the cage back indoors by about 3:00 pm or the butterfly could freeze.

[mamakramer]

I put her outside in the sun for 20 minutes yesterday. She did really seem to enjoy it. Thanks for the tip.
I noticed some white flecks on her wings yesterday. Is that normal? If it's not, is there anything I can do?

[Paul Cherubini]

Wow your monarch has been alive for 2 months now! Impressive! I'm not real sure what you mean by white flecks. Sometimes the butterflies are born with white blotches on the wings and they are harmless.

[mamakramer]

Well, Yesterday we lost our butterfly. My girls plan on having a 'funeral.' She became quite a member of the family, and i like to think we made her last days more pleasant.
Now we look forward to raising our own in the spring.
I guess I better order some milkweed seeds!
Thanks!

[Teresa]

Kudos to you!!! That is awesome. It had a great life with you.