Help!! Caterpillers not making it!

[sattelitemckane]

I live in the NW USA, we have grown a few caterpillars indoors for the last 2or 3 years. This year I was ultra prepared with Asclepia Curisavica, ordered the babies and recieved about 10 tiny ones. I let my son's kindergarten have a plant and 3 of the larvae, They grew so fast and are crysalis now. The ones at home are not eating most are dying and some are still alive and shrinking! Any idea what could be going on. I took one of them outside to try it on some Asclepia incarnata which I started last year, just to see if it will pull out of it. If they all die can I assume some kind of infection, (that the ones at school avoided by being removed early). Can I do anything to the asclepia (indoor in pots) to make it O.K. for another batch later on this summer? What about a diluted bleach solution to try to kill what ever it is? and then rinse well after. Anybody?

[Paul Cherubini]

As a general rule, it's harder to keep the caterpillars healty when rearing them in an artificial indoor environment. Harder to keep the adults alive too. The healthiest situation is outdoors in a screened enclosure using milkweed plants growing in pots or in the ground.

[Teresa]

I've had the same thing happen if the potting soil has miracle grow or something like that in it. The plant absorbes it and poisions the plant. My milkweed get plain old dirt. Did all the plant come from the same place?

[sattelitemckane]

Yes, I always order them from a place called educational science, that sells milkweed and monarchs. They suggested "Peters" plant food to fertilize when you recieve the plant. I think that I may have fed the milkweed this a few times. I have also noticed tiny(very tiny little bugs on the underside of leaves. These are smaller than even aphids, white grubs? maybe and black adults perhaps that are moning around. I wonder if whatever they are could have passed on some disease or what not to the caterpillars.
What I am wondering is if it is fertilizer, or bugs should I repot? can I treat the leaves in any way without poisoning future larvae. I will try another batch of larvae later in the summer and I would like to get this Milkweed acceptable.
Thanks!

[sattelitemckane]

Another installment...The first butterfly emerged (of the few that made it)and it's wings are deformed. What can be happening? i have two other chrysilis that have not emerged yet, so hopefully there will be at least one out of 10 that will make it. What can I do with the poor critter.

Anybody????

[sattelitemckane]

So all the butterflies failed. They can't seem to fly and are weak. The last one emerged today and she looked o.k. but at some point fell after about 4 hours hanging and can't hold on to anything, she tries but just keeps falling. I provided lots of traction but can't do it. I expect she will die soon. Does anyone know what got them? it definately seems like it was somthing that spread through the group.

[dzyg]

So sorry to hear all the butterflies had problems. I really don't know what would cause it, hopefully someone here will have an idea. Last year I had three butterflies that didn't form right, they had problems with their feet, didn't form the toe hooks so they couldn't hang onto anything and fell too. So far this year I have only had two (out of 75) that had problems. One of them, a female had a little problem with its upper wings, one of them kept wanting to go under the bottom wing instead of above it, but it was able to fly so we did let it go. It was also missing toe hooks on one of its front legs, the others were ok though. The other one, a male, didn't get its probiscus (sp?) tongue, together and it dried split and hanging out. I knew it wouldn't live but we did let it go anyway. It was perfect otherwise.

Do you have any milkweeds and caterpillars that are in your area naturally? Maybe you could try some of those instead. Hope you are able to get some that are ok! We have lots of milkweed around here and that is where I get all of my eggs and caterpillars from. So far this year I have lost 5 cats and 4 crysallis but have let a total of 75 butterflies go, one of which will die (see above) but that makes 74 out of 84 that were healthy. I have lots to go yet too, more hatching daily.

[sattelitemckane]

I am growing incarnata outside, maybe the next batch I should try outside. Any ideas how to protect them? If I net around the plant can any critters get from underneath that would attack the cats?

[Jim]

I am growing incarnata outside, maybe the next batch I should try outside. Any ideas how to protect them? If I net around the plant can any critters get from underneath that would attack the cats?

The best way to protect developing larvae from predators and parasites is to find them early in development and enclose the plant they are feeding on with a tightly sealed mesh bag - we offer Insect Rearing Sleeves via the Monarch Watch Shop for just this purpose (or you can try to make your own):

Rearing Sleeve (item #113205)
Perfect for raising monarchs and other critters on plants indoors or out! These white mesh sleeves have a clear panel for observation, one full-length zipper that allows the sleeve to open flat, and long strings for sealing the ends around branches or tree-trunks. Sleeves may be zipped together to increase the diameter so as to enclose sections of tree trunks or other large objects. Sleeves are approximately 24"' x 27" (unzipped).



Good Luck!