I think I hurt my caterpillars!

[Gwynne]

Some people have mentioned that they put a whole section of plant in the caterpillars' feeding area. I decided to do that today, with the ones that have space in their containers. I have nine caterpillars in the aquarium. They munched all day and when I got home, the food was just about all gone. Two caterpillars were on the top of the aquarium, like they were going to pupate. I carefully took the lid off and set it on another box so as not to disturb them.

I set up a little milkweed plant in a bottle, carefully covering the mouth of the bottle with foil so no one would fall in.

Disaster one. I put a couple of the caterpillars on this plant so they would know how to use it. A couple fell, some as far as six or eight inches.

Disaster two. And this is a big one! I turned around and of course tripped over the box that I had carefully set to the side. The two caterpillars fell off the lid! I saw one had silk on it. I have seen silk a lot of times. Two caterpillars were connected to each other with silk, so I know the silk isnt always formed when they are pupating. My question is, did I hurt these poor guys who were probably ready to pupate? I feel so badly. They didnt fall that far, the box was shallow, but I am scared that if they were ready to pupate, I messed up the process and they wont survive.

There is nothing I can do now but was wondering if any one had similiar stories and how they turned out.

I think by now with all my disasters, several of you will be writing to tell me to give up! I know I feel like it!

[John Beaulieu]

I have had caterpillars fall 3 to 4 feet with no harm (maybe I have been lucky). I am always pulling them from lids, screens and places they wander to. I have never hurt one yet, mind you, I'm very used to picking them up. For the real little guys I will use an artists paint brush, but usually it's just my fingers. Brenda on the other hand is more nervous and takes at least three times as long to pick up a butterfly or caterpillar.

John

[Gwynne]

Thanks for the reassurance. Everyone seems to be eating and one went back to the aquarium lid. I dont know if it was the same one that I accidentally pulled down, but I am hoping everyone is okay.

[Gwynne]

I think the caterpillars are okay, so far at least. I do have a question. John, maybe you can help with this, as you have posted pictures of chrysalises on milkweed.

I have heard people say that they may put a whole stem with several milkweed leaves in a little bottle and put foil around it so that it stays fresher longer. I tried that and the caterpillars seemed to like it.

They liked it so much that one started forming his chrysalis on a leaf while someone else was munching on it! I got the munching caterpillar off the leaf and ripped all the other leaves off and let the caterpillar finish making his chrysalis outside the aquarium, so no one else would eat his leaf!

GB, if it helps any, he was in the J position for over 12 hours that I know of. But now I am worried that something might have gotten to him while he was outside the aquarium. No reason for worrying, just your post about the earwig made me wonder. He looks fine, I am just a worrier!

My question is what do other people do when someone forms or is forming a chrysalis on a leaf and someone else wants to eat that leaf? Especially if you are indoors and dont have a lot of space? As I said, I had to move the caterpillar that was eating and let the other guy finish making his chrysalis. Today, everyone else is J hooking so I put the first guy back in the aquairum, bottle with leaf and all, so that no bugs would get to him.