How do you vacation with the cats??? Milkweed storage?

[madamebutterfly]

Hello!!
I am very happy to find this forum. I've been raising cats for about 7 years, and this year is AMAZING to say the least. I learn something new every day!! I'm a teacher, and have been sharing my cats & butterflies at the local library with kids this year, it's been very rewarding. There was so much interest that tomorrow I'm teaching the adults!!
How do people take care of their caterpillars when going away on vacation? I've been taking them with me, but it really is a lot of work!! Last year I was able to leave them with a friend to feed/change the cages, but this year I couldn't possibly leave so many based on the time it takes each day.
Is there any way to keep milkweed fresh apart from cutting it & putting it in water? I am very wary of 'found' milkweed as I had a horrible time recently with dying cats, lost about 50 to what I imagine was pesticided milkweed or a virus (based on a thread here), and now I'm only using milkweed from my garden which I know is 'clean', but I don't have as much as they need. I had brought in baby cats from 'found' milkweed, is there any way to know if it was a virus or the milkweed that was deadly? So many questions, thank you for any help you can give.

[Farfalla]

Hi madamebutterfly!!! >>>>>Fellow teacher here.
Luckily for me, my cooworker..who runs the summer program can care for the caterpillars if I go away. ( They raise butterflies at our school all summer long )
I have also taken them with me.
( Once, I even carried them into a restaurant ..I piled all the containers into a duffle bag becuase I did not want them to overheat in the car. That made for interesting dinner conversation! )
I keep milkweed fesh in my fridge for up to a week and a half or more. I store it the same way I would fresh herbs.....I wash it then wrap damp paper towels around a bunch and then place it in a ziplock bag.I am also leary of gathering milkweed from unkown sources.
Welcome!
And enjoy your vacation!

[madamebutterfly]

Hi Farfalla,
I understand the restaurant thing, mine are getting pretty well travelled. I took about 10 cats in various stages, as well as 10 butterflies to the beach last week because I was doing one of my library presentations early in the evening & I couldn't come home first. I had a large Omaha Steak white cooler which housed everyone just fine. I kept it in the shade & checked on everyone often. They enjoyed the sea breezes & I had my godmother & her friend release a tagged butterfly each, it's always such fun to experience first flight with a friend. A few years ago I took the herd to a B&B in Connecticut, I had picked this place because of the gardens in her pictures, I turned another gardener into a monarch-watcher. She was amazed at what I did, we stayed in touch for a few years after that.
Thanks for the milkweed tips, I hate getting stuck without milkweed!!