Predators Gallore - so sad.

[Debbie in Northwestern On]

Up here in Thunder Bay in Northwestern Ontario (4 hours northeast of Duluth, MN along Lake Superior) the monarchs arrived very early (in May) and they arrived in large numbers. Those of us with Waystations and those rearing them indoors thought it would be a good year. However, along with an abundance of monarchs came an abundance of predators. Shield bugs, which we have had before, were around earlier, along with an abundance of white spiders that hide in the milkweed flowers and kill the cats by wrapping them up in a web. Both of those predators are not new in my garden, but what I have not had before were wasps. The wasps are laying eggs in the cats, the cats die or go into a chrysalis prematurely, then die. In both cases a wasp maggot eventually crawls out. These predators are being experienced in the gardens of everyone I know who has a Waystation. There is very little success out in the garden. Those bringing in eggs and rearing the monarchs in cages, jars, tanks, etc. are having success. Because of the spiders and shield bugs in my garden (which boarders on natural greenspace), I bring branches or potted milkweed into a shelter (Patio greenhouse). However this year, I had to take off the plastic due to the extreme heat we are having, but also due to the fact that even while I was tending to the cats, wasps were flying in and stinging them with their eggs. So I had many cats die. I have since screened the shelter and am having better success. #13 hatched today. One local woman who brings eggs indoors released over 70. Another man who uses rearing cages in his gazebo released 40. Yesterday I visited a waystation that usually produces many butterflies, but all her cats died. The hatching butterflies are staying around (usually when they hatch they head south as it is usually Sept, or Oct.) so looks like we will get two generations this year. Would be interesting to find out if they head further north. Isn't their migration partly to get away from predators? Monarch are in Edmonton, Alberta this summer...they usually don't go that far north. Waystation 444, Debbie in Northwestern, ON

[Mona Miller]

Have you hatched out the wasp larvae to see what kind of wasp it is? Is it large or small? Color?

Many people are having trouble with tachinid fly this year.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2957&p=15042&hilit=tachinid#p15042
Video on the flies.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2972&p=15190&hilit=tachinid#p15190
tachinid flies - citizen science data

I'm so sorry to hear about all this. The predators are awful in our area, too.

[Mona Miller]

Are you on the main Monarch Watch email list:

http://www.monarchwatch.org/dplex/index.htm

I'm going to post your report there right now. People need to know this.

[JoAnn]

Hi Debbie: Sorry to hear about your problems this summer. This summer, here in Thunder Bay, I have hatched about 400 eggs indoors. I have released about 190 and have about 60 chrysalis yet and gave away about 150 cats (33 to Zsu Zsa when I ran out of food). However, I had a large number of eggs turn black and not hatch at all. I have had a few chrysalis on August 5 and 6 that did not form well and am just watching to see what happens to them. A few of the cats I brought in had the tachinid fly but many were okay. There is a growing interest here in raising Monarchs and we will plan another meeting in the Spring to discuss the various issues in raising the Monarchs. I have seen those white spiders but didn't really notice any wasps. Maybe they are on your side of the city. I hope your new enclosure will solve your problem.

[JoAnn]

As a follow up to my previous post, I have been very busy releasing the butterflies the last couple of days. We did have a couple of windy days but I was very sure they were dry. I did find 4 with damaged wings. While watching one, a wasp came and stung it on the end of its abdomen and some liquid came out. Later on it died. I have also had to chase wasps away from those finishing drying outside. So it would seem they are attacking the butterflies too. As well, I watched twice as a hummingbird went after the Monarchs and wonder if that is how their wings got damaged or if another bird attacked them. This is the first time I have witnessed these attacks or had butterflies with damaged wings. So far this year I have raised 241but lost a couple to OE and now two to broken wings. One flew off and one I still have hoping to be able to repair its wings - he is a real fighter. I have so much to learn about raising butterflies and need to come up with a good system of releasing them. I also have to worry about the squirrels and neighbourhood cats outside.

[Mona Miller]

It is recommended by Monarch Watch to let the butterflies wait at least 24 hours before they are released. If you let them dry their wings outside they will not be able to fly away from an attack. If they are flapping to much in your containers, put them into a dark room until the next day and then release them.

[JoAnn]

Thanks Mona for your reply and advice. I usually have them indoors for several hours drying before bringing them outside if it is a hot and sunny day. Some of mine have eclosed as early as 7:30 am so I thought they were okay to release in the afternoon. Then I put them on a plant, in a protected area, until they fly off. If too windy, cold, rainy, or they eclose late in the day I do keep them inside overnight in a large plastic tote with spirea stems, plants and flowers for them to climb on. On top I have black netting which they also hang from. That has always worked. This year we had such large numbers of Monarchs and I don't think I was as prepared to handle that many as I should have been, ie I need more large totes. I have been talking with someone else and he is looking or has a design for rearing cages which he can make over winter. I have not had any new eggs since the end of July but my brother just let me know he still has about 80 cats at his house out in the country and hopes there is still time for them to migrate. Anyhow, I am so grateful for this forum and website as there is so much to learn.

[Mona Miller]

I use these net containers:
http://www.enasco.com/product/SB46624M
Butterfly Farm™ Square Pop-Up Cage - 16-1/2" x 16-1/2" x 30"

I put long sheets of papertowel in the bottom of the container to make frass (butterfly poop) cleanup easy. I use gallon water jugs, put in 4-5 stems of milkweed, 2' fall stems (pull off the lower leaves, recut the stems after you get it home). Then wrap the top with papertowel to prevent the caterpillars from getting down into the water. I monitor the water level and add water daily or twice a day. I carefully lift up the papertowel to pour in water. I can get two gallon jugs of milkweed into one container.

I take a 5 gallon bucket out to the field with me with about 3 inches of water in the bottom. I cut the milkweed and then place it into the bucket. I'm bringing home at least 15 stems of milkweed at a time. When I get home, I check the milkweed for eggs and larvae and then I spray it with a swift burst of water to clean the top and bottom of the leaves. I wash it off thoroughly and then recheck it for predators, too. You can easily raise 20 or more caterpillars in this size container.

[alletahg]

Here's my system:

I gather eggs and keep them in a plastic container until they hatch. Then, I keep the caterpillars in small plastic containers with paper towel at the bottom. Each day I give them fresh leaves and clean out the frass.

When the cats get bigger, about third instar, I transfer them to a huge glass aquarium I was lucky enough to pick up for free. The lid is just a big window screen I hung onto after we had our windows replaced. I keep the tank inside, out of direct sunlight. My husband is a good sport who helps me carry the tank up from the basement each year, puts up with having it at one end of our living room for a couple of months at least, and then helps me lug it back down to the basement. I line the bottom of the tank with paper towels and have one end of the tank lined with a mesh laundry bag. When the cats form a chrysalis on the mesh lid, I give them a couple of days to fully harden and then move them to the end of the tank with the mesh lining. When the butterflies emerge, they climb up the mesh and hang to dry. I let them go the next day just to be sure they are completely ready to fly. With this system, I rarely had problems.

At the start of the summer I lost a few caterpillars and a couple of chrysalis, but now things are going very well. The only drawback to my system is the difficulty in feeding the caterpillars and cleaning up after them when I have 50 butterflies also flapping around in the tank.

[JoAnn]

Thank you Mona and Alletahg for your responses. Sorry for not answering soon but was away then very busy.

Mona - I have located the type of container you recommend here in Canada and will certainly order some for myself and others for next summer. I also have a friend who is going to build a "house" during the winter for them. That way we could put buckets with stems as you do or even whole plants in there. Since your post I have been keeping them indoors for 24 hours. Thank you for this suggestion.

Alletahg: I basically have the same system of raising them in plastic containers with paper towels lining the bottom and changing them to bigger containers as they grow. I do not have a fish tank (you are lucky your husband is a good sport) but I do put up to 5 in a large plastic shoe box-type container and this seems to work well. I also have some tall containers when I need to segregate one or more, ie taking longer to go into a chrysalis and bothering those that are already in one or in their "J" or want the exact same spot.

I have been reading this forum and may start another topic as I had one eclose yesterday and my last one will eclose tomorrow and it has turned really cold and won't warm up until Monday but then get cool again. Wish I was flying south so I could take them with me. Thanks again for all your help.