9 chrysalis and 5 cats so far

[califspaw]

I had a really slow start this summer, the numbers of cats and eggs I found have been very small. My last batch of six only 3 were able to fly, 2 appeared normal but didn't have the strength to fly very good, and the third didn't manage to open its wing properly. The wings were all crumpled up.

Now I have the 9 chrysalis, 2 emerged this morning! So far they look great. I have 5 cats which appear to be in the 5th instar. When the 9 chrysalis were enclosed my husband said "Oh good, you're done". Oh sure until I found the next five cats, it's like caring for a pet. Truth be told, this is my third summer raising them and they still fascinate me. My kids are not so awed anymore, but I know they will always remember mom and her butterfly's!

[Mona Miller]

In regard to family participation, same here.

Do have pets and do you use any type of pet medicines? They are deadly to caterpillars.

[califspaw]

Yes I have dogs. I learned from you back in June when a few cats. Died on me that I had probably contaminated them with the frontline that I got on my fingers : (. So I have gloved up when I apply it now. I also avoid handling the cats, I use q-tips to move them around.

[Mona Miller]

You aren't moving the caterpillars when they are molting are you. I usually just cut the leaves that they are on and move them. Do you have them in a separate room from the animals?

Sorry to repeat myself, but I answer so many questions on this list and other ones too and can't remember all the details.

Everyone, I highly recommend adding your state to your profile. It really does help me at least to know about what's going on.

[califspaw]

No I have learned through here to not touch when they are molting or resting I just move when they start to wander off or start pecking each other. They have plenty of room but for some reason they always seem to covet the same leaf even if there is as many as two leaves per cat., go figure.

[Mona Miller]

They will go off the plant to molt.

[califspaw]

Yeah I have noticed that as well so I leave them be if they are in a state of rest.

[califspaw]

All nine of my chrysalis emerged with big healthy looking monarchs, all wanted out within 5 hrs of emerging. I guess the heat has helped them dry off quicker than usual . Now my last five cats. have been in chrysalis since the 15th. On another note one of my first nine monarchs was caught by a praying mantis, which was on my milkweed : (. When I saw what had happened last Sunday I trapped the mantis and relocated it to a nearby park. Then just yesterday I caught another mantis and relocated that one as well, hope there are no more out in my garden.

[Mona Miller]

Are these native mantid or invasive ones? I recommend not releasing the invasive ones.

[califspaw]

I really don't know, how would I differentiate one from the other?

[califspaw]

Both looked like a california mantis, although the first one I spotted was about 1 inch longer and I also had seen it mating. So I knew I did not want it laying it's egg sack around my garden, after I saw it had eaten the monarch.

[Mona Miller]

Do a search for native mantids in your area and identify them. The invasive mantids in my area are larger than the native ones.

[Mona Miller]

I transfer all the mantids out of my garden. They eat way too many butterflies.

[califspaw]

Since my last posting about a month ago, I have raised and released another 9 monarchs. Only one emerged with very faded colors and it's wings did not extend properly. I continue to see solitary monarchs around my 7 milkweed plants. I went out on a hunt today and found 30 cats in the first instar, and also saw somewhere between 15 to 20 eggs. It has been a while since I had this number at once.