finding eggs on milkweed

[psi_chemie]

OK, I've found a ton of succulent, pest-free milkweed in many areas near where I live - but no signs of eggs or larvae. Just how small are the eggs? I do see occassionally little yellow balls but they seem too small to be monarch eggs.

Although last year I bought in some vine milkweed that I found a couple larvae on. Yet three days later there were three more larvae from seemingly out of nowhere..

I was wondering how female monarchs locate milkweed? Also do male monarchs have any attraction to milkweed?

I often have my net with me. Last Friday I caught and released three males, and saw a couple more up close. No females. I was thinking if I caught a female, is it possible to carry it around the field and get it to lay eggs on where I know there are good plants? I wonder if I held it up against a leaf and let go would it stay.. probably not. I might try putting a net over a plant and letting her loose in there for a minute. Anyone tried something like this?

[Paul Cherubini]

Try visiting the largest blooming milkweed patches in your area around 9-11 am in the morning. That's when female monarchs are most likely to be out and about laying eggs. A screen house tent works well to confine the females for egg laying purposes. Walmart carrys these tents and they cost about $49.

[dzyg]

Here is a pic I took of two Monarch eggs, one ready to hatch. The top turns black when the little caterpillar is almost ready to come out. As you can see the eggs are about the size of the D on the penny. They sit upright on the leaf and kinda come to a point at the top, that you can't tell from the picture.

[psi_chemie]

I'm not sure but I think what I was seeing was even smaller. I'm going back out to check today.

[monarchmama]

Sometimes the little white dots you see on milkweed are dried specks of sap that come from damage to the leaf. I see that quite often, especially in conjunction with aphids and earwig infestations. Can't tell you how many of those specks I tried to raise years ago as a newbie . As a general rule , if you brush a white speck of sap lightly with a small brush or blade of grass it will fall off right . Eggs are adhered much better and won't budge if you gently brush up against them.

There is also a type of yellow aphid that feeds on milkweed, but usually you will see these in colonies, though I have seen single ones on the underside of leaves when looking for eggs. They are soft bodied and will move and/or brush off easily if disturbed.

As a general rule, sap specks are the same color as the sap inside the stem of the milkweed, whereas Monarch eggs are a creamy ivory or pale yellow, have a definite cone shape to them and come to a point. If you use a magnifying glass when searching for eggs you can see much better and will even be able to see the striped texture on the sides. Sap specks may be as large as egg but are round and smooth.

Somewhere on here are some great slide shows posted with some egg pictures. I am new to this forum, so not sure what thread I saw them in, but perhaps one of the other members or a mod could point you in the right direction.