Did i kill my monarch??

[keystone22]

I know nothing about monarchs and my son found...i'm guessing an adult caterpillar. I put him in a container, big and ventilated, fed it milkweed and watched it eat. Now here's why i'm confused. Oliver...that's his name, hung himself upside down. i thought that this was normal and thought nothing of it. well he never turned into a j. and he's been there for 2 days and i think he might be dead, but my 3 year old insists he will be a butterfly soon. i have no idea. shouldn't he have made his crysalis by now?? Poor oliver!! i hope we didn't kill him!!

[MILW]

Give him a few more days- if you have him inside in cool air conditioning, it may slow down his transformation to chrysalis. Let us know if he turns black or starts dripping (that would be bad news )

cheers- Scott

ps can you post or email a picture to me? samonsma (at) tds (dot) net

[keystone22]

Oliver was just fine!! He didn't make his crysalys yet...but he's alive!! I don't think that he was feeling all that well, maybe he was too hot. He came back down, does that mean he was shedding his skin?? Well, this might sound like a bad idea, but my son and I let Oliver back into the wilderness. He will probably have much better luck out there where he belongs. The next time we try, I'd like to have a little more info on what I am doing, I'd hate to kill something that is so cute!!! maybe some words of wisdom and advice would be a good thing for me to ask for this time!! Thank you so much for replying!!

[mommalepapillon]

I have had the same sort of experience with one "hanging straight down" on a barberry bush. I am hoping it will wiggle away like Oliver!

A few good sites to look at
http://www.milkweedcafe.com/

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjec ... arch.shtml

Good luck
I found a chrysalis on the ground and am waiting for guidance from the all knowing here...
Christine