How Soon do Monarchs Eat

[dichatham]

Hi,
I have an 8-day old chrysalis. If my monarch doesn't emerge this weekend I plan to take him to work so I can watch. My question is, how soon after emerging do monarchs need to eat. I want to release him at my house not at work, but I don't want to starve my friend.
Thanks,
Diane

[Teresa]

I've taken them to work and watched them hatch and they are fine until I get home to release them.

[Pat]

They seem to be OK for many hours unless they fly away on you, but in any case you can just take a sprig of buddleia or something with you to work. During a hurricane last year I kept a bunch of newly-emerged ones indoors for a couple of days in a windowsill with a vase of the flowers and they were fine until the weather cleared.
Pat

[Jim]

I assume that the monarch in question has already emerged, but just FYI: most newly emerged monarchs are relatively inactive the day they emerge and don't need to feed until day two...