Looking in Ottawa

[Flutterby]

I'm new to the monarch experience and am visiting family in Ottawa. I took my neice and nephew out to look for milkweed, eggs and caterpillars today. We found some milkweed along the Parkway but not one egg or caterpillar.

Can anyone suggest some good places to look in the Ottawa area?

Thanks,
Sheryl

[Monarch MaMa]

I always have trouble finding monarch eggs & caterpillars near busy highways, but I often find them alongside calmer-traffic roads or pastures with NO traffic. I don't know but I think the butterflies are disturbed by the fast cars/trucks whizzing by...

[Flutterby]

I have heard that areas near highways are not good for finding caterpillars but the Parkway here in Ottawa has lots of parklands around the two lane roads and it's near a large river. We were looking in areas that are a distance from the road. I'm not very familiar with Ottawa so am not sure where else I should look.

I may just have to wait until I go home to Toronto but I wanted to share this experience with my neice and nephew while I'm visiting them.

[Mona Miller]

I've been reading on the lists that parts of Canada have been wet and cold and not much Monarch activity.

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/monarch/D ... hives.html
Spring 2009 goes all the way to August, not much data in August, but there's a bit in July. See if any of the Canadian listings are near you. I used July 2009.

[Flutterby]

Thanks! I'll check it out. It's resources such as this that I'm learning about and need to help me.

[dannus plex]

Mona is right about describing our summer weather. In recent years, Southern Ontario has been besieged by very hot and dry summer weather. The milkweed is usually spent by late July or early Aug. This summer has been much cooler, with more days of overcast skies. Many of the milkweed plants in my region are still viable, and as of Sept 8, I am still collecting cats. This may result in a larger local population.

[Mona Miller]

This is why I plant tropical milkweeds. I start them early inside and then put them out after frost. They provide Monarchs with needed toxic milkweed for protection and fresh leaves. Best place to get seeds is Richters:
http://www.richters.com/Web_store/web_s ... 89005.8809
For tropical search on "asclepias"