Feeding 5th Instar Monarch Caterpillar Pumpkin

[Mona Miller]

Yesterday, I put hands full of 5th instar caterpillars on some Spanish Pumpkin. I get this at my local grocery store. This group had defoliated almost two tubs of milkweed.


I put the Live Monarch sleeve over the container that had support.


View through the netting. I took the skin off the pumpkin. Cut it into pieces. Made a hole (knife or other round instrument). Then placed the pumpkin pieces on the defoliated stems of tropical milkweed. Put in the support, put on the netting and now they eating it up.

Use this method with 5th instars only. The younger caterpillars will not be able to make it to pupation on pumpkin.

This is the type of pumpkin that I am using:
http://www.epicurious.com/tools/fooddic ... y/?id=1654
calabaza
[kah-lah-BAH-sah]
A pumpkinlike squash popular throughout the Caribbean as well as Central and South America. The calabaza, which is also called West Indian pumpkin , is round in shape and can range in size from as large as a watermelon to as small as a cantaloupe. Its skin can range in color from green to pale tan to light red-orange; its flesh is a brilliant orange. Calabaza has a sweet flavor akin to that of BUTTERNUT SQUASH; its texture is firm and succulent. It can be found in chunks throughout the year in Latin markets. Choose cut pieces with fresh, moist, tightly grained flesh with no signs of soft or wet spots. If you can find whole calabaza, look for those that are unblemished and heavy for their size; the stem should still be attached. Whole calabaza can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 6 weeks. Cut calabaza should be wrapped tightly and refrigerated for no more than a week. Calabaza may be used in any way suitable for winter squashes like ACORN SQUASH and butternut.

[BlizzardNole]

Mona I am seriously considering trying this -- my dozens of cats are decimating my tropical milkweed supply, and the common MW I've found nearby is in bad shape.

I was out this evening getting more plant tops and I saw many cats all over my plants. Next year I am going to triple my MW planting area.

[Mona Miller]

Must be in their 5th instar. Don't try this with younger caterpillars. I did email Denise at Black Hill Regional Park. I forwarded her your email.

[dichatham]

This is great! My common milkweed is dying off and the rest is being devoured by cats. I have brought in as many as I can but I'm worried I can't feed them all. I've gotten to the point where I am only bringing in the 5th instars. I'll look for this in my store. I too am planning to increase my milkweed garden but then I thought, gosh, I'll just have more cats! Oh well, I'm glad I have them.
Diane

[BlizzardNole]

Must be in their 5th instar. Don't try this with younger caterpillars. I did email Denise at Black Hill Regional Park. I forwarded her your email.

Thanks Mona -- I actually spoke with her yesterday...they are overwhelmed too and can't take any. I'm gonna look for some calabaza and might even check into the artificial diet stuff they sell for starting out the real little guys. Denise told me about the "egg dumping" thing and how it is not normal.

[David Calhoun]

The pumpkin idea sounds great! Anybody ever figure about how many milkweed plants (say, six feet
tall) it takes to raise one egg to adult.(my guess is about 1:1 . Also , I just got some free milkweed
seeds the other day ,is it too late to plant them for next year? 38.5 degrees N latitude, about same as
Washington, DC. Waiting for my first chrysalis to eclose.

[Mona Miller]

What type of milkweed?

[David Calhoun]

I only feed them common milkweed -Asclepias syriaca.Are other species of milkweed OK to
feed to cats?

[drexel.n@gmail]

David - I have been feeding mine swamp milkweed (Ice Ballet). I have hundreds of spare seeds if you would like some. My common mw is too tiny to support even 1 cat, so I can't rely on it this year.

Nancy
Cincinnati, Ohio
WS3037

[Mona Miller]

Also , I just got some free milkweed seeds the other day ,is it too late to plant them for next year? 38.5 degrees N latitude, about same as Washington, DC.

I was asking about your free milkweed seeds. What species are they?

Any milkweed is good to feed Monarchs. Here in our area we have about 15 species. At least two are vining. Swamp is more toxic than Common. The more toxic the milkweed, the more protection the butterfly gets.

[David Calhoun]

The seeds are the freebies I got when I placed my first order with monarchwatch, for a jumbo
sock .That sock has worked well for me , too. There are lots of big fat cats inside.I didn't know
all that about the different kinds of milkwwed being good-so much to learn,so many old posts to
review. (It's all fun, though.)

[sbannister]

Must be in their 5th instar. Don't try this with younger caterpillars. I did email Denise at Black Hill Regional Park. I forwarded her your email.

Thanks Mona -- I actually spoke with her yesterday...they are overwhelmed too and can't take any. I'm gonna look for some calabaza and might even check into the artificial diet stuff they sell for starting out the real little guys. Denise told me about the "egg dumping" thing and how it is not normal.

I have done this with yellow summer squash and the zucchini squash - they ate it and sucessfully pupated (the 5th instars). It kept the smaller ones alive a few days and by then I found some more milkweed and switched them back to that.

[BlizzardNole]

DC area folks -- let me know what stores you find this stuff. I went to Giant last night and the produce guy gave me a blank stare LOL! I am going to try Safeway and Lotte...and if that doesn't work maybe a Latin market.

[Mona Miller]

I got it at Shoppers Food Warehouse in the produce section.

They cut it up and wrap it in plastic wrap. It will have the name on the outside.

It is hard to cut the outside skin off, but it is possible.

[BlizzardNole]

Thanks for the tip Mona -- we have a Shoppers in Germantown. I'm going to hit that, then go by a nearby park that Denise told me may have good milkweed.

A friend in Damascus has a dozen beautiful, untouched tropical milkweeds that I gave him back in May. He has not gotten any eggs/cats, so his plants are huge. He stopped by and I gave him a dozen large cats that were demolishing several little plants I have. They're gonna be happy on his lush MWs.

I also have him excited about raising monarchs next year. He's harvested hundreds of seeds and is going to use part of his screened porch for rearing.

[Mona Miller]

You gotta bring the kids to the Monarch Fiesta. It is so much fun. I'm raising some Monarchs for that fiesta. Mine are going through their cycles so fast. I guess it is the heat. Hotter it is the faster they eat.

[BlizzardNole]

I got the pumpkin, but I also found the motherload of fresh milkweed! Denise at Black Hill told me to check out this big field where they let people fly model airplanes. They mow it once in mid summer so there is lots of newer 2-3 foot MWs with tender leaves. I am SET now! Thanks for your help in getting in touch with Denise.

I have 16 monarchs that hatched yesterday, and a bunch more hatching this morning. They'll have to spend the day with this weather.

Oh, and look for your monarchs to slow down next week -- BIG Canadian airmass coming down...we might not get out of the 60s on Monday, and have highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s all week. Hello Fall.

[Mona Miller]

Great new!!

That's the way things go. Indian Summer and then before you know it Fall is here. Weather getting colder. I still have two hummers and loads of butterflies of all kinds in all stages. I think I have some moths in my River Birch, I am seeing frass on the ground. I did find a Polyphemus caterpillar that was being attacked by wasp on the ground.