2008 Tagging Kits

We are now accepting orders for the 2008 Monarch Watch Tagging Kits. As most longtime taggers know, we have a limited number of monarch tags created each year and demand always exceeds the supply. If you would like to participate in the 2008 season tagging this fall, please place your order for tags as soon as possible so that you don’t miss out. The tags will be mailed out via USPS 1st Class Mail beginning August 1, 2008 – in plenty of time for the migration in your area.

Monarch Tagging Kits are only shipped to areas east of the Rocky Mountains.

As usual, each tagging kit includes a set of specially manufactured monarch butterfly tags (you specify quantity), a datasheet, tagging instructions, and additional monarch/migration information. Standard Tagging Kits for the 2008 season start at only $15 and include your choice of 25, 50, 100, 200, 300, or 500 tags. Sets of 20 Mini Tagging Kits (5 tags each) are available for $40 – for Nature Center programs, etc. that would like to distribute a small number of tags to participants.

Tagging Kits and other materials are available via the Monarch Watch Shop online at Shop.MonarchWatch.org

Please keep in mind that our monarch tags are designed to be used only during the season for which they are purchased. We ask that you return any unused tags with your datasheet(s) at the end of the season so that they may be taken out of circulation.

In addition to making things easier for us as far as recordkeeping is concerned, we have been advised by the manufacturer that the adhesive has a shelf life of approximately one year (once it is bonded to the polypropylene tag). Therefore, if old tags are used the chance that they will fail at some point during the monarch’s long journey to Mexico is greatly increased – resulting in lost data. For an account (including a photo) that illustrates this, please see our 2004 “Off to Mexico” Blog, specifically the March 6th entry.

Please don’t wait until the last minute to order your tags – wasn’t “I will not procrastinate” one of your New Year’s resolutions? 😀