2021: ~ 50 Butterflies Released
Sharing the journey of monarch butterflies from egg to release with my daughter
In Spring 2020 I planted several native, Narrow Leaf Milkweed plants. That spring and summer, the plants were too small and weak to host any caterpillars. So I kept the plants hidden amongst vegetables in the garden to dissuade butterflies from finding them and laying eggs. In spring 2021, those three plants sprang up with great vigor and spread into eight clumps of plants.
In mid-spring, we would watch the monarch butterflies visit the plants for egg dumps — one plant might get visited a dozen times over two days. I was slightly worried that there would be more voracious caterpillars than the plants could support. Daily, we searched the plants for tiny caterpillars and watched as they ate the leaves. A day or two later, they were gone. Weeks earlier, a neighbor had released lady bugs in his yard. By the time the caterpillars were hatching, the plants were well patrolled by lady bugs, ants and spiders; leaving little chance for any caterpillar to grow.
Realizing the caterpillars would not survive without assistance, I brought the little ones indoors. Of that first generation of butterflies, we raised and released three. By the time the third generation arrived, we had butterfly cages with upwards of fifteen caterpillars. At one point, we gave away half a dozen, that were ready to cocoon, with milkweed to families with kids. This allowed them the opportunity to watch them cocoon and later release butterflies.
Between April and October, we released close to 50 monarch butterflies. The milkweed has been slowly dying back in October and November, but we keep finding occasional caterpillars. By the end of summer, the plants were no longer as heavily patrolled by lady bugs, ants and spiders, and at least four caterpillars were able to survive to the cocoon stage outdoors.
I hope you enjoy the pictures from this year's butterflies,
Keith
November 10, 2021
