One more butterfly out there

Well, my wild monarch caterpillar hatched yesterday morning while I was watering. I came back to find the cap. Winds had come up, so I moved the lil’ one to a more protected spot for the last bit.

Nature waits for no one, but I’m always happy to find an empty spot over a black chrysalis because - it made it, wohoo!

I hope to hatch at least 3 rounds next summer, in addition to our wild friends. I try for one when the milkweed is knee high, next round 2 weeks later & if I can afford a 3rd - late July.

It’s always fun to order the caterpillars & nematodes. Especially if the normal delivery folks are out - backup delivery are often - uh, here’s your live bugs? 😀

One of the most amazing things about Monarch butterfly biology is their exponential seasonal abilities. I.E. - one good season can change the metrics if the first few rounds do well & keep laying eggs - and then a WHOLE bunch more can set off south.

And since I missed this one, here’s a few photos from last season. The caterpillars like my window screen hail protection, and these were hatched on my milkweed nursery stock for fall planting 2024 on a rolling cart, so I could slide them into the barn in really bad weather.

If / when hatching on in-ground plants, they like to be placed & curl to hatch where there’s a little shade in the day.

When they crawl out, they like to just wander around, happy to climb all over your hands (if you know you may handle - no bug spray on your hands), just excited to try & stretch those wings out before they flutter off to chase the sunshine.

Newly hatched are easier to spot off of their behavior. The first day or two, they explore but don’t get after the nectar as much, so you’ll see a lot of movement activity but it’s less direct-to-nectar, more learning to float.

Which leads me to… the butterfly song.

Everybody knows the old camptown races melody right?

Verse 1:

Oh I wish I was a butterfly,

Floating on the breeze,

Drinking all the nectar,

Chasing all the bees.

Happy Tuesday - maybe our last stretch of highs over 80. Hope everyone gets some sunshine.