Monarch Butterfly Nursery

Monarch Caterpillar in my yard. 

On July 6, 2012, I posted a blog on the subject of  'Bring Back the Monarch Campaign".  I have planted Asclepias incarnata, Swamp Milk Weed in my yard just for the Monarchs. I saw several Monarch Butterflies land on the plant with the expectation of one to be a female laying eggs. I was rewarded last week with this fellow crawling around the leaves and voraciously eating them.

My neighbor has a huge patch of Milk Weed and actually raises several caterpillars to the butterfly stage, so I asked her what was her secret to having a successful Monarch Butterfly Nursery. She gave me a netted cage and instructed me to put the caterpillar in, keep it well supplied with misted Swamp Milkweed leaves and leave the rest to the caterpillar.

I followed her instructions. I could not believe how much that caterpillar could eat. 7, 8, 10 leaves a day and night. (Always slightly misted). Sunday, August 5th in the late, too dark to take pictures without a flash, late, the caterpillar went into its next stage. It was hanging upside down from the top of the carrier in the "J" position. I would not use a flash, I was afraid of disturbing the now transitioning caterpillar. My neighbor said by morning it would be a chrysalis. She and her family have actually witnessed the making of the chrysalis. The green gooey stuff the caterpillar surrounds itself with to make the chrysalis.

I couldn't wait until morning. I was not disappointed. The chrysalis was hanging where the caterpillar was the night before. . . and it is quite compact.

The treasured chrysalis !

I have learned it will take about two weeks for the transformation. I can hardly wait. I will share the pictures of the butterfly this caterpillar will evolve into.

Newly found caterpillar

Caterpillar Nursery

Today, August 10, 2012, I was out walking around after all the much needed rain we received, and found another Caterpillar on the Milk Weed. It is now in a nursery carrier, being fed leaves and on to becoming a butterfly.



If you would like to experience this amazing transformation, plant some Milk Weed. Be a part of the Monarch Recovery Program. You have nothing to loose and everything to gain by witnessing one of nature's truly amazing transformations.