Is Your Caterpillar Cage Killing Monarch Butterflies?

Over the past 40 years raising monarch butterflies, I’ve tried many different cages to help guide them along from tiny monarch egg to mighty monarch butterfly.

While many cage options are somewhat effective, the majority leave the door open for the unnecessary hardship of losing your monarch butterflies before their time. Poorly designed cages are the catalyst for escapes, predation, and disease outbreaks which could ultimately kill your caterpillars or cripple your butterflies.

While fancy DIY cages may be more visually appealing, they can contribute to monarch disease/death in the following ways:

• Difficult to clean up poop properly, which could lead to disease outbreaks
• Mesh enclosures with large holes (like laundry hampers) are not designed for Houdini-like caterpillar escapes
• Many raise caterpillars and butterflies together inside these cages. OE disease spores fall off the butterflies’ wings and down to the caterpillars’ milkweed, spreading the deadly parasites to the next generation.

Which Caterpillar Cage Ideas Minimize Monarch Loss?

There are basically two types of caterpillar cages I use for rearing monarch butterflies. By using these cages, we never lose monarchs…or lose them to disease!

1. Plastic Food Storage Container for Monarch Eggs

Smart Start

Line the bottom of the container with a paper towel and place leaf pieces with eggs inside. Spray the leaves lightly w/ water every other day. Secure the lid. No air holes are necessary, as checking on eggs daily provides more than enough oxygen.

Do not place these in direct ☀️.

Food storage containers are a fantastic hatchery and milkweed stays fresh in this humid climate.

We use 16” x 11” x 3.5”h containers to hold up to 10 monarch eggs and wee cats.

Make sure you spread out the eggs to protect them from wandering, hungry baby caterpillars…

You can find a wide assortment of food storage containers at most big box stores or look for large food container hatchery options here:

Food Storage Containers for Hatching Eggs and Baby Caterpillars

After the baby monarch caterpillars emerge, I place the a small caterpillar-occupied leaf piece on a fresh large milkweed leaf or cutting, and place it inside one of the next habitat cages, where there is better air flow…

If you are able to bring in monarch eggs on stem cuttings, you can forgo the food containers and place the cuttings in a larger mesh cage:

How to Use Stem Cuttings for Monarch Eggs

The following are our preferred raising cages for a few reasons…

2. Mesh Pop-up Butterfly Cages

Mesh for Good Air Flow: Choose Clear Plastic Window OR Clear Mesh

• Breathable polyester mesh cage keeps air flowing and humidity levels down for healthy caterpillar growth
• Clean cage without disturbing chrysalises like in a top-opening caterpillar cage or aquarium
• Secure Butterfly Habitat: small caterpillars can’t escape tiny mesh holes
• Choose cage with clear vinyl window or 4-sided Clear Mesh to easily see monarchs
• Mesh sides can receive direct sun without ‘cooking’ the caterpillars
• No dangerous nooks and crannys like laundry hamper pop-ups
• Room for floral tubes to keep host plants fresh for monarch caterpillar stage
• Use a separate cage to release butterflies or keep during inclement weather
• Use a 5% bleach solution to clean caterpillar cage between batches
• rinse out, then sun dry
• fold your popup cage for easy storage

Buy a Baby Cube Cage 15″ x 15″ x 15″ to Raise Monarchs on Stem Cuttings or Individual Leaves  (raise up to 10 monarchs)

Buy a TALL baby Cube Cage 15″ x 15″ x 24″ to Raise Monarchs on Stem Cuttings or Small Potted Plants  (raise up to 10 monarchs)

Buy a BIG Cube Cage 24″ x 24″ x 24″ to Raise Monarch Caterpillars on Stem Cuttings or Small Potted Plants  (raise up to 20 monarchs)

Buy a Monarch TOWER Cage 24″ x 24″ x 36″ to Raise Monarchs on Stem Cuttings or Large Potted Plants  (raise up to 20 monarchs)

Using these monarch butterfly cages, my survival rate is consistently over 95% and I never have issues losing caterpillars to daring escapes or deadly disease. 💀

These cages should help make your raising efforts more successful too!

Learn more about raising caterpillars to butterflies in Bring Home the Butterflies 2:

Raise MORE Monarchs, with LESS effort, and AT LEAST a 90% Survival Rate