Raising Book Resources
Raising Hope for the 2021 Monarch Migration- Raise The Migration Results
Raise The Migration is an annual North American challenge to raise monarch butterflies to release for fall’s annual monarch migration. The time has come to share your 2021 experience and raise it forward…
The raising season is coming to an end, so we’d love to hear how many butterflies you released for fall’s annual 2021 monarch migration…and more importantly, what lessons you’ve learned through this amazing raising experience?
If you’ve still got some raising to do, raise on! But please post in the comment box at the bottom of this page after you’ve released your last butterfly.
Every year, I start Raise The Migration in July, but monarchs raised at that time aren’t actually migration generation butterflies…they’re the parents to that amazing generation of travelers.
There’s no way to tell whether butterflies will mate or migrate, but one telltale sign of a migration generation butterfly is its size, which is dependent on how much the caterpillar eats. The first super-sized caterpillars start to form chrysalides around the first week of September in our northern region…
In the garden, you can tell non-migratory butterflies by their worn out wings. Non-migratory males are also more aggressive, chasing off potential competition while seeking out female companionship…migratory monarchs are in sexual diapause and only interested in stocking up on nectar for the long journey ahead.
So how did our Raise The Migration Monarchs fare this season and what lessons did we learn raising forward?
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If you’re interested in a step-by-step guide digital guide with free updates (before each monarch season begins in spring) please check out the monarch raising guide by clicking this butterfly photo:
For anyone who purchases the guide (or any other item) from Monarch Butterfly Life, you will be invited to our closed facebook group where you can discuss raising monarchs with other raisers and post your photos.
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Here are Raise the Migration results from the past eight seasons:
2020- 82% survival rate
2019- 81% survival rate
2018- 93% survival rate
2017- 100% survival rate
2016- 96% survial rate
2015- 96% survival rate
2014- 90% survival rate
2013- 100% survival rate
As you can see from the results, this raising system is consistently producing healthy monarchs to help support the struggling monarch population.
Raise The Migration 2021 Results
I released 15 healthy monarchs (14 females and 1 male) from July 29th to August 16th with a 100% survival rate. I am fairly certain all of these butterflies were parents to the migration generation.
The seven monarchs we raised after that, were counted as our official Raise The Migration monarchs for 2021...
Caterpillar Escapes
By keeping monarch eggs and baby caterpillars in sealed food containers, and raising larger caterpillars in the mesh cages, we never lose caterpillars.
I think the closest we have come was two years ago when I forgot to close a cage door and found a caterpillar crawling on top of the cage. 🐛 😱
Unexplained Caterpillar Deaths
We didn't have any unexplained monarch deaths in 2021.
Caterpillar Diseases and Parasites?
I'm happy to report no disease issues in 2021. All of our raise the migration participants were brought in as eggs so no issues with tachinid flies...a couple eggs were parasitized by trichogramma wasps, and we discarded those eggs when they darkened and never hatched.
Accidental Deaths?
We experienced one accidental (and completely preventable) accidental death. See the Butterfly Eclosure section below for more details...
Chrysalis Problems
No chrysalis issues to report in 2021...
Community member Jude R. recently used the microfiber method to rehang one of her fallen chrysalides:
Jude reports: There was zero silk and I wasn't sure what to do. Your tip worked and just in time. I was a little worried the bfly's feet would get stuck in the microfiber, but it had zero problems.
Butterfly Eclosures
We had one eclosure disaster this year. An early morning butterfly (emerged from chrysalis before 7am) fell from our kitchen overhang on to the floor.
She lost a lot of fluids from her abdomen when this happened. Her wings recovered 'somewhat' when I hung her from inside a mesh cage, but she was injured badly from the fall on to the wood floor, which is about a 7 foot drop.
Starting in 2022, we will no longer rehang chrysalides on our overhang. It's much safer to rehang them inside the cage where they can crawl up a mesh wall after falling a much shorter distance.
Final Results
Our totals are from all eggs that have successfully hatched. We don't count eggs that were parasitized outside or monarchs brought in as caterpillars because they could have parasites too.
Seven monarch butterflies emerged from their chrysalides between August 29th and October 5th:
1 accidental death (butterfly fall)
0 disease or parasite issues
0 unexplained deaths
4 healthy males
2 healthy females
86% survival rate
Lessons Learned?
Chrysalides should always be kept in a cage or somewhere where the butterfly has a chance to climb to safety if it falls after it emerges. In my experience butterflies rarely fall, but it can happen.
Migration Memory 2021
I came across these mating monarchs in our Minnesota garden on September 19th when it was an unseasonable 90°:
Before 2021, I had never seen mating past the first week of September in our region.
I hope you enjoyed reading about my Raise The Migration '21 results and lessons learned raising monarchs through the butterfly life cycle .
And now, I'd love to hear about your experience...
Share Your Results?! ✍️
Please share your results below by letting us know how many monarchs you released to help boost the struggling monarch population…remember to include your location.
More importantly, please share the most valuable lesson(s) you learned about raising monarch butterflies, that you believe can help others raising forward.
Thank you for helping to Raise the Migration in 2021
338 comments
I had 14 cats. The smallest one passed the day after I received it. The rest all did as they should and I ended up with nine males and 4 females. One attached its chrysalis to the floral rack and I removed the middle shelf and it eclosed with no trouble. It was my last one. This year went so well that I plan on raising more next year. Such fun taking care of and watching them grow and letting them go. My friends enjoyed the pictures I posted throughout the process.
this was my first season raising Monarchs I have succesfully raised and released 18 so far I have one left in cryalist sorry to say I had 2 with deformed wings was feeding red gator aid. so my release total will be 19. of the last 8 to release 5 were males. Looking forward to 2022 season.
Hi, Tony and RTM Group !! I’ve had a pretty good year this Season, since Jan. 2,‘21. Here in So Cal (Fallbrook, in SD County)I had “residents” or late/early ? Migrators in a warmer par of January. I cut my plants back, but perhaps not enough, and 1 or 2 neighbors have MW outside all the time, in our mobilehome Park. I prefer to help my Monarchs in the great “Nursery Net” cubes or Towers, to protect them a little more from Tflies, lizards, birds, etc. Unfortunately, Tflies must be in the soil (even good organic garden potting soil !) They are a menace, even if they’re a natural part of the environment. Then, there are the orange oleander aphids, which must also reside in soil, too, then try to cover my plants. I spray w/ the recommended mixture of dish soap or Dr. Bronner’s Soap, water and white vinegar. The Struggle is Real, y’all ! ;) Last year, (this is my 5th Season of being a “Godmother of Monarchs”, I successfully raised about 225. This year, I only have had 175 to date, evenly split between both sexes…88 Males and 87 Females , making a total of 175. Due to Tflies and either OE or ??, I probably lost about 20… :( I’m still learning not o make careless, “newbie” mistakes, too….harming a chrysalis by dropping it, or if the crimaster broke (microfiber squares pinned to top of Net Nursery are a Miracle !), but Clumsy Me has caused occasional, accidental harm…I separate Munchers and Chrysalides, Tinies from Mega-Munchers, and never overcrowd my plants. I got better at NOT handling very Tinies…use a leafto have them crawl on, then carefully transfer them to a larger plant with fresh leaves !! I must be Very careful when moving my potted plants….J-hookers on the rim of a pot, or on the sides, or even a finished Chrysalis, have all been accidentally damaged/killed by haste and clumsiness.. :( In 5 yrs, though, I’ve learned and improved a lot ! Started sprouting MW seeds at home…. taking up most of the dining table at some times..), and the Tropicals seem to grow/thrive the best. But they take Forever to grow from seed to edible size. Ones I started in Feb-March are now only about a foot tall, and I don’t serve them up to Munchers unless in a MW Emergency. Half of my Homegrowns have croaked, though, whether Trop or Native. Not sure how to keep 2 big Common MW plants alive over the winter…do I sink them in the ground, cut back and mulch soon ? They’re still in pots. My 2 tall Hairy Balls/Balloon?Gompho? just didn’t make it to seeding, but a few eggs and hatchlings thrived on it. I’m going to start more new seeds soon, indoors, in a cute little plastic-covered, zipper-doored greenhouse w/4 shelves, to go by my big window w/best sun ! Plus another greenhouse outdoors, until too cold ! Okay…that’s all I can pass on from this pretty Good 5th Year of being a Godmother of Monarchs !! * I also highly recommend watch a great film, “Son of Monarchs” which will premiere on HBOMAX on Oct 15 or 22nd !!!I followed it’s creation/story onInstagram in 2019, and itwas world-premiered in Feb, 2020, in theonline SundanceFilm Festival ! It’s a great movie for all who love the Monarchs !!! Enjoy !! Bless you, Tony, for being the Best Monarch and Butterfly Guru and all-around Helper in so many ways !! I couldn’t have ventured into doing this w/o your expert knowledge, articles, supplies, and Spirit !! WooHoo from still-sunny SoCal ! Still have 3 chrysalides “sleeping”, and found 2 medium-sized Munchers today, 3 or 4 eggs, had a Male “Blossom” today, and saw another Happy Couple ( ; ) on their Mating flight today !! My Season isn’t quite done yet !! :) xoxo \xo/
I live in West St. Louis County MO. Most years I raise about 30 monarchs. This year, due to having major surgery, I had to curtail my raising efforts. I raised 6 healthy males in my baby cube and had to leave close to 20 cats outside on the milkweed. I watched the outside cats grow big and fat, yet only found a few chrysalaides.
I have milkweed of several varieties growing well. Last year (2020) I finally raised my first monarchs. I had at least two caterpillars make it all the way to butterflies, and there were no deaths. But this year while I saw monarchs in the area I saw none on my milkweed. I had plenty of black swallowtails (I always do) so I raise them. A friend who lives only about 2-3 miles from me always has many monarchs and almost no swallowtails. I don’t know why! I grow many native flowers and some non-native but I don’t seems to interest anything but swallowtails, not that I mind. But I want to help the monarchs.
Does anyone have any ideas for me?