Raising Hope for the 2021 Monarch Migration- Raise The Migration Results

338 comments

• This is my first year raising monarchs in Central Minnesota. I collected native milkweed seeds (swamp and common) and planted them in the fall of 2020. I did not see germination of seeds until I started watering the gardens. Some of those seeds didn’t even germinate until last week of Aug when we got 4 inches of rain. I do not expect those seedlings to survive the harsh winter. I collected my first eggs on May 25. Following Tony’s guidelines, I decided to keep small numbers. My total number of successful releases from eggs collected on wild milkweed was nine healthy monarchs in June through 23August. Since I was going to be gone for 10 days in the middle of August, and leaving Mn in early Sept, I didn’t collect any eggs after end of July. The eggs that I saw early July on milkweed I planted only had a 1 out of 8 survival rate. I brought in four of the eggs, but that’s when we had a week of 95°+ weather and only one of the new hatchlings survived. I wasn’t there to witness their hatching and realize I should have asked my husband to mist the cages when it was 97°F! I saw at least a dozen more eggs on milkweed on my property at end of July but I did not collect; there was evidence of nibbling on the milkweed, but I never found caterpillars. I am in a wooded area with lots of birds, spiders, wasps, and other predators! I have been looking, I have not seen any more eggs since early August. I have seen monarchs come visit my nectar flowers, but not lay eggs. I may try collecting more eggs next year. After raising Monarchs in California for five years and releasing 100+ each year, I am now applying for my CA wilderness species collection permit to “legally” raise monarchs in CA this fall. Thanks to Tony, I keep separate raising equipment in Minnesota and California now. Eastern and Western monarchs must be kept separate.

  Jennifer on September 02, 2021

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• Here in Florida, our first year raising butterflies, I tried monarchs, orange barred sulfurs and swallowtails. We had our beautiful successes and a few stressful failures, but I’ve learned so much from the experiences. This very morning, I was amazed to see an Eastern Black Swallowtail eclose after 29 days! The others had all emerged after 10-14 days, so I had almost given up on the two chrysalides that remained. So glad I didn’t! Losing a monarch chrysalis after wasp larva emerged from her was the worst. Watching my munchers chomp away at their host food was the best! Thank you for your valuable, informative newsletter updates.

  Robin Underwood on September 02, 2021

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• This is my 4th year raising monarchs and black swallowtails mostly from eggs, I also bring in cats that I keep separately. I have plenty of different kinds of milkweed, dill, parsley, rue etc as host plants and also many plants to attract several kinds of butterflies and other pollinators. I release about 400 butterflies from late June to the end of September, every year and give away couple hundred as well in different stages. Needles to say I don’t use chemicals in the garden.
  Today I was totally devastated, I came home to find out that my property was sprayed for mosquitoes by accident, instead of a neighbors. When I called the company, they apologized and said they only used Rosemary and Lemmon grass oil which should not harm the butterflies. My black swallowtail caterpillars are dead, monarchs are sluggish. I am not sure if chrysalides will be affected, they were all in my patio. I am not using any milkweed from my garden since the accident today.
  It just breaks my heart that company insists what they used is “safe” when I have the dead caterpillars. Also today is the first day I did not see any butterflies on a beautiful sunny day.
  I just don’t know , if I can use my milkweed if I wash them, which I normally do, to feed my remaining caterpillars that happened to be inside. I would appreciate and love to have some advice from the experts out there.
  Many thanks!

  Aysen Riza on September 02, 2021

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• After successfully raising Monarchs for 25 years, this year was a disaster. Although I only took in eggs, almost 40% of our chrysalises/newly hatched butterflies died of OE. Although I was able to obtain some fresh milkweed plants from Joyful Butterfly late in the season, those have not yielded any eggs. The few black swallowtails we had were compromised by wasps, which burrowed out of the chrysalises. Very discouraging.

  Karen Mansfield on September 02, 2021

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• I did not plan to get into the monarch business, but a monarch kept visiting my milkweed plant and soon it was crawling with caterpillars. I ordered a cage and the necessary accoutrements which will be here Tuesday. I had planned to capture a few caterpillars and let my grandchildren watch as they became butterflies. Yesterday morning I counted 25 caterpillars on the milkweed plant. Yesterday afternoon I found a nasty red wasp on a dead caterpillar and another one’s head on a leaf. I had no idea that wasps were a threat, but it does make sense. The wasp must have told his buddies because several of them were snooping around the milkweed looking for more victims. I threw together a makeshift habitat out of a large plastic storage box, some screen, and gorilla tape. I gathered up all the caterpillars I could find and put them inside with some cuttings. Today, so far so good. I found a few more on the plant and put them inside as well. I know I lost at least three yesterday, maybe more. I hope I can save most of the ones I have captured. Keep your fingers crossed. I live in northeast Texas and I think these will be ones to make the migration.

  Carol Brady on September 02, 2021