Raising Book Resources
Raising Hope for the 2020 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 2020 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 2020 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 early August, but monarchs raised at that time aren’t actually migration generation butterflies…they’re actually 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 seven seasons:
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 2020 Results
I am counting our 2020 migration generation as all butterflies that eclosed September 1st and after.
Caterpillar Escapes
Since using food container hatcheries for eggs and baby caterpillars, this has helped us to easily keep track of the wee cats until they can be placed in the larger mesh cages. We have not lost a caterpillar for years...
Unexplained Caterpillar Deaths
None to report in 2020
Caterpillar Diseases and Parasites?
There were no caterpillar disease issues to report in 2020. Check out a pre and post molt of one caterpillar graduating from instar 3 to instar 4:
Accidental Deaths?
There have been two accidental deaths this year...seems fitting for 2020. 🙃
1. This was an odd fluke that happened in an egg hatchery. There was one container with two eggs that looked like they might have fungus issues from the leaves I found them on.
After monitoring, I thought one of the eggs had succumbed to a rust-like fungus that was growing around it. Little did I know, the caterpillar had hatched and crawled under the paper towel that lined the hatchery....there was even a fresh milkweed leaf under the fungusy leaf piece.
This has never happened before so I was shocked to find the dead baby cat as I cleared out the hatchery.
2. On a cold morning in the 3-season porch (low was 40° F), I picked up the floral tube/racks (with milkweed and caterpillars) and walked it into the kitchen without using the boot tray. Two of the cold, lethargic caterpillars fell to the floor. I rescued one...and stepped on the other. 😔
Chrysalis Problems
Chrysalis formation was perfect this season. I conducted 6 removing/rehanging experiments this year: 3 chrysalides hung up with pins, 2 hung up on a microfiber cloth, and 1 taped to the floor:
All 6 butterflies eclosed with no issues and the butterflies were released to join the 2020 monarch migration. The last male emerged Sunday October 11th, and was released on Monday October 12th:
Butterfly Eclosures
All butterflies emerged from their monarch chrysalises without issue.
Final Results
2 accidental deaths
0 disease or parasite issues
0 unexplained death
4 healthy males
5 healthy females
82% survival rate
Lessons Learned?
Of the two caterpillar accidents that occurred this season, one was a fluke that will likely never happen again.
However, the 'stepping' accident could have been easily avoided if I would have just followed my own advice for caterpillar safety. If moving caterpillars outside of the cage, place them on a boot tray so they will never fall on the floor.
I also learned that keeping chrysalides in the 3 season porch at night (during the fall) is a bad idea for our northern region. Cool night time temps slowed down metamorphosis by at least a week, meaning the excellent window I had to release butterflies in warm weather, quickly shrunk to just a few days.
The chrysalises get plenty of exposure to natural lighting and temperatures during the day through open windows. If these monarchs would have been left to fend for themselves outside, their wintry fate would have been sealed...🥶
Also, my preferred way of rehanging chrysalides is pinning the silk to the top of the cage. Really though, all 3 methods work well, so do what you're most comfortable with when you need to rehang a chrysalis.
August 2020 Migration Memory
And now, here’s the part I’m most excited about…hearing about all the valuable lessons you learned raising monarchs over the past few weeks!
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 2020
348 comments
I am from Bucks County Pennsylvania..This year we have raised and released 320 Monarchs.
Almost all were started as eggs. This year I kept the caterpillars outside (after they hatched) until enclosure. We had 3 that enclosed that were not able to fly and approximately 5-6 catipiller deaths..which I could not find a real reason for.
These were not counted as they didn’t get released.
NO T-fly deaths…this year which was a big improvement..as I harvested only eggs.
Hello. Fargo, ND here. This is my 3rd year raising monarchs. I went from releasing 2 my first year, 22 my second year, and this year I released 166. There were 91 females and 75 males. I grew balloon milkweed for the first time this year and it was crazy successful! I will definitely grow it again. The monarchs loved laying eggs on it.
I live in York PA. I have been raising Monarchs for about 4 years. It was a difficult year due to the weather and my milkweed plants. The plants did not flourish as they have done in the past. I released my last butterfly on Sept 13. I had a total of 31 monarchs. I was still seeing Monarchs in the garden as of last weekend.
Monarch (M) Raising: Lessons Learned 2020
Houston, Texas
1st year raising
1. Milkweed (MW): Most important is raising healthy MW plants. I originally planted 10 tropical (Asclepias Curavassica) MW in the garden and found that that was not enough to raise even the first 6 caterpillars. Bought 10 more plants at nursery and transplanted them to 6” clay pots and placed clay pots around the garden in different sunny locations. Plants thrived with lots of water and fertilizer. Then I found 30 M eggs and small cats on my plants. Not enough MW. Bought 40 more plants. Clay pots too expensive. Found 1 gallon canvas/felt pots on Amazon for approximately $1/pot. Next I found 80+ M eggs and small cats. Yes, I brought them in and raised them. Last two cycles, I found 30+ each M eggs and cats, last of which I am still raising (Oct.16). There are more eggs and small cats outside, but I am no longer looking for them. Learning: in Southeast Texas the number of eggs will exceed the capability of MW and human energy to support all M caterpillars to adult butterfly stage. Must streamline raising process and control my mothering instinct.
2. Pests: Very important to periodically remove aphids, scale, mold or mildew, lacewing eggs, swamp MW beetles & eggs from MW plants. Collectively these pests destroy MW. Approximately every 2 weeks I pick up and examine each potted MW plant and remove pests. Prefer using small artist oil brush dipped in alcohol to remove aphids and loosen scale; then rinse plants (upside down in bucket of water—or spray bottle if light infestation). After washing, I can bring entire potted plant indoors to serve to M cats. Then I can cut back remaining stems to 6-8” and put plant back outside to grow more leaves for next batch of cats. Much easier to find eggs on plants if I can pick pots up and examine underside of leaves. No waste from cats not completely eating cut leaves or stems in tubes (although I DO still cut individual leaves if I only find 1-2 eggs on a plant). If lots of eggs, I bring entire plant indoors. Minimizes human touching of cats, which is a source of accidental injury. Wasps, yellow jackets, assassin bugs and flies, mantises, lady bugs, spiders, birds, frogs, snakes, opossums, OE, etc., we have SO MANY PESTS in southeast Texas that almost NO eggs will make it to adult butterflies without intervention.
3. Statistics: Did not keep statistics this first year but estimate a 90% success rate. Out of approximately 175 eggs and small cats, I lost 4 or so to OE, 3 to tachinid fly, 4 to accidental injury and 4 to unknown causes. Will keep more specific stats next year.
4. Miscellaneous: I found it easier not to use the net cage for baby cats. I set their plants on white plastic garbage bags on my kitchen island; with bright light I could easily see the underside of leaves and watch for any problems with the small cats. The white bags let me easily see when I needed to empty their tiny frass into trash or rescue any fallen babies. I transferred plants with large juvenile cats into tall mesh cage before they began to roam and let them form chrysalides on cage roof. By using two cages in tandem, I avoided feeding juvenile cats under eclosing chrysalides.
I just paid attention to a garden club member comment the end of September when I told her I had caterpillars in my parsley— she told me to be careful and not do fall clean up in the area… I found a caterpillar on the base of my rose bush which is now a hibernating Swallowtail…. but the other joy I found was during my fall clean up I was inspecting what I was cutting and discovered the most beautiful piece of artwork of nature that was the first crystalis I have ever seen before of a soon to be monarch butterfly. I moved the peony branch it found as its home from the backyard to a bench next to our patio door on the east side that would receive the morning sun and be shielded by the north wind in the far back. I was not sure when this all happened so guessing it would be two weeks that my butterfly would come out. This week starting October 12 you could see the color of the piece of jewelry was starting to fade… and then we could see the color of the wings and knew soon this baby would be coming out… I had to go to the office and left instructions with my husband to watch it and call me immediately so I could come home to see our butterfly warm up before migrating south. October 15, 2020 at noon this beautiful monarch escaped it tiny home into a large butterfly. We were disappointed not being able to watch it come out but to see nature sitting there next to a clear piece is skin was just overwhelming! We do not raise butterflies like you all do but experiencing our first by accident brought self satisfaction knowing our gardens full of nectar will continue to bring more monarchs and Swallowtails and dragon flies and damsals to our yard for pure entertainment and awe.