Congrats, congrats, Sandy!
Two fennel plants returned for me this year, plus I have mock bishop's weed and rue, but no black swallowtail cats.
I KNOW you'll enjoy raising them - it's great that so many people know who to give their caterpillars to - YOU! :)
Sherry

Yay Sandy! I'll start checking mine more closely now. I've been glancing that direction and hadn't seen anything yet.

Lisa

Lisa, did you see Debra's post on the OK Gardening forum that she saw a BST at Horn's the other day? They're here, but I don't have any eggs yet either.

Congrats, Sandy! You certainly work hard enough and deserve to have those BSTs for sure!

Susan

Woohoo, new babies to raise! Congrats, Sandy.

And I didn't know you sell at the local farmers market. What fun that must be! It's so nice to know the other sellers will contact you when they need humoms for baby cats. Enjoy your new babies.

Mary

Thanks, all. Yes, Mary, I'm a glutton for punishment! I sell butterfly plants locally as there isn't a source here. Today I helped two teachers pick out plants for a Monarch Way Station Garden. They got a grant. Last year, I bailed them out when they ordered caterpillars and didn't have food for them! I so enjoy the people I meet at the Farmer's Mkt. And, I enjoy the wonder on the kids' faces when I bring in different eggs and caterpillars for them to see.

I retired from teaching 4 years ago, so this keeps me out of trouble!

Sandy

Good for you!
Still waiting for BSTs here. Sigh.

My fennel is just starting to come up. My parsley is well on its way. C'mon BSTs. I'm waiting. I had 3 BST who overwintered outside in a protected metal locker. They've all eclosed and are out into the world.

ohhhhhh, I am so excited.....

Does a BST egg look like a little yellow speck? I've been watching my fennel and today I saw these little yellow specks mostly on the ends of my bronze fennel. There are not a lot yet, but I think they are eggs :)

Lisa

Yes, Lisa!!!!!! You've got eggs!

Sandy

YAY!!!! My very own babies!!!

Thanks Sandy....

You know there will be pics coming :)

Lisa

I went to check on my babies and they were all gone :( I hope they hatched, but I didn't see much proof that they had. I found a little bit of something that could have been caterpillar skin, but it was so microscopic I couldn't tell for sure. I tried to take a pic, so I could blow it up, but it didn't really show.

I did get a fairly nice pic of what I think must be a cabbage white. :)

Lisa

Help Please, something is going wrong!
I've raised caterpillars for years, usually bringing eggs inside prior to caterpillar emerging & then releasing the butterflies. I've had the same fennel plants for years. It has been a joyful & miraculous experience, but THIS YEAR my caterpillars are DYING.... the plants are free of insecticide and there is nothing that I've done differently. The caterpillars start out seemingly fine, but are only living 4 or 5 days.
Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you.

mgrm,

I am so sorry you are having problems with your Black Swallowtail caterpillars. My first thought is to replace the food. If you have an organic store near you, purchase some parsley. If not, go to grocery store. They prefer the curly leafed parsley, but if you can't find any, flat leaf will work. Wash thoroughly and let dry naturally. If your caterpillars survive on the new food, then you will know something has happened to the fennel. Could be your fennel has picked up a soil-borne virus that it is transmitting to the caterpillars. Are they turning black before they die? Black death can be devastating. And if your caterpillars continue to die on the new food source, maybe the female that laid the eggs was unhealthy.

Keep trying! I've had this happen before and subsequent broods have made it.

Sandy

Sandy,
Thank you for your input! Hadn't thought of a soil-borne virus;fennel plants look fine so far, but that's a thought. I will try the parsley. I have some growing in another part of my yard, in a raised herb bed, so even if the fennel has some virus the parsley should be fine. Have you ever switched a caterpillar onto parsley diet?

My caterpillars are not turning black, they seem fine the first couple of days and then just stop eating & growing. They just die:-(

I haven't even seen a swallowtail in my yard recently, but we've had lots of rain. As soon as I can find new eggs I will try again. It one of the things I most look forward to in the summer.

Any other thoughts are welcome!

I'd try the parsley. I've fed the swallowtails varied diets. I find parsley provides a more substantial diet for the caterpillars than the fennel, allowing them to grow faster. And they will easily make the switch.

Good Luck!

Sandy

Thank you Sandy & KC. Now I'm hoping to find eggs & try again! It's good to know you have had similar experiences & then subsequent broods have done well. This has been so strange... through the years I've had a few caterpillars die or a deformed butterfly, but never had 2 entire groups just die> it has been so sad!

I have parsley & fennel in my yard, but they've always gone for the fennel.

I'll keep you posted, but please let me know if you have other thoughts too. Thanks again!

I have fennel and dill, I think. I can no longer tell the difference. One large one (as tall as me) is 2 years old. A lot come up from reseeding. So I have small plants here and there. I bought 2 fennels this year; one of which is bronze. Anyway I have finally seen mama swallowtail visiting. I have found 2 cats. I brought them into raise.

For lisa h, here a photo of a black swallowtail egg on a fennel flowerlet:

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You'll also find them on the fine 'leaves' of the fennel, and sometimes on the fennel stem. They're so pretty - perfectly round and a buttery color.

Last year was bad for BSTs for me, I only raised about 8. This year doesn't look so great either. I have been going to the nursery near me, scoping out the herbs. I did find two baby caterpillars yesterday! The nursery people don't mind at all if I take them...those little caterpillars are eating up their profits :)

It has been a banner year for the BSTs for me this year! Not so for the monarchs :-( But I am hopeful they will make a comeback as well. All of my mw's are healthy and bushy, just waiting for hungry cats!

I have had about 35 bst's to raise this year, most are already gone or in chrysalis. Sunday had a female trying to lay eggs on a very windy day and she had trouble landing on the stems. Sadly, the eggs she did manage to lay were infertile (empty shells). But I keep finding new cats and don't know how they got there. I look my fennel and dill over very carefully and still manage to miss an egg or two.

I have put various stems of their host plants: fennel, rue, dill, parsley, carrot tops and queen anne's lace in the enclosure at the same time and let the cats pick their favorite food and go for it until it is gone and they have to pick another favorite. They seem to adjust to whatever is available just fine. Good luck.

Mechelle

FInally got my first BST eggs yesterday! They are my favorite!!!

I had one, after several failed attempts, that was emerging today. She started at an odd time in the afternoon, but she only got one wing out. It's been hours and I feel certain she passed. What would have caused this? The last one had deformed wings & we put him down, but since then I learned you can have a house butterfly & had feed those that can't fly. I was more than willing for this gal. She just never came out all the way. Any advice would be helpful'

Hi, I have a black swallow tail caterpillar. He started spinning a chrysalis last night, but stopped, an looks like it is asleep and is "laid back "on a couple of strands. He has ben like this for a night and a day. Is there anything wrong?

Sounds like he has just created his "sling" where he will hang like a crescent for a day or two until he pupates. Looks like three days or so since you posted so maybe he's a pupa now?

Yeah he is in his chrysalis now. Thanks so much!

By the way i'm a ten year old