Congrats, congrats, Kerri!
Apparently from what I've read, black swallowtails rarely ever use QAL. I don't know what to tell you to do. If the parsley is poisoned, then you'd be better off feeding the cats something else, even QAL. Would you happen to have golden alexanders or mock bishop's weed? If you buy more parsley or dill, be sure the growers, who may or may not be the people who are actually selling the plant, haven't used Bt or some other insecticides on it.
It's been a while since I raised any BSTs, but I think it takes about 6 days for the eggs to hatch.
MissSherry

Really? They rarely use QAL? I haven't read that anywhere, could you give me a link? All the information I've read on BST list it pretty much first as a host plant. We have BST's everywhere up here, and the only "wild" host plant is QAL, which is also very abundant here. It's been hard for me to even find dill, and fennel (still haven't found any) Most nurseries carry the parsely though. I guess I'll be heading to the nursery in the next few days.

Mine adore and really prefer fennel. I have never had a problem with buying parsley or fennel for the cats. Nuseries shouldnt be spraying them, beacause, presumably they are for human consumption. They only thing I have a problem with is fresh bought milkweed. If I dont spary it down with a bleach solution at first, I often seem to go a sudden onset of melt. I dispise melt. I think the big growers intentionally lace the plants with whatever causes melt. I have a favorite nursery here in Jax that I always go to, because they have the same views I do--caterpillars never truly harm a plant, and butterflies must be preserved. Talk to the people that work there, and if you happen to find host plants loaded with cats, and you dont get strange looks for buying the plants just because " they're infested", then you've found you place to shop from.=D

Gatorgrle, in theory you have a good point, who would spray parsley as that is meant for human consumption. But at several nurseries that I asked, I was told that other plants were sprayed or more than likely sprayed and the parsley may have gotten indirectly sprayed that way. I recently was told that after 6 or 8 weeks, most sprays stop being effective so would the plant would then be safe, but I havent cared to test that!

Karri~Congrats on your BSTs. They are so pretty--I've not seen any yet on my parsley, dill, and fennel that I have planted for them. Wish I could send you a couple plants for them.

The ones I raised a couple of years overwintered; wonder if yours will do that too, although mine showed up in the late summer, early fall.

Good luck with the cuties!

How do I take care of them if they overwinter? Just leave them be? Or do they need cold?

I am in SE Michigan and I rarely see Black Swallowtails laying on anything but Queen Anns Lace. That is why I find it hard to find the eggs. Queen Ann's Lace is mowed in the ditches and it is rarely over two inches high and that is where they seem to want to lay--never on the 3 ft. high stuff. If only they would find the parsley or carrots, or celery that I plant just for them in my garden, but no they go for the weeds in the ditches.
Connie
and yes, I have fed Queen Ann's Lace. It is hard to keep it fresh-it wilts very easily.

When I raised my BSTs last year, none of the ones I raised in the summer overwintered. It wasnt until about September that some overwintered. I found that interesting considering the fact that I raise them indoors.

Well, I guess these 3 bst's will be a learning expirience!! I did go to a local nursery and picked up 2 regular parsely, 2 curly (same as what she layed them on) and a dill. After I bought them, I first wished I hadn't, just use the abundant amount of QAL I have. But now after my monarch issue and the orchard spraying BT, I'm glad I did! At least I'll be able to give them whole plants when they hatch. I think that will make it a little easier.