With Monarchs, in my case, anyway, it seems it's always feast or famine! I hope you have a good supply of milkweed! Good luck raising them, they are a joy to watch.

Congrats on all your cats and a source for good milkweed.

Monarchs are easy to raise, you just have to keep the food coming and the frass removed.

Enjoy your find.

Sandy

Awesome! I don't know if I could handle 23 cats at a time, LOL...

I'm almost done with my big cage. I have the bottom (made of cloth so it's more durable) pinned on, and now need to take the frame out of it so I can sew it. I was planning on using it soon, as I had a male Black Swallowtail eclose, and another chrysalis that was supposed to eclose a couple days later (three days ago) that was *of course* going to be a female, which appears to be interested now in going into diapause. I'm planning on releasing the male tommorow, as it was cold and cloudy today. That will probably be enough incentive for the "female" to come out.
-Jmcat

How long can you keep a butterfly in an enclosure before releasing? I assume you have nectar flowers in there? I use a screened cage as well, but only had 2 hatch so far this year and have been able to release them upon returning home from work.

liljagster, I believe they don't eat for the first 24 hours. But after that you can put nectar flowers or a sugar solution (recipe can be found somewhere on this forum). However I just release them as soon as they are ready to fly. I get them to step onto my hand, then walk outside and let them decide when to take off. If they seem reluctant, that means their wings aren't 100% ready, so at that point I just let them hang on a bush to finish drying. I prefer when they take off from my hand though -- I always say "Bye! ..Have a great life!"

On the other hand, if they eclosed sometime while I was at work, they have been ready to fly for hours and are going crazy to get out. In that case I either cup them inside my hands or take the hamper that I keep them in outside and uncover it. No way will they stand patiently on my hand while I walk outside, and I don't want my dogs to get them if they were flying around inside.

Thanks! I went out and found this information for Monarchs, which I do rear, along with BST's.

"You may either set your Monarchs free soon after they emerge, or keep them in your classroom for students to observe and study. If you release them, wait for the wings to dry. Monarchs that emerge in the morning can be released at the end of the day, or kept until the following day without needing to be fed. Those emerging in the afternoon should be released the next day. It is best if they are released on a warm sunny day, near flowers if possible. If it is colder than 60o F, they often cannot fly."

I found it this info on this link... http://www.monarchwatch.org/rear/index.htm

Good stuff to know! Now I won't feel so bad if I have to stop at the store on my way home from work if b-flies emerged that morning!

Hey! Any chance you're going back to the mamoth milkweed for seeds? I'd love some. Can I send you an SASE please please? What conditions was it growing in?

My milkweed never get bushy, just stalks with large leaves. I don't think it's near enough coverage for cats I see monarchs patroling them every year, but haven't seen a cat on them since the first year I noticed them.

Please let me know if you'll share! Thank you!

I'm wondering...was the plant growing wild? or in someone's yard?

October,
I don't know what kind of milkweed Weed30 found, but I have a six foot "red" milkweed that I think grew from seeds I got from Seed Savers Exchange. It has loads of seed pods on it and I don't have enough room in my yard for much more. My big specimen is three years old and has been transplanted once. It grows in sand or clay and partial sun. I'd be happy to send you seeds for SASBE. I need to make sure my e-mail info is up to date, I know my trade list is not. Contact me and I'll see what I can do for you.

Martha

I could go back and get some seed pods. They are probably still green, like the ones in my yard. Do I have to wait until they turn brown?

The giant milkweed is along a bike path near my house. It is in a bed about 10 x 10 that someone planted, although I don't know who. Could have been the city, could have been someone that lives nearby. I imagine the soil has quite a bit of clay, although whoever planted there might have amended the soil at some point.

I do think it's funny that although there are different plants there with beautiful flowers, all I pick are the cats and maybe soon, the seed pods :)