I have about 20 BSTs that apparently intend to spend the winter with me this year. I've always overwintered mine in the cage on my patio with very good results. They pretty much experience the elements as they would in nature with a little added protection provided by the cage & the shelter of the patio. If the temps go down into the 20's, I cover the cage or take it into the garage until we're back into the upper 30's. I don't know anything about misting. I've never done that. Good luck!

I second everything flutterby64 said. I am in Dallas area as well (oh my RANGERS are losing, whoa is me, let me drown my sorrows by talking about butterflies!) and I believe you want to keep them in a situation as close to what they would be experiencing in nature as possible. We had some very cold weather last winter and I just left them on a covered porch in a mesh cage, covered them with a freeze cloth when it got below freezing (I have read many others here who say that is not even necesary).

I asked about the fridge method myself last year - you may do a search - and got some pretty solid advice against doing that. One person in particular was Elisabeth, I think, who had some bad stuff happen with that.

good luck!
Shannon

"I asked about the fridge method myself last year - you may do a search - and got some pretty solid advice against doing that."

Advice is only as good as the amount of experience those giving it has IMO, so I have to totally disagree with that based on my very long experience to the contrary.

During my super active decades rearing leps I almost always stored all of my overwintering livestock in a refridgerator... ovum, larvae and pupae, and with great success for what amounted to many ten's of thousands of pupae alone over the years. I've posted most of my rearing technique's in great detail many times in years past on this forum, but since admin didn't FAQ any of them you'd be left with doing a search to try to turn some of them up if interested.

As it happens just the other day I came upon the funky picture I doctored 2-3 years ago to show someone how I made pupa racks out of peeled corrigated cardboard. Just one of my methods for storing winter pupa, but an easy one that's perfect for Papilio pupa. Stacked in non airtight containers and lightly misted ocassionally all winter long they work very well. Misting is mandatory to prevent desication, even in a refridgerator, and a benefit for those stored in any other cold storage method as well.

{{gwi:501063}}

Thank you everyone for the advice. I may split up the chrysalises and try both methods. The reason I was agaisnt putting them on my patio is I dont have a good way to anchor them. I dont want the box blowing away in the middle of the winter!

I do have some that are loose and some that pupated on sticks. I may put the loose ones in the fridge. Ladobe, how ofter do you mist the ones in the fridge?

Can't answer that as it's based on your particular medium, containers, refridgerator, where they are in it and how wet you get them. Don't put them in your crisper though. By checking them often at first you'll soon learn how often they need to be LIGHTLY misted to maintain some humidity while not encouraging mold.

Regarding anchoring your cage so it doesn't blow over, maybe you could put a brick/stone in each of the 4 corners in the bottom of your cage?