I normally have 50-60, but the last of 7 just made its chrysalis. Its just really depressing, because those were the first butterflies I raised.

WOW! I told my husband yesterday after we released our only two black swallowtails in comparison to the first time last year raising and releasing 7 that I hope this is not all that I will release of butterflies this year? I had around 20 monarch cats last year for the first time and have more milkweed planted and just saw one monarch in our yard the other day but no eggs or cats of yet. I am hoping for more because 2 butterflies to release is surely not enough for me to release!

It would help if we state where we live on these posts. I'm sure there is wide variation depending upon where we garden. I live in Central Florida and have had Monarchs almost continuously over the past year. We have had a series of very mild winters here and it has resulted in a proliferation of several butterfly species on my property--the three most abundant have been Zebra Longwings, Frittilaries and Sulfurs.

I have heard from some people in the hummingbird forum that the East coast had a dry spring and that resulted in few flowers. I'm not sure if this is true, but it could be a contributing factor. I believe that there has been some heavy storms in that area lately. That might make it easier for the flowers that butterflies to survive.

We have had a lot of rain here for the past year, maybe year-and-a-half. I think this has contributed to the abundance of butterflies.

Perhaps this is just a lean year for some parts of the country.

Did everyone hear about the ice storm that hit the wintering grounds in March? Most of the Monarchs were still hanging on the evergreens when a freezing rain passed through and coated the butterflies with ice. There were pictures of hundreds or even thousands of dead Monarchs all over the ground and still frozen to the trees. There wasn't an accurate way to estimate how many of the butterflies were killed, especially since some had already left for the beginning of their migration. But, it was a really bad blow to the migratory population of Monarchs.

So, while there will probably always be Monarchs in places like Florida and California, those of us in the Midwest and Northern regions depend on those migrating Monarchs to reach us every year. Unfortunately, their numbers have dropped precipitously since use of RoundUp Ready Crops has decimated the numbers of native milkweed plants growing throughout the Bread Basket/Midwest, plus climate change and development.

Martha

It should be interesting in our zone 5 in Medina county ohio how many butterflies will be visiting our tithonias this year. They love them and I have a feeling there will not be as many this year and that ice storm just may have effected us up north like Martha just said. Our tithonia is just starting to bloom and also the butterfly bushes. Jacob your lucky you have those chrysalis, we just released the only two black swallowtails butterflies just yesterday. I agree with you it is a downer. Sandy

Here in the Mid-Atlantic, and in many parts of the East, we had a few abnormally warm spell early in March and even in February, but then an unusual cold spell and hard freeze in April. I know a lot of crops were affected by this and I imagine many other kinds of living things as well - some early emergences followed by freeze kills. It was not particularly dry, and we're just slightly behind average rainfall for the year, not enough to make any difference. But I can't compare this year's butterfly sightings to last, as this is my first year in my new home and I've got some long term soil-building work to do before I can raise a significant number of either host or nectar plants - though one little potted parsley plant seems to do the trick to attract a momma Black Swallowtail!

I'm going to have a bumper crop of milkweed seeds if anyone's interested, jlmk.

Rick in CT

Have some good new..............at least it made me happy............went on a bike trail in Medina County called the Chippewa Inlet Trail which is a nature preserve and what a great place for the monarchs. The trail is 3 miles long along a swampy area and acres of land which is the ideal spot for the monarch. While riding the trail we saw several monarch flying from one swamp milkweed to another.......what a wonderful sight! Had a hard time deciding where to bike ride but I figured if there were monarchs in our zone 5 area in Medina County, Ohio the Inlet trail would be the place for them and sure enough we finally are seeing them there. What a welcoming sight! My daughter farms on a couple of acres of land for the farmers markets and while at the gardens she sees butterflies every time she is there that is also close to home in Lafayette county, Ohio. We are certainly getting a couple of babies of hummingbirds at our house because they are enjoying the feeders and also all the great flowers for them that we have planted over the years. Now that I am getting into growing plants for the butterflies I am looking into more nectar plants for them like some nice perennials for next year. I need to expand on those. We have done a good job making he hummers happy and we need to do more for the butterflies.

Sandy