They look like monarch eggs to me. I'd say congratulations, but there's nothing there for them to eat.

Sherry

I have a lot of common milkweed that is already 3 inches high, green milkweed is getting there. If I have to I am also willing to sacrifice my maybe latifolia. Since this plant is so small, should I put one of these little Tull bags over it to keep them save? I checked the Monarch watch map, there were no sightings here yet. Last year I had the first egg April 10 and this was really early for me.

If a Monarch female can't find enough plants to distribute eggs over, she will lay multiple eggs in one spot.

Well I just found a bunch more eggs on some of the other milkweed plants. On the bright side, the lowest temperature for the next ten days is supposed to be 40, so the plants hopefully will not freeze off again. On the not so bright side the only local source for milkweed is the Native Plant Sale. This isn’t until the 21st. After buying more than a dozen “Emergency plants” last year I thought I am set for this year.

Here are the first ones. The swamp milkweed is still small, but plenty of others by now to take them to. Also got some tropical just in case. Had another Monarch laying eggs today and found some on my still tiny Senna.

Iris,

Your little guys are adorable :) Great pics!

My milkweed plants ( 10 or so in the ground and a huge pot full) are almost down to no leaves. I bought 4 more big ones yesterday from a local nursery that doesn't spray so I know they are safe.

Can I ask...is the swamp milkweed as attractive to aphids and milkweed beetles as the tropical? The minute my tropical milkweed grows new leaves, they are covered with these guys. I know they're not supposed to damage the eggs or cats but they sure make to plant unattractive and make it hard to find eggs.

Thanks!

Rhonda

By midsummer the worst looking for me is the common milkweed. Swamp and tropical are about the same with aphids and bugs, but they are usually not too bad. The Senna seeds you sent me last year are still good! Got another couple of seedlings going.

Thanks Iris! I might try to find some swamp milkweed.

Glad to hear the seeds are still good. Irma tore my huge plant right out of the ground and it didn't survive replanting :( But, there's a nicely branched baby one about a foot tall growing about 2 foot from the original one :)

Rhonda,

If you want seed for swamp milkweed, I have tons that I can't plant because I live in an apartment, now. I collected them from my garden before I moved. I am finding places nearby where I might plant some, but I have plenty to share.

Martha

docmom: I'd also be very interested in some of your seeds, if you could spare some (I'll message you -- do you have your messaging enabled?). Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe swamp milkweed seeds require ~ two months of cold stratification (chill) before they'll sprout. I wonder if it isn't too late for this year. TIA!

ETA: I'm happy to send a SASE, of course.

The Monarch’s are having a really good Spring. Happy to say there is still plenty of food for them. A friend of my daughter’s picked up a trunk of nectar/ host plants last year to start a butterfly garden. She wants to expand, so I potted some things a few weeks ago. She is going to come by tomorrow, so I checked them over. Look what I found on the little whorled milkweed! They are everywhere.

Many dozens of Monarch caterpillars in the last three months,
and none has reached adulthood. In all sizes, including the
very few that pupated, they die of NPV. Much work for nothing.
I plan to quit Monarchs, for an indefinite long time.

Aww, that's a shame four; I've never heard of NPV before. I harvested 15 eggs a couple of weeks ago and decided to kick off my spring raising these little guys indoors. I'm doing what I can to try to prevent OE (to include sterilizing/bleaching any leaves I feed my cats). So far, so good (fingers crossed):

I'm headed out of town the end of next week, so I'm hoping they chrysalis before I leave; otherwise, DH won't know how to cope and I'll resort to releasing mature cats into the yard.

Four, I am so sorry. Javiva, my husband knows less than yours, I am sure. I didn’t get any notifications about your replies, so sorry it’s so late. I am not trying to raise the caterpillars inside, just moving them if they run out of food soon. Keeping an eye on these two.

I never grow tired of seeing pics of these caterpillars -- thanks for sharing.

The mosquitoes are just so bad around here (they eat me alive within moments of my stepping out) -- I wish I could just leave the cats in the yard and monitor them, moving them when needed. :)

However, I'm happy to report terrific success since last week. Of the 15 eggs + 4 stowaway cats I brought home from the nursery, I think I lost only one little guy -- the 19th cat should be J-looping overnight. Meanwhile, I spent the day getting these ready to set out tomorrow:

I also have one chrysalis in 'sick bay' -- as it was forming this morning, for some reason it dropped to the bottom of the container (which I usually line with crumpled napkins, so it was a soft landing). Looks like the cremaster broke in half, but the chrysalis itself doesn't seem split/open. Fingers crossed!

I'm so jealous of all the caterpillars you all have :)

Martha,

Sorry for the slow response...haven't been frequenting the forums lately. If the offer for swamp milkweed is still open, I'd love some. I'd gladly pay for postage. Please message me through Houzz. Thanks!

Rhonda

Rhonda: a complete labor of love, I assure you. :) DH has been sending me daily reports while I'm away. I hung all the chrysalises on the back of a patio chair before I left -- there were two in the 'bucket' which I didn't want to risk hanging (laid them on their sides, but provided the butterflies a piece of twine on which to crawl up).

All the curling ribbon looks festive/silly, but it was the only way I could think of to ward off wasps and anole lizards (both of which are everywhere!). I figure it works to keep birds away from fruit -- might as well give it a shot. This pic was from yesterday morning:

Two chrysalises remain -- good sign that they're both still green. Thanks for letting me share.

Wow, Javiwa. how cool is that?

Different milkweed, same story. This was an Asclepias fasicularis. First one for me, just planted about a month ago to try out.