Friday, Aug. 03, 2007 - 5:10 p.m.
Butterfly Chronicles 2
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I have 17 Monatch Butterflies:
5 small larvae
8 chubby ready to pupate larvae
and 5 complete chrysalis
hanging there
ready for the butterlys within
to emmerge
in this heat they will ripen fast
there are more free flying
Monarchs fluttering around
that I remember from last year
this must be a big year for them
& I am right in the middle of
all this seasonal wonderful
its all happening here
in a plastic salad container
17 major units of eternal life
playing out a seriously grand drama
right here on my desk
to the magnifying glass add
a dedicated small paint brush
or a decent sized clean feather
to transfer small larvae
from one place to another as required
without upsetting or damaging them
a butterfly hatchery is simple
but no steps must be obmitted
noe any concern not properly addressed
all the caterpillar pellets ( poops) are best landing on a paper towel so they dry out
and can be easily swept up daily
these caterpillars eat
an enormous quantity of milkweed leaves everyday
always know where you can top up their salad
if you notice them fisishing up
and the big fat ones will eat more than you expect
and if they miss a few mouthfulls will get cranky and start looking fi=or more
they cannot be interupted in their eating cycle
even a few tender plant tops wrapped in paper towel stored in the fridge in a bag
is Ok
they only stay edible for 48 hrs so
always plan to gather new leaves for them
every day or two
** find the m=olkweed variety you know the Monatchs prefer and collect their seeds in fall
plant these in a spaceal party of the garden
or in a huge container..
the plants are perennial
amd need a lot of room
they spread by roots
and will in a few years
spread more than you want them to
always nip off the unripe seed pods
as soon as you see them
so they don't spread
into other peoples yards
who may not appreciate milkweeds
besides the caterpillars never eat
seed pods tissue
so you might as well remove it
Hatchery Tips:
1) The caterpillars need excellent ventilation
2) indirect sunlight( they in nature live on the underside of the leaf away from the sun)
3) maintain moderate temperatures so theit food doesn't shrive;]l
4) keep pets away who might swat them or molest them at any stage of life
5) keep the hatchery clean
the amount of caterpillar emeralds generated
is almost beyond belief- toss far away somewhere outside. to avoid propigating any diseases- I have never fertilized plants with this material, I consider it too risky to the caterpillars to utilize any of their poop anywhere near them
