More about Monarchs

Last month I wrote a couple of articles about Monarchs and I saw this article yesterday and it includes great pictures of native milkweed.  I thought you might be interested in reading the article.  It reiterates my own thoughts.

http://www.kcet.org/news/redefine/rewild/invertebrates/gardening-to-help-monarch-butterflies-plant-natives.html

We were actually very successful last summer raising monarch caterpillars and releasing them back into our garden, and now both of my sons and some of my neighbors are raising and setting free monarch butterflies in their gardens.

Look closely at these leaves. The tiny round white spots are monarch eggs.  In the second picture the eggs have hatched.  The caterpillars grow quickly.  The one below is about a week old.

When they are about 2 inches long (in about two weeks) they will form a chrysalis.

Then two weeks later it is releasing day.  The 4 below all hatched with 24 hours of each other.  

Good luck butterflies!  You brighten our lives!

 

 
Below is another link to a federal article to help Monarchs:

http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/02/10/nows-your-chance-help-save-monarch-butterfly?cmpid=tpanimals-eml-2015-02-14-cove