Mary, I've got lots of pipevines, but I've got JILLIONS of cats on them, and female PVSs laying still more eggs.
I do, however, know somebody in Ohio, who posts on this forum occasionally, who has plenty of pipevines and never gets any eggs/cats - he loves for people to send him PVS eggs.
I've attached his member page, so you can e-mail him if you'd like to.
Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: Pipevine Swallowtail Egg Seeker named Dan

I forgot about a small group of A. macrophyllas with no eggs on them, so I think I can take 10 or 12 eggs after all. I e-mailed you with the pertinent information.
Sherry

I wish I could take some, only have the tropical pipevine, and not enough to feed the polys that are coming. (Oh and the fimbriata seedlings from Mechelle, which would not get them very far!)

A lesson in "be careful what you wish for" huh?

Thanks for the recommendation,Sherry.
Mary,my pipevines are growing like crazy,and I'd love to have some PVS eggs or cats if you have too many.

For the first three years with my Pipevine, my DH, son and I would have to hand pick off Polydamas eggs daily to just keep enough vine for the ones we left on. I will probably be doing it again this year if it is like last year when they ate down my yard full of vine 3 times! Then the winter did in all the fall regrowth.

Mary,

I could probably handle a dozen. I have quite a few, but I have lots of pipevine, and it grows wild along the road outside my neighborhood.

I'll send an email. I'm surprised that Susan hasn't posted. She has lots of Pipevine but doesn't get cats/eggs.

Sandy

Update on the egg explosion:

My thanks to Dan and Sandy, who have kindly offered to take some of the eggs. It seems there are few host plants in my area because mama pipevine(s) continue to lay more and more eggs, even though there are few leaves to feed the little cats once they hatch. If I pinch off the vines to remove the eggs, I'll quickly have no vines, which will defeat the purpose of growing them. Can I safely remove the eggs without pinching off the vines to which they're attached?

What if the eggs hatch while in route to a foster home? I sent some to Sherry and although they arrived safely, Sherry reported the leaves on the vine were crispy. I did wrap the cutting end in a plastic baggie with moisture but it didn't keep the leaves from drying out.

I've ordered six more vines, which should be here the end of this week, but of course, they will take a while to settle in and begin growing, assuming they will even grow much this year.

Yesterday I transplanted my little Aristolochia fimbriata - White Veined Hardy Dutchman's Pipevine plants I started from seed this year and there's already eggs on those tiny plants this morning!

Any advice or suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Mary

I don't know what you can do other than what you've done, Mary. Pipevine swallowtails - and many other butterflies - lay more eggs than there is host plant material available for them.
Your babies hatched this morning, ate their egg shells, and now they've started eating. They've broken off into three little groups - here's one -
{{gwi:471203}}
Sherry

Excellent photo and Ohhhh, how sweet. We're butterfly foster mommies again!

Just ran out to check my eggs and they're still eggs.

Thank you so much, Sherry. At least we know these little guys will have a good chance to grow to adulthood.

I wonder if I should attempt to keep the new pipevines in the greenhouse? Maybe the mama pipevines wouldn't go in there to lay eggs and if so, I could pick off leaves, as needed, to feed the litte ones. I could grow the vines in big pots and then plant this fall into their permanant spots.

Thanks again for sharing the photo and for letting me know how they're doing.

Mary

A greenhouse sounds like just the place for those plants!
That's great that you have one!
Sherry

I counted them, and there are a dozen, so I think I'm going to call them the Arkansas Twelve! :)
Sherry

Sherry,

Inform the Arkansas twelve they now have siblings. Looks like 20-25 little cats hatched late yesterday. Such tiny little things.

Also received the additional pipevine plants but they are small. I am definately going to try growing them in the little GH for the moment. It may get too hot in there by next month but it will provide them a chance to grow a few more leaves before I have to put them outside.

The little Aristolochia fimbriata, recently transplanted into big hanging baskets, is already perking up and putting out new growth from their little tubers at soil level. All I can say is GROW FAST! :-)

I am going to take two eggs and try and gently remove them from the pipevine, then watch to see if they will hatch after being moved. If so, I can send Dan and Sandy eggs if they still want them. If Sandy is seeing eggs she is probably like everyone else and will have more than she can feed but if Dan doesn't get Pipevine Butterflies and has plenty of food, he might want them.

Here's a photo of some of the Arkansas Twelve's siblings ...

{{gwi:471204}}

Mary

Hi Mary,yes I would be happy to take any extra eggs you don't need.I'd rather feed PVS cats than prune the vines.

I can send you rooted cuttings if you have a place to put them.