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Butterfly Garden

When do Monarchs start laying eggs in Michigan?

16 years ago

I have planted two butterfly gardens, one at home and one at our cottage. Yesterday afternoon, I saw a lone Monarch landing briefly on some butterfly weeds and then flitting to another butterfly weed. I couldn't follow it around closely, because I only saw it because someone had come to my front door and I was stuck talking to them. This morning I tried to retrace the butterfly's "steps", hoping to find some eggs. (I assumed it was trying to lay eggs since these plants probably won't even bloom this year.) Is it likely I'll find eggs this time of year in my area? How quickly might predators find and destroy any eggs? Would a Monarch be just "scoping out" the area and not laying eggs? I am overly excited, of course, and should probably just cool my jets. But I want to raise some Monarchs! I have enough milkweed and butterfly weed to feed an army of them. I just sent in my application for my Monarch Waystation Certification, too. What do you all think?

Martha

Comments (3)

monarch_girl
16 years ago
Hi Martha,

If you saw a female butterfly in Michigan this time of year, there is a very good chance that it would start laying eggs on any available milkweeds. So keep checking and you will probably see some eggs or little caterpillars very soon :) I have also seen my first Monarch this week but haven't had a chance to search around the field near the park for eggs yet.

))i(( Jennifer
ericwi
16 years ago
-we began to find monarch eggs on our milkweed, here in Madison, Wisconsin, one week ago. Since you have multiple milkweed at your site, the monarchs should be able to find you. The eggs are not so easy to find, since they are usually on the bottom of the leaf.
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docmom_gw
Original Author
16 years ago
We found a caterpillar! I was gone for the weekend, and went out this evening to see what had changed over the past few days. I was checking on a butterfly branch that had fallen over and wilted--and there was a tiny Monarch caterpillar! I don't know why it was on a sickly looking branch on the ground when it was surrounded by healthy, young, upright plants. But, now it is in my daughter's pop-up "Port-a-bug." I put some fresh butterflyweed branches in with it and hung it in the kitchen, out of reach of the cats (felines). Hopefully, we'll continue to find more as the season continues, and we'll be able to raise many to adulthood. Wish us luck!

Martha

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