They are just about the most beautiful of them all! I bring them in, because otherwise the caterpillars, and sometimes the eggs, become food for birds, lizards, and/or other insects. Anyway, I just bring in a cutting of dill (or whatever food source I have for them), and put it in a bottle, vase, whatever, with water. (I keep the teeny hotel shampoo and airplane liquor bottles for the little guys.) I try and block the bottle opening, either with a piece of paper towel with a tiny hole for the dill stem, or using the bottle's cap and making a hole in it. (Sometimes the teeny cats will crawl right into the water in the bottle, and they are very poor swimmers!) Usually these cuttings, when placed in water, stay nice and wilt-free when I bring them in from the heat. Then I put a new cutting in after a couple of days so they can crawl onto the fresh stuff. It takes some time, but it is so worth it when the butterfly emerges! good luck! kelly

Greetings from New Braunfels, Tx. I just wanted to tell you I have alto-caerulea passionvine and it definately does host gulf frits. If fact, when I bought it I picked out the one plant that had the most eggs on it, and the female was still trying to lay eggs on it, as I was taking it to the car. The guy who checked me out, tried to discretly pick off two gulf frit cats that were on the plant, and I very politely but firmly told him I wanted them there! I guess non butterfly lovers think we're kind of crazy. I live on a creek and have numerous hackberry trees, so I have lots of question marks, hackberry emperors, and tawny emperors. All of these love rotting fruit, and are very easily attracted by it. In fact, to make it more appealing to them, put aside your rotting fruit in an airtight container, add a little dry yeast and molasses to it, and let it ferment, then pour the liquid out on a plate for them. They go bonkers over it! It's fun to watch them. Some actually get a little drunk on it too. One thing I'm learning in planting my first butterfly garden this year, is it's all trial and error. What works for some people in some areas doesn't work the best for everyone. I've already pulled out several plants that weren't working, and add more weekly it seems. I'm running out of flower beds. Pretty soon my yard will be one huge flower bed, but that's okay with me. I love it!

Yes, Aggie, isn't it a great feeling to be finding so many and knowing that you're helping out the Monarchs! :-) I'm thrilled too this year. So far I released two butterlies, one Thursday and one Friday. On Friday (yesterday) I went out looking for eggs and found 22 on the ones I have planted in cups outside. Wow! I didn't even go up and look in my swamp milkweed bed where I have 80 plants planted and 20 more to put in yet. I found a few eggs up there on Thursday and evidence of cats on some that I think the darn spiders got. I want to be more diligent about going out and collecting eggs, but with the planting I'm still doing and now also weeding, I don't always get to make all of my rounds every day. I lost count of how many Monarchs I have altogether. I do know that 15 went in a pupa so far (two of those got released); I have 15 cats sitting here on the computer stand and 5 eggs on plants; those 22 on the back porch that I found yesterday, and also some cats that I put on plants out there but didn't count how many I put on but probably about 5. Sooo, I'd say that roughly, my total is about 57. That's really a lot considering I didn't even start finding any last year until the beginning of August and I ended up raising 70 cats. I bet I reach end up having that many before August 9, when I found the first one last year. I have two here now that are dark and will eclose early today. I absolutely agree with you that this year is a great year for the Monarchs! How do you raise yours? I know you said in the house, but I was wondering exactly how you're doing it. I'm still trying to find a good way to do it. I think it will be easier once I get my cage done, but right now I've been bringing them in and letting them chewing small plants (a foot or so high) down to the stem. When I see they are 2" long, I put them in their own jars so they aren't pupating all over the house. This is a lot of work, but I want to help the Monarchs to survive. I thought I was doing really well as far as numbers, but I think you got me beat! ;-) Cathy

I've been consumed w/ getting ready for new carpet (done yesterday!) and am now back. My cleaned-out box is still open until I can safeguard it. Dzyg, I hear what you're saying about the racoons. I had lots when I lived on Cape Cod and in CO; but I'm out a lot at night here and I've never seen a single one - which has surprised me. Also, I went back and looked at the nest and realized it *is* somewhat flattened; what's deceiving is that the egg has gotten pushed down under part of the nesting material which makes it appear deep. Lisa 11310, I did monitor the previous nest. I was initially checking it every 2-3 days, but then I read somewhere that you should only do it once weekly. I didn't check it after day 12 b/c of the danger of causing the chicks to fledge prematurely. Then I waited 9 more days b/c sialis says it can take up to 21 days. Should I have done differently? I've read and studied the info on sialis re predator guards, trying to decide my best course of action. Altho the tack strips would probably work, I agree w/ the person who said they're inhumane. I'd really like to keep the wooden posts if possible; it says the stovepipe baffle works on them. I can get 10" x 2' ducting, is there any reason that wouldn't be effective? Does it make a difference whether what's above the baffle is a wooden post or a metal pole or conduit? I know squirrels can jump quite a distance; could they jump over / around the baffle to the box which is mounted so the entrance hole is at 5'? I've checked the open box for ants and haven't seen any more since putting the vaseline on the post.