Hi Tony,

Congrats on the BST eggs!

In my experience, the BST's don't always emerge the same year they go into chrysalis. I have heard of some not emerging for up to two years, but I have never had any emerge after being in chrysalis for more than the next season.

Most any enclosure that allows for air flow and room for them to stretch their wings will suffice. I have had them make their chrysalis on the smooth side of a plastic container, but all the books say they like to use sticks.

If you cut off the flowers from your fennel, you won't get mature seeds for planting next year or for the plant to reseed itself.

Good Luck!

Mechelle

Congrats! This is my 2nd year with BSTs and they are fun raise. I keep the cats in large clear plastic salad boxes, and after they "purge", put them into a 10 gallon glass aquarium with a metal screen top. I cut leafy sticks and put them in the aquarium and they usually pupate on a stick under the leaves. I've tried sticks without leaves, but they seem to greatly prefer leaves. The aquarium is also where the Monarchs eclose.

Last year, all the BSTs eclosed except for 2 which I kept in the aquarium in the garage all winter, spritzing them with water 1x per week or so. One of the chrysalises rotted; the other looks normal, but still hasn't eclosed yet. I'm not sure if it will, but leave it there for now.

I would not cut off the flowers from your Fennel. Despite the wasps, I've noticed that the BST female seems to prefer to lay eggs in the umbels of flowers or seeds. I've collected 10 eggs or small cats this year so far, and they've all been in the flower heads.

Thanks for the tips!

I am going to try and find an aquarium to raise the BSTs.

I think there are only 5 eggs but she was also in my other fennel patch. I will search it again in a few days.

I am so used to handling my monarch cats from the time they are a few days old. Hopefully these cats won't spray me out of house and home ;)

I would love to see a picture of BST eggs in the fennel flowers, if anyone has any. I see BSTs, but have yet to find any eggs.

I don't know if they aren't there or I just don't know what I'm looking at.

Betty

Click on the picture for a better view

Here is a link that might be useful: BST on fennel

Betty,

My fennel is in full bloom, with varying sizes and ages of flowers and looking at them, I think it would be difficult for me to spot the BST eggs. Maybe if I watched mama BST lay the eggs, I could locate them on the flower heads but the flowers really provide an excellent camouflage for the eggs. I have wasps patrolling, it seems, 24 hours a day. I'm bringing in every egg and tiny hatchling I come across, as they don't survive outside in my gardens.

~Mary

KC, Thanks for the link. I saved it to my favorites. Lots of info there and great pictures.

Mary, I want some butterfly eggs so badly! I have the small tent that I raised the Monarch cat in last year and purchased 2 new 11.5"X15.5" Butterfly Habitats this year to raise more and haven't seen the first egg from any butterfly!

I think it was Aug or Sept when I found the Monarch cat last year, so I'm still hopeful,

Betty

Hang in there, Betty, and continue to watch for them. The behavior of Mother Nature has been so odd this year. I'll bet you have a gift of butterfly eggs before the season is over. :-)

Mary

Hi all,

I like to think I have "eagle eyes" but the BST eggs were not easy to spot compared to the monarch eggs. If it wasn't for pictures in this forum, I don't think I would have found them!

The first instar black cats are also hard to pick out in the parsley. I will be glad when they get a little bigger.

3 of my 5 eggs have hatched and they are eating curley parsely.

I just ordered a cage/aquarium of amazon so I can prop up sticks and overwinter them if need be.

This seemed like a great deal for twelve bucks

http://www.amazon.com/Lees-Kritter-Keeper-Large-Rectangle/dp/B0002APZOO/ref=sr_1_2?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1311886652&sr=1-2

Here is a link that might be useful: BST Caterpillar Cage