Hi, it's nice to know there are others in my area that are gardening for butterflies-I'm thrilled to see it.

This is only my second year so I don't know about years past but, I have seen alot this year. Not always around my house though-I walk alot and see them on my travels.

I planted alot and get visits daily but, it was a lot more in July. It almost seems like it is slowing already.

Today I saw a Viceroy and a White Admiral and a couple Monarch's.

The one thing I did notice a shortage of is BST's-I have only seen two so far this year.

What was it like in years past? I'm sure it was much more..

Aggie

Summer of '05 was really big around here. TSTs, BSTs, Monarchs, several types of frittilary, especially great spangled frits. Last year things slowed, this year has been really lousy. These are some captures from '05, I haven't had any opportunities at all this year. Frankly, it worries me some, that's why I was asking if anyone else has noticed a decrease. We've also noticed a decline in hummingbird sightings. I'm starting to wonder if maybe someone else within fairly close proximity isn't attracting most of the hummers and BFs.

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It's been a slim year for me, too. That's true for both butterflies and Japanese Rose Beetles, so I guess things even out...

I'm blaming drought.

Jeff

I have two hummingbirds that come to my yard almost daily for the feeders. I only saw two different ones that tried to come for the hosta flowers.

Sween those are beautiful pictures, I love the Frit. I had a couple this year find my Zinna's, wow did they love them. Everytime I saw one they were on them and not the Butterfly bush.

I have no idea why but none of my Purplecone flowers have attracted not one butterfly. They are listed at the top of every list for a butterfly flower but, mine-zip.
I see the Milkweed flowers and the Butterfly Bush do wonders for getting them here. I live in the Plains area, it's not me that's hogging them all is it?

I'm still waiting for the BST's to find my dill and fennel to lay eggs on. I got so excited yesterday-I saw one. It came into the yard and went for the Phlox, flew around a bit and left. Oh well, maybe next time.

Aggie

Here in SW MS there is definitely a shortage in general. I've especially noticed that my frits are few and far between. And by this time last year, I had cats running out my ears but not so this year. I blame alot of it on roadside spraying. This was election year and the politican road supervisiors tried to impress by spraying all along the road with roundup and we all know how well this stuff works. So there goes alot of your ironweed joe pye, etc. Needless to say, these people did NOT get my vote!!! - Butterflutter -

Good for you Butterflutter, that is one way to get their attention. This year in NEPA we didn't spray for anything that I'm aware of. They usually put it in the paper and i didn't see anything.

Aggie

Unfortunately, Aggie, these people went back into office. Just goes to show what ignorance there is when it comes to our environment. People don't realize how blessed we are here to have alot of forest and pasture land but development is rearing it's ugly head everywhere and with development comes destruction of the very things that sustain us and the creatures we love!! I'm just so grateful that organic and other environmently friendly farming is popular these days and I pray that the trend continues at least that helps the cause somewhat. AND I PRAY THAT ROUNDUP will be BANNED!!!!

I am here in SE Louisiana and there is a BIG shortage of BF's this year. So sparce. I traveled along the Miss. Gulf Coast this week and also took note that I did not see the BF's that I usually see. Last year I had swarms of BF's everywhere I looked, and this year there are almost none. I don't know what gives. Mosquito spraying does take it's toll but there is not much spraying going on.

I am at a loss . . . .

Aggie, I'd say we're neighbors of sorts. Not to be too nosy, but in the most general of senses, where are you in NE PA?

Although BFs make great photographic subjects, and I miss shooting them, what troubles me is that this could be an indicator of a serious problem. We have a ton of purple cones, white cones, and butterfly bushes(several different varieties), all of which in years past have attracted plenty of BFs.

I saw one Monarch this afternoon, and a small Silver-Spotted Skipper chasing it. My wife spotted a BST a few days ago. That's about it.

For you folks along the Gulf Coast, isn't it likely that Katrina may be the reason for your shortages?

No your not being nosy at all-I live in Plains. Right in the middle of everything as I say. I've lived here in NEPA all my life..

Well hopefully I can help make things a bit better. I let two Monarch's and one Black Swallowtail go today. In the next few days I should have many more. I hope whatever the problem is, it fixes itself. I would hate to think that there won't be alot around this area..

Aggie

We are indeed neighbors, Aggscott! I work in Plains, but live in another part of NE PA. Plains is under severe development, as you know.

I'm in down in San Antonio, Texas and I'm seeing way less butterflies than usual. I'm blaming it on the rain! We've about about three times our yearly normal so far this year. It rained every day for 44 days straight and then rained about every other day for a while. I don't really know if that affected the butterfly population, but it's the only thing I can think of. It's been like one long springtime and I am not complaining about the rain, but perhaps the rain kept them from flying, mating and laying eggs?

Its been a reasonably average summer, here in Madison, with regard to numbers of butterflies seen on the wing in our neighborhood. Back in June, we had numerous red admirals visit our side of the city. From newspaper reports, I learned that they were being seen in large numbers all over Dane County. We also have monarchs and tiger swallowtails in our yard. Not too many tiger swallowtails, though. I raise monarchs from eggs, and have released 5 healthy adults so far, with 7 more on the way. I'm sorry to hear about the low numbers in Pennsylvania. I wonder if there might be a shortage of monarch habitat in Ohio.

Then we are pretty close then, nice. By severe development do you mean all the building of townhouses and things like that? I don't live to close to all that which is nice.

Where I live nothing has changed in the past few years. I live right next to a huge space of wild as I call it but, it's all paths and woods, that's it. I found most of my butterflies there this year. I don't blame them at all for wanting to stay in there, it's peaceful, one of my favorite places to walk. Everytime I walk in there I get a fly by as I call it by the male butterflies checking me out(not in that sense, you know what I mean) The other day it was a brand new Viceroy, just beautiful. I got some real good pictures of him too.

Well I hope it gets better in the coming years, because I'm not going to stop gardening for the butterflies, it's something I can see myself doing for a long time to come.

Nice to meet you!
Aggie

Sween, to respond to your statement about Katrina; I do think that at the time it hit it was hard on the butters and maybe we are just now seeing the drift down from that but in reality there are more abandoned lots and homes that ever with much overgrowth on them so you would think that would make a butterfly happy, - I'm sure the mice are!
But to agree with aggscott, I'm not gonna stop gardening for them. And if all gardeners would garden with them in mind I'm sure we would have them grace our gardens for many years to come. -Butterflutter-

In my area, we've had more frequent rainfalls, but less rain totals. But because of the frequent rains, the county has been spraying for mosquitoes on a daily basis. I've complained, and they give lip service, but the spraying continues. I'm trying to get all my host plants relocated out of the heavier drifts of spray, and I cover my plants when I hear the truck coming, but I have lost LOTS of cats this year to insecticide.

Janet

Hi folks! I've been to this forum before complaining about my garden's inability to draw butterflies in but I now have to take that back. Over the past week I have seen so many bf's flying by and best of all my Dwarf Joe Pye Weed is pulling them in like crazy!! I love it!! I live in the Susquehanna Valley in PA and there are definitely bf's here. I'm certainly not a butterfly expert but I've seen monarch's, black swallowtails, yellow swallowtails and other little ones I'm not as familiar with.

I'm going to try to post some pictures tommorrow if I can figure out how to.

I am so happy to hear that about the Joe Pye Weed, I just bought some the other day. I have always love this weed, even though I don't think of it as one..

Can't wait to see your pictures-

Aggie

I work near the track/casino, Aggie, and that area is set to explode with development. Whatever land is available will end up in their hands, and they'll pay top dollar for it. Once they have it, expect hotels, restaurants, and maybe even a golf course. All of that makes any other land near there valuable and ripe for development.

I still can't figure my lack of BFs, except that maybe someone else not far from me is attracting them by the dozens.

hello
I realy don't want to brag, but you did as.
so far this year we have seen much larger numbers and many more kinds than in the past, or may be my ever expanding garden is just starting to draw them in better.
we have seen Black swallow tails, tiger swallow tails(yellow ones and black and blue ones),
giant swallow tails, monarchs, buckeyes, some king of frits(not sure witch ones), lots of skippers, red-spotted purples, question markes, some kind of giant sulfers, and many unidentified flutterbys.
like I said I don't mean to brag but this is our best year I can remember so far for butterflys.
michelle
ps Roselee - we will be in San Antonio next week, we are taking our boys to Sea World, I just love road trips.

micyrey, let me know if you see any butterflies out there. They had nice landscaping with flowers the last time I was there so it should attract them if they don't spray too much and if there are any butterflies around.

Also the San Antonio Zoo has a butterfly exhibit. I haven't been for a couple of years, but they had some wonderful exotic butterflies at the time I went. Warning -- they close it if it rains so you might want to call before going. I found this out the hard way last month and haven't had a chance to go back.

Seems like we are seeing a decline in the butterfly population here in S. Calif.

We got hit with a one/two punch this year environmentally. First we had extreme and record breaking cold, concurring with a severe drought. Southern California gets most of its rain Nov. through April with no summer rain at all.

So first the plants froze to the ground, then native and residential nectaring sources had a hard time regrowing from lack of precipitation.

I am thinking the extreme cold could have frozen many over winter chrysalids. And then those that did emerge found host plants and nectar sources extremely lacking.

I'm in Pittston and the butterflies are ok this year. But keep in mind that my yard used to be an insect desert. I'm trying to draw more of everything in and I think it's slowly working but it's still a bit sparse. I did notice more monarchs this year and I think it's the butterfly weed that keeps them around..... plus there might be more monarchs coming up from Plains ;)
-but there are about 90% less cabbage whites (like I said, I welcome everything, even a cabbage white). last year there would be a dozen or more at a time, this year I'm lucky to see two.

Early summer was real dry but we've had rain since. Maybe it's the dry weather making it tough on them?

Kato b thanks for that-you should be seeing a lot more Monarchs soon. The past three days I have released six a day. Today when I get home from work I have five more waiting that were born before I left. I found tons and they found me.
Have you walked the Pittston River Park yet? I work right there so everyday I go for a walk before I go home and I see quite a bit of butterflies. Mostly Monarchs but a few C Whites. There is Milkweed all over the place by the river so they know where to go.
Next year i'm going to have some more host plants in my garden so hopefully it will work. I've already bought Spicebush and Sassafras for the Spicebush Swallowtails. I'm going to add Hops Vine with more Dutchmans Pipe, Violets and Willow(I just can't decided which type yet)

Have you also visited Perennial Point for flowers? They have a great selection and they don't use chemicals. They aslso sell alot of Butterfly flowers, like Dutchmans Pipe and Willow and things. Nice place.

Well hopefully next year will be better.

Aggie

Howdy;
I just really got into BFs this year and started volunteering at our local butterfly house (Cox Arboretum, near Dayton, OH). They specifically only grow/host native BFs. While there, one of the volunteers told me that each species seems to have a bloom and lull period. She said, for example, that this year they are not seeing any eastern black swallowtails, but that it was a banner year last year. She said the same happened with red admirals three years ago (they had a mass landing of thousands in their crab apple alle, and could not get anyone to work for a few days : ) ). That being said, I have noticed that gypsy moths have been making a comeback and localities are spraying for them. This will affect BF populations as well. We are having a banner year for japanese beetles, ugh! I hope this means they will "disappear" next year : )!

Hi Aggie,
I haven't yet been to the riverside park, it's still on the to do list. I hope they keep the wildflowers etc and no one decides that it would be nicer to plant and cut grass!
Have I been to Perrenial Point yet? haha. They know me by name!

Yes, me too-my husband is sorry to say! Hehe..I'm on my way there tomorrow, my daughter signed up for the Nature Classes so I'll be there bright and early. I'm going to pick up some Willow while I'm there, we seem to have Viceroy's here that use Pussy Willow as a host so off I go to get some!

Last year when I really started to get into butterflies I was so hurt to see that they cut all the flowers and pretty much everything along the river. I had always seen so many butterflies there.This year for some good reason they decided to leave it and it looks great, lots of pretty wildflowers.

Aggie