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Butterfly Garden

HELP with Monarch Caterpillars

16 years ago

This is my first year raising Monarchs, and I find it much harder than BSTs. For one thing, they don't always cling to the milkweed (I get the plants daily fresh from the park and keep it in bottles). I keep them in butterfly mesh terrariums.

Every time I change leaves/plants I have to take a "body count" because sometimes I find one or two on the wall of the terrarium (they are not in the stage to pupate!). why are they wandering off the food?? BSTs would never do that, they always cling to he food until they're ready to pupate.

Today I accidentally killed one of my precious Monarch cats because he sat on the zipper of the mesh cage, and when I opened the zipper...oh well, you get the drift.

Am I doing something wrong, or why do they sometimes go where they shouldn't??

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Comments (2)

tdogmom
16 years ago
Sometimes the larva will move off the plants because they are going to molt (shed their skin). When they do this, it is better to just leave them instead of moving them. :)

Check out my Monarch blog. I provide a lot of info on things like this. :)

As for the 'killing' of the caterpillar...well, accidents happen when you raise these guys. I tell you, I have also done the same thing, especially when transferring them. I also have a habit of not completely sealing off containers so I end up with 'escapees' and my stories are famouos here amongst the veterans! I am just lucky that my husband is a dear and is quite tolerant of me and my bugs.

Here is a link that might be useful: tdogmom's Monarch blog
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KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
16 years ago
Both BSTs I've been raising this summer (added a small third one this morning) have gone to the glass of my aquarium to shed their skin. So, not all BSTs always stick to the food.

As for the zipper incident, it happens. I believe I took out two lunas that way last year. Almost took out a polyphemus this year but its cocoon was tough enough to save it.
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