skip to main content

Butterfly Garden

I need help with monarch butterflies PLEASE

12 years ago

I have a butterfly that just eclosed today. It is cold and windy and the sun will not come out until Sunday. The next 3 days the forcast is rain and high of 60*. If I let it go will it survive or is there something else I can do to help it survive. I also have 2 more chrysalsis' that I found on my house and I brought them in because it was getting down to 34* at night. They will come out tomorrow. I have never had butterflies this late in the season and I just want them to survive. I also found a caterpillar while pulling the milkweed...he is in a "J"...it will be October before he comes out. I wish now I would have left him outside....but I love my monarch's and only wanted to help....thanks in advance for any help!!

Karen

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (7)

bananasinohio
12 years ago
Most people would probably tell you to hold on to it. I feel that fall monarchs are built for this weather. We have had rain all day with a few dry spells and it is in the 60's. I looked out my window and there was a monarch on it's way. If you put it out during the day, it will find shelter and keep moving when it can. Don't wait for the perfect day. We see monarchs through November migrating. That being said, I wouldn't toss it out during a downpour :).
-elisabeth
mechelle_m
12 years ago
Do you have enough room in your enclosure for the butterfly to flit around? If so, try bringing in a nectar source, either a flower or saturate a sponge with "fake" nectar. I'm sure there is a recipe on this site somewhere.

If not, I would place the butterfly under a shelter: leaves of a tree or on a covered patio.

Hope this helps,

Mechelle
Related Discussions
I need help I D ing another Butterfly!
Q
Comments (1)
It's a female tiger swallowtail, yellow form. There's also a black form female - they're more common than the yellow females in my area. Congrats! She's quite a beauty! MissSherry
...See More
What do I do with monarch butterfly??
Q
Comments (3)
I'd suggest letting him go. He will find some flowers between storms. The longer you keep him without feeding him, the weaker he will be when you do let him go and that lessens his chances for survival. Other choice is to feed him. Cut open juicy fruits and gatorade are suggestions. For more info, there are threads on here about feeding butterflies. Personally, I avoid it these days because it can be labor intensive with uncooperative butterflies. KC
...See More
Needing Monarch Butterfly Migration Sightings
Q
Comments (50)
Sorry, I had not been keeping up on this thread. Thanks for the report, Ksokiegonnab. Gamebird, if the caterpillars are on parsley, then they are indeed Black swallowtails. If they can continue to eat with this "cooler" weather that we are having, they will wander off, and find a sheltered area to make a chrysalis. They will overwinter as a chrysalis, and emerge on a warm day in the spring. Moths tend to burrow down into loose soil or debris, and make a cocoon, to emerge in the spring. Betty, thanks for your exciting report of the Monarchs in your yard! Butterflies are very host specific on what they lay their eggs on. Monarchs only lay their eggs on milkweed. Snow on the Mountain is not in the milkweed family. Perhaps, there is milkweed in the alley or pasture nearby??? If you have parsley or fennel in your yard, the caterpillars may have been Black swallowtails. The tropical milkweed is easy to obtain and grow. It is an excellent nectar source, as well as host plant for the Monarchs to lay their eggs on. You may be able to find some native mw growing in some fencelines or pastures, and find some with some interesting seedpods, tobring some seeds home for a native plant area. As you increase your nectar and host plants in your garden, you will begin to find lots of butterflies seeking out your yard. Good luck with your garden, and thanks for your interest.
...See More
Monarch Butterfly Babies... desperately need help
Q
Comments (5)
Yes we have been trying to hand pick off some of the predatory bugs; they seem to have a very efficient bush telegraph when it comes to news of a smorgasboard though. I am going to give it a try rearing some of the butterfly caterpillars indoors; have got nothing to lose as they are all going to get eaten if they stay outside. I just hope all these assassins are going to be as efficient when it comes to dealing with all the undesirable caterpillars that will start to put in an appearance later in the year... cheers... Rosalie.
...See More
Tony G
12 years ago
hi Karen,

currently I have four monarchs in my porch hanging on potted milkweed plants. It is going to be cool and cloudy until Friday so I'll just keep them inside until then.

They can survive in this weather but since they haven't had sufficient time to nectar they may have problems with flight.

since the porch is not heated, the monarchs will stay fairly still until the sun and warmth return...which will be soon!

Don't worry about the monarchs yet...there are still plenty of warm days for them to fly south. Tony
bluebirdbabe
Original Author
12 years ago
thanks everyone!! The one that came out today flew off. The sun came out for about 20 minutes and I put her in the sun. I took the screen off the plastic tote and off she went. Next 3 days, rain and cooler...hope the other 2 don't come out for a few days. Elisabeth, you made me feel better that you think the butterflies are made for the cooler weather...and I would never let them out in a downpour. I also worry that there is not much food around. I put hummingbird sugar water on the butterfly bush lol the lil yellow BF like it so hopefully a hungry monarch will eat it too.
minrose
12 years ago
Yeah, I have 5 Monarchs that I am waiting to release until it warms up some and the wind dies down, it was so windy yesterday! Sounds like it should be warming up by Thursday late afternoon or Friday.
bandjzmom
12 years ago
Well, I would say that Mother Nature equips the creatures with the know how and the ability to survive. If it's above 50 degrees and it isn't raining, I would release the butterflies. JMHO.
bev2009
12 years ago
bluebirdbabe, if you send your butterflies through Indiana, I still have lots of flowers for the butterflies. LOL I hope the first frost holds off as several plants which are usually done blooming by now are setting out a second flush of flowers.

Related Stories

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Be a Butterfly Savior — Garden for the Monarchs

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Keep hope, beauty and kindness alive in the landscape by providing a refuge for these threatened enchanters

FALL GARDENING What Monarch Butterflies Taught Me About Garden Design

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Thinking like a butterfly leads to fresh perspectives in the garden and in life

CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANTS Great Design Plant: Asclepias Is Attractive to Monarch Butterflies

By Debbie Ballentine

Increase monarch butterfly populations in California by planting stunning native milkweeds

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Asclepias Incarnata for a Butterfly Garden

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Beautiful swamp milkweed makes it easy to help monarchs and other pollinators in eastern U.S. gardens

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Ceanothus Pleases With Nectar and Fragrant Blooms

West Coast natives: The blue flowers of drought-tolerant ceanothus draw the eye and help support local wildlife too

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Be a Citizen Scientist to Help Wildlife, Learn and Have Fun Too

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Track butterflies, study birds, capture stars ... when you aid monitoring efforts, you’re lending Mother Nature a hand

GARDENING GUIDES 6 Steps to Creating Your Butterfly Garden

By Debbie Ballentine

Encourage these fanciful winged beauties to visit your garden while helping restore their fragmented habitat

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Silphium Perfoliatum Pleases Wildlife

By Pollination Press LLC

Cup plant provides structure, cover, food and water to help attract and sustain wildlife in the eastern North American garden

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Butterfly Milkweed, a Beacon in the Prairie

By Pollination Press LLC

Vivacious orange flowers for you, nectar for the butterflies and bees. Asclepias tuberosa is worth planting for more reasons than one

GARDENING FOR BUTTERFLIES Butterfly Gardening: Delight the Eyes With Living Sculptures

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Surprise and thrill with a garden that attracts magical winged creatures, bringing color, movement and life

Sponsored

More Discussions

?what to do with this little guy?

3