Tony,

Provide a warm place for your larvae to feed. By giving them warmth, you can reduce the amount of time it will take them to get to pupation size. Once they have pupated, you can keep them in a cool/cold place as they will pupate all winter and emerge in the spring. Chrysalids survive winters; otherwise they would become extinct.

Hi butterflymom,

I know they will survive here, my question is WHERE they will all pupate.

If it were monarchs, they could all hang inside my big cat enclosure. but the bst's need sticks...not sure how to accommodate them.

My idea was to pot a fennel plant and let them all pupate on that...is that feasible? Tony

Tony,

You can add sticks to your plants. You can make an easy container for pupation by taking a small tomato cage and triming the prongs on the bottom. Bend the prongs in toward the middle. Purchase 5 gallon paint strainers from Lowe's and put one of these over the tomato cage so that the prongs are on top and the wide edge is at the bottom (upside down tomato cage). Use this as an enclosure over your plants. The caterpillars will pupate on the metal frame. You can use these over and over by washing the strainer.

Another option is to put your plant in any kind of plastic container or aquarium. Use netting or the plastic tops available for reptiles. I use netting with the thin elastic as a "rubber band" to keep the netting over the container. Put sticks in the aquarium for pupation.

Whatever you use should be kept in a relatively cool environment over the winter.

Hope this helps.

If it was me I'd gradually (but fairly quickly) increase their photo period to 24 hours every day to force them though much faster. Easy to do with a simple incadescent light bulb that can also keep the temps where you want them whether in the house or on your patio (or even outside for that matter). Just use no more wattage that needed to maintain the temps you want, and keep the bulb where they can not climb onto it. As Sandy said, simple sticks just added so they are available to them is more than enough for them to pupate on. While sticks are better, they actually do not need anything to pupate on and will find a way. I'd be more concerned about making sure you keep enough food plant viable for them all the way to pupation.
Larry

Thanks Larry and Sandy???(sorry if I got the name wrong)

I still have the cats on the parsley and I potted one of my fennel plants today in case of an emergency. We're supposed to stay unseasonably warm for the next couple weeks.

I do have a small reptile aquarium I can put some of them in and will try the tomato cage idea for the rest...thanks! Tony

Wow! I think you're lucky to still have caterpillars at this time but yeah, I feel your pain. I live in Minnesota, too and was just happy that my last Eastern Tiger caterpillar pupated because the ash leaves were turning yellow! Now, I have two that are overwintering chrysalides.

I'm very interested in the conversation here about where and how to store them till Spring. Would -0 temps be fine for them? I'm thinking of leaving them in the garage.

Hi Kerrie, the "garage" temps would be milder than what they would get in the Minnesota "Wild". I will probably keep mine in the garage too.

My cats are getting bigger, but they still have a ways to go. It will be amazing to have cats in Minnesota through Mid October! Good luck with your chrysalides, Tony

Yes, Tony, it's Sandy. Sounds like you've got it all under control. ;>)

BST update,

4 of them died on one dried up on one section of the potted parsley, so not a good start.

I've got 5 left and two are about ready to pupate. now that the parsley is sufficiently watered, it is a great easy care-solution....I also forgot I had one good rue plant from seed. The ones in my cage really seem to like it!

the weather is holding out and there won't be any food-source issues.

I'm happy to get these late-comers as parasitic wasps claimed much of my first batch. Tony

Last Update....

Our warm weather sped the BST's through their metamorphosis.

I potted a parsley plant and it worked like a DREAM! I am potting a few parsley plants for BSTs next year. It makes the caterpillar care next to non-existent. just remember to water! :/

My last BST is attached to a stick just about to pupate. Minnesota Caterpillar season is over until May 2012. Tony