Hi Bev, the chrysalis will eclose in about 10-14 days. IF it's healthy and hasn't been parasitized, or perhaps found by a predator and eaten, or some other hazards that could befall the chrysalis. However, it's already beaten enormous odds to make it to this stage (as you've noticed - lots little cats, not many make it to pupate). Perhaps next year you can help them along and bring some in to raise? :-D Monarchs are a tropical species. They can't overwinter in a temperate climate. They can't even fly below approx. 50 degrees F (10 C). In North America, there are 2 primary over-wintering locations - along the coast of California, and some fir forests in the mountains of central Mexico, where they are occasionally exposed to harsh weather, but many still manage to survive. Black Swallowtails, on the other hand, ARE a temperate species, and many of the chrysalises that I have in my tank right now will probably over-winter with me (in the garage) and eclose next Spring. Amazing that they can survive snow, ice, and freezing temps outside! (PS. We are pretty smart on this forum, but the real knowledge about b-flies is on the Butterfly forum! :)

Oh my goodness, Sherry, I'd have been so frustrated with that gal that you're talking about! Yeah, it makes a person wonder sometimes if anything you're saying is getting through to people. It almost makes you want to say, "Knock knock, is anyone home in there?" ;-) Gosh, it does make you think that maybe she shouldn't even be doing the presentations in a way if she doesn't even know what she's doing herself. I kind of wonder what she tells the other people, if she's even telling them the right things. I can tell the guy about certain websites, but like I said before, I kind of doubt if any of these people have Internet access, but I could be wrong. There are a lot of Amish and Mennonite in our area and both of those groups have different groups within them that have different beliefs. For example, Old Order Amish don't believe in having tractors with rubber tires; their tractors have metal wheels. They only ride in horse-drawn buggies. I'm not sure of their beliefs about electricity, but I'm pretty sure they don't have televisions, telephones, maybe hardly any modern conveniences. They for sure wouldn't have Internet access. New Order Amish will ride in cars as long as someone else is driving them; they seem to like to shop at Walmart. :) I don't think this guy is Amish or he probably wouldn't have even been talking to me on the phone. I'd say that he's Mennonite and I'm not familiar with their beliefs, but I know that they are also stricter than people of other religions but not as strict as the Amish, so there's a possibility that he might have Internet access. I don't know about the rest of his family members that are coming in from various areas. That being said, I don't think that they would be Amish if they're flying in on planes. I assume that they aren't having someone drive them here from places like California and Texas. lol I will definitely do what you suggested and hope that he understands. I hate to disappoint the guy, but well, I don't want to be worrying about my cats either. Oh, another "red light" that makes me wonder if he'd do a thorough job of passing along information is the fact that he said he wants to keep it simple. Well, if I'd send all of the information with him that I'd want them to know in order to raise a caterpillar, I don't think that would be simple enough to suit him. I mean really, how can you explain in just a paragraph or two about Monarchs, let alone how to care for them?! I feel like he's asking the impossible. I hate for demands to be put on me, and in a way, I'm feeling that way. It's not the he's mean or rude, but I just get this underlying feeling of pressure or something, like if I don't give him caterpillars, it will ruin the presentation. Ugh! It almost makes me want to not answer the phone anymore, but I couldn't do that to a person, just leave him up in the air. Oh, and he said he was going to tell them all to bring a quart jar along to the retreat so each family would be able to take home a caterpillar with them! I wasn't real thrilled about that because there I did feel like he absolutely expects me to give him caterpillars. I just really thought it might just be me worrying for nothing and I didn't say anything. I think that he already sent out information to everyone about that. I guess that he's going to have a lot of disappointed people. Now that I'm thinking about this even more, why can't he go find some caterpillars somewhere and give those to the people if he's so insistent that they have some instead of wanting me to give him some from our garden here. He surely can recognize milkweed if he has some of his own like he said he has. After hearing your story of what you have gone through with that person and having most of your caterpillars that you gave her die, that convinces me more than anything else not to give him any. No matter how disappointed he will be and no matter how many empty jars are waiting for caterpillars, some people are just going to have to be disappointed because I am not giving away any caterpillars. I guess he could tell that I wasn't too happy about the idea because he said something about buying them from me. I told him no, I don't sell caterpillars. Maybe I'm weird, but I'd feel like some madam pimping out some well, you know. Ha. Honestly, I'd feel like I'm exploiting the caterpillars. I just can't take money for them. He's not getting any anyway and thank you so much to you and the others for making me see for sure that giving him some would be a big mistake. I'd be heartbroken if he'd call me up later on and say something like, "I can't figure out what they did wrong; most of the people called me and said that their caterpillars died." Now, that would upset me and then some! Ha, knowing him, he'd probably ask for more! No way, Jose, none in the first place. Get your own. Ha. If I can't get him to see the light, then that's his problem and not mine. He ought to be glad that I'm taking all the time that I am to look up information for him and I've even started milkweed in cups for the people (not that a small milkweed plant would sustain a caterpillar). Even if they would have enough to feed them, so many other things could go wrong that I don't even want to have to worry about any of that. Thanks again. Cathy

That's crazy! We have released 65 monarchs year to date and that is using every bit of milkweed I have. Now my giant milkweed is finally getting going so maybe I'll be able to keep up better. Those scrawny tropical mw leaves only take a few minutes for a cat to eat! We've been trying to remember to log our releases this year, and to date it's 311. Monarchs at 65 are the winners, followed by gulf frits at 59 and orange barred sulphurs at 50. Actually I can just attach the list: Black Swallowtail 37 Cloudless sulphur 6 Giant Swallowtail 21 Great Southern White 10 Gulf Fritillary 59 Julia 6 Monarch 65 Orange barred sulphur 50 Polydamas Swallowtail 15 Queen 3 White Peacock 4 Zebra Longwing 35 The monarchs have been laying lots of eggs lately. Each time I say I am not bringing in ANY more, I accidentally bring in a few eggs on food leaves, then I HAVE to keep them too. It never gets old though watching the process. Does take your time though!

I planted my seeds in spring 0f 09 but nothing grew until midyear 2010. I spotted my first monarch last October but I did not find any eggs. This year on the 1st of September I spotted my first Monarch laying eggs. Then three days later another Monarch was spotted laying more eggs. I am pretty sure they were two different butterflies, as the second was much larger than the first. Then on the 12th I spotted another Monarch, one of her wings was kind of tattered, she too laid eggs. I collected 23 eggs from the first two butterfly visits. All hatched into cats, I kept 17, gave 3 to a neighbor, 3 to a teacher. Yesterday evening they started to form the J shape with their silk buttons. Of my 17 only 14 were in this stage. Of the 3 remaining 2 were quite a bit smaller and the 3rd was a few days behind the 14 (or so I thought). So last night I put those 3 back outside on my plant. Bad idea! This morning I noticed a wasp flying around my milkweed. I quickly swatted and killed it. It was too late I found the remains of one of my smaller cats, ughh. I collected the other two and brought them in. I went across the street to warn my neighbor. She had put her live plant outside, the milkweed aggravated her allergies. One of her little cats was gone too. She let me take the two back inside with mines. I also found another small cat so I brought it in, another wasp was circling. As of now I have 16 that are in the J position, and three little cats. I still feel awful that the wasp got the other two though.