I'm going to add some comments here that I made on another thread to maybe clarify some of my opinions on OE. As always my thoughts are my opinions based on many years of actually doing, not just accepting what others say. So they are only FWIW to be taken as a person chooses to take them. IMO common logic dictates that like with most infestation, disease or infection, the level they intrude an individual at can vary widely from minor to massive. That is commonly proved out with OE in Danaidae. If a larvae makes it through complete metamorphosis to an imago that can eclose and form OK, even if OE is present it was a relatively minor infestation in that individual. The opposite being if a larva at any instar, pupa or adult that has OE dies without getting through complete metamorphosis, that individual was obviously infested at a much higher level. Unfortuanately no matter at what level (with OE especially), failure to destroy any sick livestock whether it be OE, another parasatoid, viral or bacterial infection in most cases will promote the spread of any of any of them to other individuals. OE is the prominent one that will carry on to generation after generation beyond a given brood, and nothing but complete elimination of any brood within your control that might be infected with it will help slow it down in a colony. Why in my opinion when it comes to livestock even suspected of possibly having OE it's not worth taking any chances with them "for the good of the species as a whole". For those of use who did/do field work with Lepidoptera, that includes wild Danaidae livestock found or adults netted that show any possibilty of hosting OE. NOTE: Even if you have a very strictly controlled gardening and rearing rigime (which I doubt any of you have), you won't eliminate all of any OE present. So don't go slap happy destroying everything in sight. Instead be analytical and logical, and then decide what is reasonable for your own circumstances. Yes, livestock can have OE and not show any of the so called "visible" signs of it, which IMO are not proof positive of OE anyway and can be from other causes. In part why on my OE thread I offered some habit and condition factors that could also suggest OE is present as well even though they also do not prove OE and can also be from other causes. Bottom line, to prove OE is NOT present in an individual for certain takes a microscope or loupe. And in almost all cases if a larvae it will have to be euthanized to test with any certainty. A possibility to check for OE in pupa is to test the purge of the last instar larva for OE, but unforunately that is not 100%. I'm a lot more scientific in my appraoch to Lepidoptera than all of the folks here, so I don't accept things at face value. I am also skeptical of data from other sources that are not proven to me. The Internet and publications commonly breed misinformation about everything, including Lepidoptera, that is passed on by ACE's who probably got it from another one. So it's prudent not to trust every thing you read on the Internet or in books if it's not from a source you trust. Larry

Leafhead, I like your thinking re: "vaccines" and acquired or aided immunity to OE. My mind is on OE as I work with these eggs, instars, examine then sterilize milkweed, etc. I was changing a 4-5th instar's water and food, when to my horror it fell into some dilute bleach-water ! I thought it would have died instantly. I fished it out and rinsed it off well, then gave it the choicest, tenderest MW I had reserved for babies. It went wild with this fresh and young MW and ate like a pig for hours! I had an idea similar to yours, what if a hint of bleach had gotten into it's system and killed or partially killed the OE? Having been married to a chemist, I often wish I could access his knowledge and love of "challenges" and apply it to OE. After seeing the diseased Monarch in my yard, the last group of eggs I washed in a mild bleach-water solution, and marked their container as such. Former eggs I allowed to hatch on the stem as found, washed with water only. Will see how they eclose. I appreciate that you looked into OE and called about it. I am frustrated at the inconsistent information I'm finding online about bleach working, not working, etc....how much to use, how long...etc. About changing their MW type, etc. Also if these winter bred Monarchs will be confused, fit in? Will aiding unnatural behavior be of any benefit in the big picture? Hopefully a "vaccine" or a genetic tolerance for OE will evolve. The poor Monarch--global warming, rapid destruction of it's winter forest in Mexico and native habitats, GE crops, OE..This is an inspiring species...Seems adaptation is their strong suit, yet their radical decline is sobering.

grandms, I think that was the answer I was looking for. But keep in mind that the e-mails that you get on Windows Live Mail will not download to OE also. I do know that if you are in a certain mail account when you are receiving mail, it lands at the account you have open provided you have those accounts allowed in and you can not get them again. Example: If I was in Windows Live Hotmail and mail is coming in, when I close out and go to OE, the mail that came in while WLH was open to receive them, those mails will not show up in OE then as they would have had I not had WLH mail open. But, I am assuming Windows Live Mail will not associate with OE at all from what DA posted? (Thanks DA for your time spent. Didn't mean for you to have to do that) Thank you too RC, will go back and check your url out. I am afraid to open my Hotmail account because of that incident I had (don't trust hotmail) and tried to change that addy to gmail here for Garden Web but GW won't let me so I may be missing email replies to me if sent there from here.

Was the account that is missing emails in OE set up prior to the receive date on the emails? I would also check the Blocked Sender's List in OE...click Tools, Message Rules and Blocked Sender's to see if the senders have somehow been blocked. Pam