Where a species of butterfly chooses to stay is really an interesting point. If you walk down my street on a summer morning and look from the front yard of my house to the back yard, you will probably see at least 5 species and multiplies of these species at any given time. Look to the yard to the left or right or behind you and you might see a stray butterfly, usually headed towards my yard. Another point - a neighbor about 3 houses away also has a butterfly garden of sorts. He has a huge Pipevine growing against his house. My Pipevine grows on a wooden fence the depth of my yard. It was recently totally eaten down in a matter of a week. I took at least 60 cats to his house to put on his vine that had a couple cats on it. I gave another friend about the same amount of cats for her vine and I still had cats crawling on the ground making their chrysalis because even the stems of the vine were eaten. Now, why do the Polys stay in my yard and continue to try to find vine to lay on when just that short distance there is ample food? He doesn't spray pesticides, basically has the same predators I would like Cardinals, wasps, and anoles. I am now having to remove eggs and tiny cats that hatch just to let my vine regrow. There were at least 20 Polys out there this morning chasing each other and trying to find vine to lay on. My point is you can't make them come or make them stay or make them go away (well unless you get rid of their hosts!). We are also seeing a change in the migration path for our state butterfly Zebra Longwing. I have yet to see one come in my yard this year despite having several types of Passionvine that they use. In past years I was releasing up to 2 dozen a day for several weeks in the summer. The past winter was so bad that some believe the butterflies suffered since they do have a long lifetime since they also collect pollen as well as nectar. They are still seeing them in south Florida and along the coast but not in the interior as in the past. When I was raising and releasing them, I never saw many stay in my yard. Most would leave and only 2 to 3 pairs would stay. My theory was that the others would continue north since they are common (or were) common throughout the state. I would love to have some to raise and get them re-established in the area but I bet they wouldn't stay but move on. I actually did get a few eggs from a friend in South Florida and released 5 but all left immediately. Again, you can't make them stay. Its in their genetic makeup to do what nature wants them to do.

That is just about right Kristin since the males arrive about 2 weeks before the females. Penny

Susan, thanks for the suggestions. We stay away from genetically modified seed at every opportunity. What bugs me is that a good many comercial potatoes are now genetically modified to produce BT. You're right! We don't know the long term effects of eating these things. Yet I've heard that producers who want to sell their product with a label saying "NON GENETICALLY MODIFIED" are often prohibeted from doing so! This is not consumer freedom in my book. George Tahlequah, OK

How I wish our robins had stuck around! We had one nesting pair in a nearby Maple tree and they raised at least 2 babies. But after last weekend (we are there only on weekends) they are gone. No little corpses in the yard, so I assume they've flown to another base. Like us, I guess: one residence on weekdays and another on weekends. But I have mementoes of their stay, a couple of blue eggshell pieces.