If you know you had a lot of cats, it might be best to leave the garden cleanup for a while, if it's possible to do so. If there's a lot of plant growth for them to choose from, I'd 'guess' they would probably not travel a great distance from where they were feeding but I don't know this for a fact.

Hopefully someone from your area will know more about when it would be safe to clear the garden. Thank you for letting the milkweed grow for them to use.

Mary

I agree with Mary, wait, as a matter of fact, if you wait until next spring when you're starting your garden all over again, there'd be much less chance you'd kill any chrysalides. I assume you don't live in a home where there's a home owners association that would fine your or whatever they do when a member doesn't do like they want. It's hard to leave a mess all winter, but I've done it, and it's much easier to work in spring than any other time of year - between the perfect weather and my gardening enthusiasm at that time, I get a LOT more done. And those foxtails (grasses, I guess) probably make seeds in fall that some birds would eat, so you'd be helping them out! :)

Sherry

Thanks Mary and Sherry. The chrysalises don't overwinter, do they? It gets below freezing a lot here in the winters.

No, to my knowledge, the Monarchs do not overwinter in their chrysalides. I think it's approx. 10 days from when they form their chrysalides to when they eclose but if there are all ages out there, it could be a while before the last ones leave. I think Sherry was thinking of other little things that might overwinter on the grasses and stalks. Black Swallowtails will sometimes wait until the next year to eclose and I think it was Sherry who said she had one BST that waited two years. I've had some overwinter but since I raise them in enclosures, they are usually on a twig and I can overwinter them under the eave on the shelf above my potting table. The BST seems to manage the freezing weather somehow. Nature is a big mystery to me at times!

Mary

Thanks! And thanks for gently letting me know it's chrysalides. :)

Chrysalises and chrysalides are both correct but I've only heard entomologists pronounce "chysalides" correctly. It should sound like "deez" at the end. I found out this year I've been pronouncing "Asclepias" incorrectly.

Thanks KC. I had to look it up online, as to how to pronounce it. I just have to remember to emphasize the "sal" part! Now I need to look up Asclepias too. :)

oops......found out I was saying Asclepias wrong too. haha