Saturday, August 26, 2017

Migration is beginning

Much of the information that I am going to post today comes from a website called "Journey North"  that tracks the migration of Monarchs, hummingbirds, Whooping Cranes as they begin to Migrate for the season.  It is from this information that I can say with confidence that the butterflies that are hatching from now on are the ones that will migrate to Mexico until spring.  The numbers that survive their migration will have a direct correlation on the numbers that will return next year....assuming they remain safe and healthy upon arrival in Mexico.
Monarchs that emerge from Chrysalis at this time of year are unique.  i.e. "Super Monarchs"  their focus is on nectaring, and storing up fat for their long journey.  They emerge in a state called Diapause, which means they are fully developed, but not mature reproductively.  The same hormone that causes the state of diapause, also enables the Monarch to survive for 8 Months, instead of 2-6 weeks.  It's believed that changes in temperature, and light signal this change in the late season hatchlings.  I have noticed that we have had an unusually cool and wet August here in Minnesota, and the egg laying and caterpillar numbers have rapidly declined.  I am also noticing that the butterflies stay in a Chrysalis state longer in August than June and July.
I am excited that year to date I have released 35 butterflies, and am looking for about that many more to send to Mexico!  I have ordered tags from MonarchWatch.org so I can tag my butterflies that I will be releasing in the coming month.  These tiny tags get reported on a website printed on the tag if the butterfly is found in Mexico.  I do not expect the butterflies to return in the spring.  This is a piece of the migration that seems to confuse most people.  I say again, the butterflies that I release this Month, and next will fly to Mexico.  If they survive the journey down, they will overwinter in huge trees in the mountains of Mexico then in early March they begin to journey back north.  Those butterflies only make it about as far as Texas then they lay their eggs and die.  So they butterflies that return to the north next season are the great great grandchildren of those that migrate this fall.  It boggles my mind that these tiny creatures have the ability to do that.  Flying 50 or more miles everyday, and arriving in southern Mexico around Halloween.
So to you that follow this blog, and have taken the leap and begun to raise your own butterflies this season the Monarchs are better off because of you.  If you release 5 butterflies, chances are those are at least 4 more than would have survived in the wild, and if enough of us do that it has to make a difference!!  Keep up the good work.  Save the MONARCH!

Saturday, August 19, 2017

Final butterflies of the season

I have not had any more caterpillars succumb to parasites, or viruses.  As of today I have released 23 healthy Monarchs, I have 4 that will hatch today, still another 6 or more in the next week, and too many caterpillars to even count, so I am far from finished with the season.  It's exciting to think that all will be heading to Mexico that will be released in the next few weeks, so it's doubly important that they are healthy and strong!  I have noticed a decrease in eggs and caterpillars out in the wild, and I'm wondering if that has to do with cooler and wetter than average August.  I am curious if they will rebound if it warms up, as it is predicted to do.  I will continue to look for another couple weeks, but I am cautious about raising any that will hatch too late to fly south, as last year all my late hatchlings died, which was very traumatic for me.  I believe it was simply due to it being too cold for them to survive.
I took some fun pictures over the past week....the first is a picture of a milkweed plant in my aquarium with a caterpillar on almost every leaf, all different instars (sizes), then in comparison the same plant after those caterpillars had done their work!  The other one is a photo of my daughter helping to release a female, and it's sitting on her shoulder.
As always....keep raising those butterflies.  I believe we are making a difference!
Spread the word and Save the MONARCH!



Friday, August 11, 2017

NPvirus

Its been an interesting week!  I have had beautiful healthy butterflies hatch every day this week.  The highlight was 4 females all on Wednesday!  Eggs, and caterpillars remain abundant this year.

That's all good news!!  Bad news this week, I learned about, and experienced first hand what I believe is called NPvirus...NPV.  I noticed one of my largest cats this AM dangling lifelessly from a chewed leaf, with a green substance on the paper towels beneath it.  So I visited the expert that I have mentioned many times (Rich Lund)  mrlundscience sure enough he had experienced a similar episode, and his information was informative, and discouraging!!  I removed all my caterpillars from big enclosure, and it will need to be sterilized with a bleach solution.  I am hoping I will not have to euthanize any more of my large cats!  I will monitor them closely until they do their thing!  The good news is that most of my caterpillars are already in Chrysalides, so I think they are safe!  I hope they are safe!!  There were only 4 or 5 big ones that were potentially exposed to the virus.  I have about 15-20 that are still too small to release into the big enclosure, so I think they are all safe, as long as I don't have another outbreak! yuk

So that's the news from the caterpillar world.  If you are following this blog, and are raising your own caterpillars/Monarchs please visit mrlundscience You-tube videos to learn more about these threats to our Monarchs!!  The last generation of the season is here.  They are the super Monarchs that will go to Mexico.  The more healthy butterflies that we release, the more hope there will be for next year's season to be a repeat of this year!!  We need several years in a row like this year in order to revive the species!!  Keep up the good work.

Save the MONARCH!

Sunday, August 6, 2017

August 6, eggs, babies and Chrysalides

There will be a butterfly explosion at my house this week.  All those Chrysalides that formed last weekend should hatch this week....very exciting!  A friend and I went "hunting" last Friday, and found at least 20 more eggs, and three baby cats.  I am still not seeing large (4th instar) cats out in the wild, so I continue to believe the safest place for them is in my care.  I am seeing so many more butterflies this year, which just makes me happy.
I watched some of the "mrlundscience" videos on youtube this week and he is feeling the same optimism about this years season, however, he also cautions that one good season is not enough to save this species and we must remain vigilant and continue to spread the word about planting milkweed, and encouraging our city governments to not mow it down! (especially in July and August!)
I also watched a video about the OE Virus that attacks Monarchs and spreads on milkweed.  It seems it's not a huge problem here in the midwest, but I have had caterpillars, and butterflies die that must have been infected.  More often than killing the caterpillar or butterfly it lives on the adult Monarch, then is spread when it lands on milkweed to feed or lay eggs.  Very fascinating!  If you're interested in more detail, please watch the videos produced by Mr. Lund.
Below are pictures of eggs, and a few of my chrysalides.  I hope I can get pictures, maybe even video of all this butterflies emerging this week!  In the meantime, Thanks for caring....SAVE the MONARCH!!