No where on the internet can you read about advancing Monarch cultivation technique. I am on grandchildren going on great. People think you cannot get a released Monarch to lay eggs on your plants. Of course you can. I have done multiple generations since May. My goal is to keep a chain going for 2 years nonstop here in Florida. OE and ants farming aphids are the two biggest challenges. The ants farm aphids on my plants and eat ALL the caterpillars before 3rd instar.

Almost all my eggs come from butterflies I release. I raise them inside. I move potted plants with eggs into an ant free environment inside. Then keep the cats separated 5-7 max to cut down on OE spread. There is a huge egg influx the first 2 weeks after release. I collect those and any 1st and 2nd instars I see.

I am preparing for winter. When the ants go seasonally away I expect to get a mass eat out of my inground plants. It will be hundreds at once if they eat all my inground plants. This will be done through releasing egg layers. I will be growing what I call Florida Tall Poppies (tithonia torches) in pots for winter nectar. They will get frosted and killed outside and I want to have a nectar source in winter. Wish me luck I havnt heard of anyone else doing this. They probably do but dont put it on the internet or I cant find it

The coloring looks off.

Had my first monarch of the year come by yesterday and left 2 eggs! I’m in north DFW Texas.

I had the itty bittiest cocoon I’ve ever had and was worried she was sick. Turns out she’s just really tiny! She hatched today and her wings are only about an inch and a bit long each. She’s not 100% dry yet but I will release her later today while it’s sunny but not as blistering hot as it is right now.

I'm getting really worried, it's been a little over a week for the chrysalis on the mesh container that's turning darker and around 4 days for the chrysalis on the plant that's got some brown, they are both monarch caterpillars and they were doing so well, is it because it's to humid? i really hope i didn't fail them 😔

I got to watch the one on the left first and then recognized that the one in the middle was getting ready to do same so I set up my phone to catch this! There’s actually another one in the back going at the same time too you can kinda see the movement between the leaves. Very exciting, it’s my first time doing this!

I have two though that made their cocoon on the underside of leaves as opposed to the top of the enclosure. I still have small caterpillars eating leaves and am concerned about them eating the leaves of the chrysalis? Is there something I should do? should I move the chrysalis?

Thank you for any advice 🐛🦋💛

Is this chrysalis viable? It looks off, with brown spotting and a hole in the center.

For some reason one of my caterpillars decided to hang from a half eaten milkweed leaf on a clipped stalk. I had flamed the stalk so it will last a bit but I don’t think long enough for him to emerge. I also have an eating caterpillar who is on the smaller side. Should I move the chrysalis once it forms and hardens?

First female emerged today, and she’s quite small compared to the males. In northern Ontario it’s getting colder (around 10c at night) which made me think this one jumped to J a bit too soon?

Otherwise she seems healthy! She’s outside in some cover as we’re between storms but tomorrow morning looks good for a release. Let’s wish her luck on her big flight south.

I’ve had probably 40 so far this summer (some with my help, some with Mother Nature)

This little guy is on a big fat juicy zebra tomato. I came back shortly after this pic and he’s a crystalis already.
Should I move him or leave him alone?

This is my first caterpillar, day 15. This morning I believed he was molting. But now early evening, I don’t think he looks well. Is this the worse case scenario I feared? Or does he just have thicker black stripes? Including pictures from earlier in the cycle.