Where Have All The Butterflies Gone?

To Mexico, of course... if you're a Monarch that is. My how I wish I were there too, instead of here in this icky snowy, rainy mess we're having at this moment. http://www.monarchbutterflyusa.com/Migration.htm

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seasons change

As this season begins to cool and fall is nipping at our heals, I relish each morning release and hope that next season won't be too far off. There are 47 more chrysalis that will all emerge within the week and that will be it for this Monarch Rescue Retreat. As the weather cools, I don't know how long you can keep releasing them outside until it's too late to fly south. So, I let mother nature do her job and try to keep an eye on the cats outside and kill any other little critters that get near them.

One of these days, I will get around taking pictures and filling out the forms and be a part of this great organization.

Monarch Butterfly Days

The Monarchs are emerging successfully. Each day there are new ones to release. The count so far is 18 released, at least 35-40 to go. I'm sad to say that I did lose count over the weekend and since then, when I find more, I haven't bothered to add them up. There are just too many little critters in there to count now.

Two lost chrysalis so far. One due to human error (yes, me, I'm very sad to say) and one just didn't form his chrysalis correctly. After j-hooking and shedding, the color was wrong, he/she was small and then it did continue to form as far as getting the gold spots and the shape, but still, the color and size just aren't right.

I have to research this fuzzy little bug thing that has started hanging around the milkweed. This will be the first year for them, so I have no idea what they are. Last week, they were all lined up on a couple leaves looking like little soldiers. Now they've begun to spread around and it looks like they're eating the milkweed??? although the milkweed doesn't look like it's disappearing enough to be eaten by other bugs. I should get pics of them and find out exactly what they are.

Sadly, there are just soooo many bugs hanging around all my gardens since the beginning of 2006 season when I tried to go organic. Now that I've gone organic so the butterflies can live, I have to save the caterpillars so other bugs don't kill them. I can't go barefoot anymore... too many bugs... they're EVERYWHERE. All kinds of weird things I've never seen before. There are black, empty caterpillar carcasses hanging all over the fennel and milkweed. What I don't save seems to be dying an untimely death.

AND... I have an overpopulation of praying mantis. I thought they were supposed to be extinct or something. There is just too much critter craziness going on around here. I used to love gardening and planting... now it's just one battle after another. From the veggies, to the caterpillars, the bushes and trees... ugh... must be getting to the end of summer!

Busy day for the Monarchs

They're j-hooking left and right. One of the pupa is being eaten by another caterpillar... or so it looks. The top looks like it's dried up, but only pupated today. Either it went bad on its own or there is cannibalism going on in there. Anyone ever have any experiences with that before? Very strange stuff I tell ya.