The yard has been flooded with monarch butterflies recently. And there are so many caterpillars of every instar roaming around the milkweed and chomping away. My butterfly weed, a native milkweed plant, which has grown rather big, is littered with eggs and tiny caterpillars. I wonder if the flowers will bloom before the caterpillars chomp them away.
With my butterfly house currently occupying another species of caterpillars, I am leaving the monarch caterpillars in the garden. It has been fun finding the fat boys either on or near milkweed throughout the garden. The first monarch caterpillar is resting on a coreopsis, the Florida wildflower, while the other was chomping away on the giant milkweed.
Although we have butterflies year round in Florida, the visitors to the garden sure has multiplied since the temperatures have become a consistent 80 to 90 degrees.
I am happy to say, as of today, we have successfully raised and released more than 300 (303) monarch butterflies. It has been an interesting journey learning about this species up close and personal. It’s truly amazing what obstacles they are faced with as soon as an egg is laid.
The female monarch butterflies have been busy laying eggs in the garden, as my giant milkweed, which I have been growing for more than two years, is now all stems. Once taller than me, is now trimmed back encouraging new growth again. It’s truly amazing now much eating a monarch caterpillar can do.
With my milkweed pretty much non existent at the moment, my good friend took some caterpillars to her garden, so they can finish eating.
Every time my daughter and I go out into the gardens we spot a new chrysalis, some in very hidden places, while others in odd places. It’s fun to see how far they travel and what they use to create their silk mat on outdoors.
I witnessed another monarch caterpillar create its chrysalis this morning in a sea of other chrysalis that already formed many days ago. Such a truly fascinating thing to witness.
My gardens have been full of monarch butterflies either laying eggs, or drinking nectar. This morning I found a good 40 caterpillars on one plant alone. To say my milkweed is dwindling is a huge understatement.
I released a total of six more monarch butterflies yesterday and today. Here is a glimpse of the few.
