Missing Caterpillars

by Cathy
(League City TX)

We purchased a milkweed plant and the Butterflies came. We had 10 caterpillars on one day and then only 3 the next. Do the birds eat them? What can I do to help them through all four stages?
League city, TX


Karen says:
Yes, the birds do eat them, even though they are suppose to taste terrible. I have watched through my living room window as the cardinals "steal" my caterpillars from the swamp milkweed (before I run out and shoo them away).

The best way to "save the caterpillars" is to take them inside and raise them or cover with a protective net sleeve. If you raise them inside you can observe, up close, the miraculous transformation. Good luck!