No monarch eggs

by Mary
(Scott County, Minnesota)

Why don't I have Monarch butterflies laying eggs on my milkweed? It's common milkweed, the invasive kind that grows in ditches.

Karen says:
I have found that the monarch butterfly lays eggs sporadically on my milkweed and I have to inspect the milkweed often because the eggs are quickly eaten by spiders and other predators. There are very few eggs that make it through the life cycle compared to number of monarch eggs laid on milkweed. Maybe try adding some swamp milkweed or tropical milkweed to your garden to increase your chances of finding monarch eggs.