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When to prune milkweed plants?
Hello,
I purchased 75 tropical milkweed seeds from glorious butterfly this winter and have had wonderful success with starting the seeds. When the plants …
Feeding Butterflies
I have two Flutterby Butterfly feeders, which I've had several years. The bottom is clear,the top is Yellow with many holes drilled into it. Also on the …
LOOKING FOR THE NAME OF A SWALLOWTAIL
I am trying to find out the name of a swallowtail. I have only seen it one time in my life. And in pictures. But I would like to know the name of it. Can …
Looking for Monarch eggs
Hello!
I teach kindergarten and would like to raise Monarch butterflies. I have been looking in the milkweed for the eggs but am not exactly sure what …
Advice needed please reply
I asked a question last week I hope I can get some help as things have changed a little since then.
About ten days ago I saw a Red Admiral butterfly …
Forming a J on the ground
We have a "caterpillar castle" that we have raised monarch butterflies in for the last few years. In previous years, all the caterpillars made their J's …
Black Swallowtail Questions
I noticed a few small BS cats yesterday on my planter containing dill & parsley, that is set on a retaining wall in full sun, about a foot away from any …
Stuck to the side...
We found a western tiger swallowtail caterpillar "hiking" across our lawn yesterday, and brought it inside. It had already turned a deep shade of brown, …
How long can you overwinter a chrysalis?
My daughter found a caterpillar in late November/early December. We put it in her "butterfly tent" indoors with some food. It thrived and formed a chrysalis, …
No eggs so far this year
We live is a western suburb of Chicago and have been raising Monarchs for about 5 years. We haven't seen a single monarch yet this year and despite having …
Ants eating eggs and cats...
I have alot of milkweed for my butterflies and raise Monarchs and Swallowtails. I never use insecticide and 'hand pick' the pests off like red/black beetles …
Extra large looking butterfly
I just found a extra large looking butterfly it fell out of the tree and never have I seen anything like this. It looks thick and so big and it won't fly …
Monarchs Bred in Captivity
Recently had monarchs released that were bred in captivity for a butterfly exhibit. Do such monarchs migrate? If they came from Florida and were released …
two tailed swallowtail butterfly
My husband just came home from a walk with a very beautiful but injured two tailed swallowtail butterfly. It can't fly, it's wings looked crumpled as they …
Frangipani and the monarch butterfly
The last two days a monarch butterfly has been laying eggs on the frangipani tree. I have never seen that before. I have also noticed two small caterpillars …
Need plant Identified?
Hi! I don't remember planting this, but it looks like something that could be a butterfly attractant? I have nothing else like it in my yard, though. …
Milkweed in vase is wilting
When you raise the caterpillars, indoors, do
you put some water in the vase for the milkweed stem that they feed on and how often do you replace the stem? …
Milkweed
Is this plant poison to animals?
Karen says:
The milkweed can make birds sick if they eat a monarch caterpillar which eats the milkweed....although …
Lifespan of Swallowtail?
How long does a newly hatched black swallowtail butterfly live? It is a bit chilly at night to release it and I may have to keep it inside for a week …
Swallow tail wings crimpled
My swallow tail has emerged, but its wings are still crumpled. Is there anything I can do to help open its wings. Otherwise I would not release it. …
Part of Caterpillar sticking out
My two sons and I are raising our first Monarch Butterflies from Larvae. Wednesday night we noticed the first chrysalis. It's now Saturday and the chrysalis …
Are all the seeds annual plants?
Hi there...
My daughter started preschool this year and learned about the butterfly life cycle and is now IN LOVE with butterflies.
I thought making …
Injured Mourning Cloak
I have a hatched Mourning Cloak that got injured when I placed it outside. It flew off fine, but about an hour later my wife noticed it was laying on the …
Chrysalis split open...
I have some painted lady chrysalis's, but one of them seems to have split at the top a few days after it turned into a chrysalis. But instead of a butterfly, …
Left it too long!
What would happen if soon after emerging a butterfly was not let out of a jar it was raised in it would probably-.....?
Karen says:
It takes a while …
Ant Problem
I have a terrible problem with ants eating the baby Monarchs shortly after they hatch on the Milkweed leaves. Is there anything I can put on the ground …
Ant Problem
I have a terrible problem with ants eating the baby Monarchs shortly after they hatch on the Milkweed leaves. Is there anything I can put on the ground …
Pruning milkweed in California
My question - I live in San Jose, California. I have milkweed in my school garden. What time of year do I need to prune it?
Karen says:
It depends …
Newly emerged butterfly
My butterfly emerged yesterday but did not fly away. I was worried last night so I put it in a covered jar with some sugar water in a lid and a piece …
Oahu butterfly that can't fly.
Is there anyone on Oahu, Hawaii that can care for a butterfly that can't fly. Its wing didn't fully unfold. Please let me know.
What do Butterflies Eat?
What does a black swallowtail butterfly eat? we are raising them in our 2nd grade class and we would like to know what to feed it.
Karen says:
All …
Larval Plant Food - lists
So often the lists of larval plant foods for specific butterflies is the genus only, for example Willows (Salix spp)or Apples (Malus spp). A genus list …
January Monarchs
I live in So. California, not that far the ocean. I have 6 monarchs that are in the caterpillar stage. I am AMAZED as we have had more than 10 inches …
Too cold for monarch?
I'm hoping you can help. I live in Ontario, Canada. We found a caterpillar on September 17th and brought him in with milkweed... he was born just yesterday. …
Found butterfly is eating
I thawed some watermelon juice and the monarch is eating. Put the juice in a crumpled paper towel on a dish. I purchased a mesh laundry hamper that hangs …
Found Butterfly
I found a monarch in the grass on my way to barn this AM. I got it on a leaf with a stick under its legs and put in the barn. It's really cold here now. …
Monarch Chrysalis
Our monarchs have been in their chrysalis for 17 days. Everything I read says 10-14 days. The chrysalis are still green. Have they died or is there …
Eastern black swallowtail
I had 4 cats that I left for my neighbor to babysit while I was on vacation. While I was gone, 2 butterflies emerged. It is now very cool in Oct in upstate …
Is the monarch caterpillar dead?
One of our monarchs started pupating and only got a third of the way. It's hanging there with most of the skin still on with a small portion of chrysalis …
Black swallowtail
I just had a black swallowtail butterfly hatch. I-m afraid that when it tries to fly it will be messed up because it may have to drop a little and that …
Hibernating Black Swallowtail
Will a black swallowtail hibernate even if it is kept in the warm indoors?
We have one in a jar, which appears to be beginning to pupate. We are wondering …
Black Swallowtail Range
I got all excited learning that Black Swallowtails love to use Rue for a host plant. However, I live in Spring Valley, an unincorporated area just east …
What will emerge from this Chrysalis?
What butterfly or moth is in Chrysalis right now in Florida? The chrysalis is about 2 inches long and has invaded my neighbor's hawthorn bushes and the …
We need more info on swallowtail care
I was hesitant to let my daughter bring home a caterpillar from a garden, because I know so many kids do and they die. We put it in a plastic box about …
WEATHER TOO COLD TO RELEASE MONARCHS?
Monarch caterpillars brought home from northern Michigan in late Sept. Developed into chrysalis state just fine. One emerged on a day that was windy, …
Chrysallis refrigeration
Any one refrigerated black swallowtail chrysalis over the winter? I know they winter over in this stage anyhow, but not sure where to keep them safe from …
Is there time?
We have 2 black swallowtail caterpillars who have gone into their chrysalis' yesterday and today. It's Sept. 23rd and we live in central PA ... not sure …
Is my Monarch dead?
We found a field of milkweed on our old vegetable garden and upon some research discovered a world of caterpillars - soon to be monarch's. We captured …
My Monarch eggs are getting eaten up.
I have a problem with something eating all my monarch eggs. We have tons of eggs and have successfully raised several generations inside but we have yet …
Not moving
Less than 24 hours ago, I had picked up an Eastern Black Swallowtail Caterpillar on the side of the road. It was brown, and only its forelegs and head …
Unfinished Cycle????
I have a chrysalis that has turned brown on the top. It has been in the box along with the second one that has successfully hatched...The brown one has …
Green discharge from swallowtail cats
Two of my cats have been discharging fluid and eaten plant. cant tell which end its coming out of. both are appearing to be healthy otherwise. Is this …
Dying caterpillars and good chrysalis
I had 6 caterpillars of various sizes. One is now a chrysalis, one went to the J, and started the chrysalis, but half way up stopped, and all of the others …
Butterfly Question
Hi I was wanting to know I just had a monarch butterfly hatch and I was wanting to find out when I should let it go, as of right now it is pouring rain. …
September Caterpillars
Hi, I've been reading all of the wonderful information here and am so excited! I have about 40 caterpillars feasting on my parsley as we speak. I have …
Caterpillars hanging on cut leaves
We have two monarch caterpillars that we have raised from eggs. We have been keeping them in a glass jar and adding fresh milkweed leaves daily. We also …
Is it too late?
I live in Southern Michigan. I found a caterpillar and brought it inside with some milkweed to eat. As I started looking for more milkweed plants, I …
Breeding Monarchs
If I were to keep a few female and male Monarchs, after they hatch, would they breed in captivity? Also, how soon after a Monarch hatches does it begin …
Raising Black Swallowtail butterflies?
I found a Black Swallowtail Caterpillar in my garden today, feasting on some carrots. I now need to know how to raise them! By that I mean what type of …
No monarch eggs
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 …
Where do black swallowtails migrate?
The caterpillars from my black swallowtails have emerged and are ready to be released. My second graders will do this in the next couple of days. I would …
Other Caterpillars on Milkweed
photo by ram-man
We keep an eye out for monarch caterpillars on the milkweed near our home. This year for the first time I see many fuzzy caterpillars …
Black Swallowtail Chrysalis Twitching
I've never raised black swallowtail butterfly caterpillars before and yesterday two of the chrysalis were twitching like crazy. I thought for sure they …
Caterpillar Just Laying There
I found one small monarch caterpillar and brought it home on a leaf with the wet paper towels. It was about a quarter inch long or less and doubled in …
Monarch Butterfly with OE
We have had several caterpillars with a fluid coming out of them. Also two deformed chrysilias. what could cause this. Also one butterfly that was struggling. …
Monarch Chrysalis Fell
One of our monarch chrysalis fell off a branch and is lying on its side. Any help to make it hang again?
Karen says:
Yes, I have also had …
Two Black Swallowtail Butterflies
We had one black swallowtail chrysalis in a glass jar with a mesh top. There had been two caterpillars in the jar but one disappeared and the other formed …
Sleeping Larva
Do larva sleep during the day and night? This is our first week of experiencing and watching the butterfly larvae eating on parsley in an enclosed area. …
Monarch Caterpillar Died
I am a toddler teacher at a daycare in Michigan. I found 2 Monarch caterpillars while by the lakeside. I took them back with me and we watched as they …
Deformed Wing on Swallowtail Butterfly
I have this butterfly that hatched from the chrysalis and his wing is deformed. Should I still release him this way or should I keep him and feed it sugar …
Caterpiller looks like he has died
Hello,
I just started raising Monarchs this summer here in MN. I had 3 caterpillars crawl to the top of the container, two have already pupated. One …
Best place to keep cats?
You said you like to keep your cats out in the open, but do you mean inside your house or outside? I am assuming indoors but not in a cage? I have …
Fallen swallowtail chrysalis
I have recently found a swallowtail caterpillar while at work. I work at a daycare so I was able to put it into a clear plastic bug catcher until I got …
Wasps Eating Caterpillars
How do I get rid of the wasps that are eating my caterpillars?
Karen says:
It is almost impossible to get rid of the wasps...although one person …
Raising Butterflies
Hi I am a teacher and was wanting to purchase a butterfly kit. I went to the link provided and can't get through to that business to order. Do you have …
Where did the black swallowtails go?
This is my first year butterfly gardening. I was really excited to see how easy it was to attract monarch butterflies, and see them develop in my own backyard. …
Butterfly but No Caterpillars
I have a very large butterfly garden shaped like a butterfly. We have several larval plants and several nectar plants. There are several kinds of butterflies …
How long will the seeds last?
I purchased both Swamp and Tropical milkweed seeds.
They have been in the fridge for about 6 weeks.
I have been unable to complete a planting area.
…
Swallowtail Caterpillar Host Plant
Swallowtail caterpillar host plant question -
I have 3 rue plants in a tank with cardboard on the bottom that have fed 6 + caterpillars..
a couple keep …
Swallowtail Caterpillar
I have 3 rue plants in a tank with cardboard on the bottom that have fed 6 + caterpillars..
a couple keep falling off...
I put them back on the plants, …
Monarch Butterfly Eggs
What is the best month and approximate date to look for Monarch butterfly eggs? Thank you. Hoping to show my grandson the beauty of Monarch butterflies. …
Butterfly Migration Stop Animation
Not quite a tip, but a video I would like to share of stop animation butterfly migration.here is the link....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fgq6TsUCUA&feature=digest …
Host plant
I have a vine that is prominent in the Denver area. It grows in my yard and has had an abundance certain years of a caterpillar that resembles the black …
Monarch Caterpillar Care in Florida
I purchased a butterfly weed plant and now have 23 caterpillars which I put into a large plastic container, netting on top for air and a few leaves for …
Butterfly House
Hi Karen
I am from Malaysia and I hope you can assist me.
I have put my host plants (one is citrus lime and the other is curry leaves) in a netting …
Painted Lady Butterfly
I purchased a butterfly kit for my class room with 5 painted ladies. They have each formed a chrysalis on a napkin and are inside the 1-cup container …
Will our Black Swallowtail emerge?
My boys found a swallowtail caterpillar last fall and it has been in it's chrysalis all winter. I wasn't aware that you were supposed to keep it in a …
Butterfly house
I purchased a butterfly house, but don't know how to use it. I would like instructions. Is the house used after the butterfly emerges as a safe place to …
Osmeterium Harmful to Touch?
Hello,
First let me compliment you on your site. You've got some great info. I have two questions for you. Regarding the osmeterium on the black swallowtail …
Orange dots in Giant Swallowtails
It's about the two dots at the base of the tails, visible when the wings are spread. Sometimes they are orange but I have also seen them more yellow/brown. …
Monarchs in Salt Lake City Utah
I live in Salt Lake City, Utah. I see common milkweed in many places growing wild but rarely find Monarch caterpillars on them. Is our climate too cold …
Where have all my caterpillars gone?
This morning we had up to 20 caterpillars of various sizes, esp 2 big ones almost ready to pupate, but when we came home this afternoon we could only find …
Milkweed harmful to birds and children?
Somewhere on your site you mention most animals not liking the taste of milkweed (the toxins) - but that cardinals love it. Due to a neighbor's bird feeder …
Cold Weather
I live in South Florida, We are having a chilly winter. I have 6 chrysalis, that don't look normal. Sometimes they are on the side of the house instead …
Milkweed Plants
The caterpillars have nearly stripped my scarlet milkweed plants of their leaves. Should I cut the plants back now or just leave them as they are. They …
New Butterflies Unsteady
Hi,
We are having an unusually cold Winter here in Central Florida, so we took in a few Monarchs: a newly emerged butterfly, a chrysalis from which a …
Indoor care for butterflies
I have a swallowtail butterfly that has just hatched indoors in the wintertime. I can't release him now. What does he need to survive?
Karen says: …
Monarch Chrysalis Cold Outside
I have Monarch Chrysalis in my backyard. It will be 30 or below degrees F tonight should I try to bring them indoors? It is not the Black Swallowtail, …
Painted Lady Butterfly
Is it true that Painted Lady butterflies can be raised inside my home during the winter months? Is this humane? And if the answer is yes to each …
Monarch Cold Weather
The weather has turned cold - should snow tomorrow. I have many chrysalis and 1 monarch hatched outside and is hanging on to chrysalis. If I bring it …
Monarch eggs in November
What will happen to the monarch eggs and cats that are on my milkweed plants now, in late November?
Will they complete their cycle and have much chance …
Tigere Swallowtails
Males or Females?
I grow Bronze Fennel and have watched the Swallowtails lay eggs and the joy of watching feeding babies. Two questions: I thought the yellow Swallowtails …
Lantana Butterfly?
Discovered a "different" butterfly today. Its wings are not very large, black with white dots. Body is a vivid blue with the lower third a bright red. …
Milkweed Plant spacing in the garden?
How close together do you plant milkweed plants? Do you group them, several plants in a grouping and how close together should each plant be grown?
…
Book about Caterpillars
I'm looking for the very best book I can get on identifying caterpillars in all their instars. Most books show only one instar. My main interest is …
A Monarch that won't fly?
We found our first Chrysalis and things were transforming well. Then after allowing the butterfly to dry her wings attempted to put her outside that …
Monarch Release Question
I have a question,okay maybe more than one. How specifically do you go about releasing Monarch butterflies. How long do you wait after they emerge? …
Butterfly Can't Fly
I have a Butterfly that can't fly. Something is wrong with one of it's wings. I found it in my garden outside. What can I feed it? will it drink the …
Moving the Chrysalis inside
How can I move a Chrysalis from outside to inside the house. One of the caterpillars attached itself to my outside garbage can yesterday 6/26/09. I have …
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