How to find a baby monarch caterpillar:
It is possible to raise monarchs from eggs, and many experienced monarch ranchers prefer to start with eggs. The main reason is that the earlier in the metamorphosis cycle that you start the more likely it is that the end result will be a healthy adult monarch. However, starting from eggs is a bit trickier. I prefer to try to keep my milkweed as free of pests as possible and find caterpillars as soon after they hatched as possible.
Here are a few tips on doing that: In a previous post I shared that my method for keeping milkweed pest-free is to check it once every day or so and brush/shake off the pests. Believe it or not, this works well because the real damage does not begin until the predators lay eggs themselves and those eggs hatch and feed upon milkweed eggs and small caterpillars.
The monarch lays her eggs by what is known as "dotting" the milkweed leaves. This is never done on the stem and only rarely on the top of the leaf. Therefore, always look on the bottoms of the leaves, and only look at leaves that have a small very jagged, wet looking hole somewhere away from the edge of the leaf. The attached photos of the leaf show a large hole at the edge of the leaf. This is not made by a baby caterpillar. The leaf near the center shows the type of hole to look for and the baby caterpillar that made it.
If I find a much larger caterpillar, I will move it to a raising chamber, but keep it separate from ones that were raised from newly hatched eggs.
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.I have a T shirt that says "Mother of Butterflies" on it, but I may have to get one that says "Monarch Rancher". When searching my milkweeds in the garden for baby caterpillars I try to look for a fine sprinkling of "pepper" as well as some holes in the leaves. One method I was using for a while to protect caterpillars on the plant was to turn a tomato cage upside down and cover it with mesh fabric (tulle). I used clips as well as sewing the fabric together to keep out wasps and lizards.
TerriCity
Level 7
June 21, 2018
2
Thanks for posting! I'm starting to get a lot of Aphids. Do the Aphids eat the eggs?
CaroleKay
Level 8
June 19, 2018
1
I don't think they do, but if there are a lot of them on the plant, monarchs will lay their eggs elsewhere. Also, the aphids tend to be accompanied by ants, and the ants do eat monarch eggs. Presently, I am having more problems with ants. Most of my pest infestation problems are worse when several milkweed plants are growing very close together. I'm learning that it is better to space out the milkweed then to let it just spread naturally all in one place. Here is a link to a pretty good article about controlling aphids:
Aphids are sucking insects. They excrete a sticky sweet liquid which the ants enjoy & farm the aphids. Aphids could retard the health of your milkweed so eliminating pests is a good thing for the milkweed.
That is very interesting. I keep an eye on eggs for 4-5 days and then collect when they black tip or are newly hatched.
A black tip is an egg ready to hatch. It is sort of translucent with a black tip. This is actually the black head of the new caterpillar. I place larvae and eggs in a container like the one shown, on their original foliage. It is fun to watch the new larvae hatch, and even eat the eggshell!
As they get bigger in about 2-3 days, I switch out for fresh Milkweed.
Leafhead
Level 8
June 19, 2018
3
I'll try that!
Thanks!
I am still working on a healthy crop of milkweed :/
CraeftSmith
Level 7
June 19, 2018
2
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Posted by TerriCitySulpher butterfly from caterpillar to pupa to adult butterfly.
Posted by TerriCitySulpher butterfly from caterpillar to pupa to adult butterfly.
Posted by TerriCitySulpher butterfly from caterpillar to pupa to adult butterfly.
Posted by TerriCitySulpher butterfly from caterpillar to pupa to adult butterfly.
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Posted by bigpawbulletsSilly meme. But an attractive butterfly. Photoshopped or real?
Posted by MikeECI posted this earlier In the Gardeners group, but had actually intended to post it here. Those of you who are members of both groups get to see it twice ?
Posted by MikeECI posted this earlier In the Gardeners group, but had actually intended to post it here. Those of you who are members of both groups get to see it twice ?
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Posted by MikeECI managed to overwinter three Eastern black swallowtail chrysalises in my unheated garage and released them about a month ago.
Posted by MikeECI managed to overwinter three Eastern black swallowtail chrysalises in my unheated garage and released them about a month ago.