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Author Topic: Monarch Butterfly Raising  (Read 4965 times)

Offline JordanM

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Monarch Butterfly Raising
« on: August 23, 2008, 06:01:58 pm »
Does anyone else raise and release monarchs?

I collect them from milkweeds when they are little and feed them new milkweeds inside until the turn into crystalise. I have 6 caterpillars and 4 others that have already turned into crystalise.

Here is the picture of the 4 crystalises attached to the top of the butterfly cage.


Once they hatch from the crystalises i will let them air out there wings a little bit and take them outside and watch them fly away.

I could not get a good picture of the caterpillars but i got one off the internet to show what they look like, here it is.


Offline taipantoo

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Re: Monarch Butterfly Raising
« Reply #1 on: August 24, 2008, 09:11:07 am »
My Daughter has been doing that for years for my Grand Daughter, now 14, who has started to do it for my Grand Son who just turned 4.
They use a 10 gallon aquarium with a screened top.
It's fascinating to watch.

Offline alfred

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Re: Monarch Butterfly Raising
« Reply #2 on: August 24, 2008, 11:23:45 am »
How Cool!!
How do I do this. I need to learn how. Can you give me more detail.
We  don't have many monarchs here but lots of swallowtails can you do it with them as well?
Alfred

Offline JordanM

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Re: Monarch Butterfly Raising
« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2008, 12:03:24 pm »
I'd imagine you can do it with any caterpillars as long as you have there primary food source and you have to keep replinishing them with new food. For monarchs its a new milkweed every day. I am going out by the milkweeds today to go and collect some more caterpillars.

Offline JordanM

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Re: Monarch Butterfly Raising
« Reply #4 on: August 30, 2008, 10:36:55 pm »
Well this is how i woke up to the monarch this morning almost about to hatch you can really see the wings and dark color:
[img=http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/8391/dsc00646nz8.th.jpg]http://
And this is a bigger picture of all the hanging chrysaliszes and some more caterpillars. Look at all those chrysallisses:

And here is how he was a few hours later:

Once they get out of the chrysallis you can not take them outside right away and  let them go, they are still wet and cannot fly. I leeave them in for about 4 hours and get them and hold them on my finger and if there is wind they usually fly if not a blow on there wings to give them a little lift. If they still do not take off move your finger up and down gently tilll they fly and if that doesnt work grab ahold of the right part of them and give them a gentle toss. If they still go to the ground they are not ready and keep them inside for a little longer but dont wait to long. Once they fly they will land in a nearby tree, leave them there and they will take off again once they get there strenght back up.

Offline Cindi

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Re: Monarch Butterfly Raising
« Reply #5 on: September 03, 2008, 12:35:42 pm »
Jordan, oh that is fascinating, what a wonderful thing to do and watch, very nice, thank you for sharing the pictures with us, lovely.  Have the most wonderfully awesome day, Cindi
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Offline JordanM

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Re: Monarch Butterfly Raising
« Reply #6 on: September 03, 2008, 09:14:50 pm »
yup cindi it is wonderful, i just released 3 more back in to the wild tonight.

Offline bassman1977

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Re: Monarch Butterfly Raising
« Reply #7 on: September 04, 2008, 10:30:34 am »
That's pretty neat.  I have run into those chrysalis before but never realized they were for monarchs.  Do you happen to know how long an adult lives for if not eaten by a bird or some other predator?
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Offline JordanM

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Re: Monarch Butterfly Raising
« Reply #8 on: September 04, 2008, 09:11:29 pm »
I dont know off the top of my head but im sure you could google it.

Offline bassman1977

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Re: Monarch Butterfly Raising
« Reply #9 on: September 09, 2008, 03:35:16 pm »
Quote
I dont know off the top of my head but im sure you could google it.

Now why didn't I think of that.   :oops:

Taken from http://island_beach_park.tripod.com/monarch_butterfly.htm

"A monarch's lifespan depends on the time of year. The monarchs that fly to Mexico and then begin the northward journey again the following spring live eight months. But those born during the spring and summer live only four to six weeks, making several generations necessary before the cycle can be completed."
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Offline JordanM

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Re: Monarch Butterfly Raising
« Reply #10 on: September 09, 2008, 07:03:51 pm »
thats cool.

I just released 3 more tonight.

Offline poka-bee

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Re: Monarch Butterfly Raising
« Reply #11 on: September 09, 2008, 07:11:33 pm »
Jordan that's a wonderful thing you are doing!  I don't see many Monarch around here though.  One of my Daughters teachers got the chrysalis for the kids to watch hatch (you can get em in the mail) 3rd grade I think....I remember finding tiger swallowtail chrysalis at Nannie's(my Grandmother) in the summer in Sunnyvale Ca.  I put them in a jar w/screen on top (kept it in a screened covered patio)  & got to watch them emerge.  Even at 9 I was awestruck with the miracle of it all.  It was so fascinating to watch the wings pump up & dry.  I did let them go by the way, but only after they sat on my finger & drank some sugar water! :-D  Jody
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Offline danno

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Re: Monarch Butterfly Raising
« Reply #12 on: September 19, 2008, 10:25:09 am »
That's pretty neat.  I have run into those chrysalis before but never realized they were for monarchs.  Do you happen to know how long an adult lives for if not eaten by a bird or some other predator?

Monarchs are poisonous and nothing will eat them.

Offline JordanM

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Re: Monarch Butterfly Raising
« Reply #13 on: September 20, 2008, 10:22:27 am »
I just released my last 3 today.

Did anyone else try to raise them this year?

Offline danno

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Re: Monarch Butterfly Raising
« Reply #14 on: September 22, 2008, 09:20:04 am »
I just released my last 3 today.

Did anyone else try to raise them this year?

Yes we raise some every year.