I have milkweed in my perennial flower beds and plant tons of flowers for the butterflies...I have had Monarch caterpillars on the milkweed...hoping more will come..but I have only seen one or two...very sad,,,I get so excited when I see them in my gardens.
I have to add living in Ontario Canada there must be at least 50 wild milkweed plants here and i keep planting more along the fence row.just had to add that in..
Crystal Custalow me too. I have a kindergarten teacher in my school and she’s the one who told me about these incredible creatures. She gave me a few caterpillars at the end of my sk school year and I successfully raised and released them into the wild. Ever since I go to my school garden which has has a ton of milkweed so I look for any small caterpillars. On the day that I’m writing this( June 17 2019) I brought home 3 tiny caterpillars. I’m super excited to raise them.
Yes, I agree 100%!!!Mr.Lund is the most informative guy I have found on You Tube, in regards to Monarch Butterfly conservation. I started following him 3 years ago when I was searching on how to raise them. I found 2 in my butterfly garden at their 5th instar. I didn't know at the time how threatened they were and didn't know what I was getting myself into. This season, I got my hands full. So far, I have released 3 healthy adults have 20 crysalides, 10 eggs and about 100 caterpillars at different instars. I had to employee my 11 year old daughter to help raise them. Last season, around this time of year I think I only had 10 or so. To keep track, I started a journal. I am sure it will come in handy on this amazing journey with the monarch butterflies. Mr. Lund has inspired me so much that I am thinking about creating my own channel to reach out and help this beautiful creature that I love.
I didnt know other people were doing this. I yield about 70 monarchs a year, but then again I have the time and resources. The release is a huge payoff just to see all those butterfly in my little part of the sky.Also raise Leopard Hawk Moths and Fritillary Butterflies. I encourage anyone with time and dedication to give these little guys a sorely needed push. And thanks to Mr Lund
I found 3 caterpillars and was successful in getting them to butterfly and had excellent releases. So now my goal is to raise them from eggs. I found an egg today. Because of your videos I am successful so far. I appreciate all you have shared.
For the last few years we have just raised the caterpillars we have found and then released them as butterflies, this has been so helpful as we earn to find the eggs to help them along from an earlier stage! Thank u!
Thank you so much for your well done videos about Monarchs. I have had milkweed plants in my yard for several years. This year, I found one stranded caterpillar left behind and a heavy frost was coming the next day. I rescued the little guy and am using some of your techniques to keep alive. I am hoping that he will develop and that a nice day will come along when he can be released. Thanks again!
I've been watching your videos for the last 6 months in anticipation of growing milkweed and raising Monarchs this year and yesterday I finally found some eggs! Thanks so much for all the great info, my first grade class is going to be so excited to raise some Monarchs!
Thanks from Lansing, MI. We used to wait for caterpillars but now are collecting eggs right from our yard. We have 9 that just hatched! Your video is helpful and inspirational!
Greetings! Lansing, eh? The Lansing / East Lansing bike trails are a major source of both milkweed and eggs for me. Perhaps we'll cross paths at some point.
My boys have been working on plans to raise and release Monarch Butterflies and introduce Milkweed around our local California creeks over the next few years as a foundation for their homeschool Life Sciences studies. Your videos are providing them (and Dad) with an excellent introduction and instruction guide. Thank you for your work!
Thanks for the thanks, but even more importantly, thank YOU for using it and helping out! Unlike so many other environmental issues we have, this is one problem that really IS solvable by doing some easy things in our back yards. Thanks for helping the cause!
We've had milkweeds growing for years but this was the first year I actually have seen cats. I now have 4 ready to "do their thing"!! This is so exciting and the process is amazingly beautiful. Thanks for all the info!
Thank you for making these videos! The knowledge you shared has helped me to raise and release a couple hundred butterflies now. So many comments I can't read them all but a couple tips for others is 1) In my garden I try to eliminate predators for caterpillar safety and remove Aphids to help maintain a healthy leafs. 2) I store picked leafs (Floating in water) in a Tupperware bowl so I can feed at night and early in the morning. My leafs are not big like yours so I have to maintain more ready to go and I don't want to go out at night to pick leafs. 3) I clean each leaf to ensure I'm not introducing a miniature predator to my hatchery. Here in S. California we have Monarchs in the garden all year round.
You're definitely welcome. Thank you many times more for using them and taking an interest in helping out these populations. A couple hundred, eh? That's an awesome undertaking! We both know how much work that takes, so definitely, your efforts are noticed and commended! It's January, so I've still got plenty of months to wait. I'm often envious of those who get the thrill all year round.
This is my first year raising them and I LOVE it. I get a lot of enjoyment from the whole process from seeing monarchs in my yard, to finding eggs and discovering caterpillars, watching them grow and form their chrysalis...It's bittersweet to see them go..... P.S. MAKE SURE TO WASH YOUR HANDS AND DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE WHEN HANDLING MILKWEED. IF THE TOXINS GET IN YOUR EYES IT CAN CAUSE A LOT OF DAMAGE
Just made my backyard & a park near me a Monarch Waystation. I was so excited to find your videos. So fun and informative. Glad to tell you, right now I have 4 large and 13 small catepillars thanks to you. I'm in Michigan also, and I found all the eggs on Swamp which is the majority in my backyard.
Hey Mr. Lund, Here I am into my second year of helping the Monarchs, and your videos made it all so much easier! I have referred several friends to your videos and try to recruit people whenever I can! when the cats are a bit larger, I move them to mesh habitats now. I take wide mouth Mason Jars and punch holes in top of the lids and make "Milkweed Trees" with large stalks of the Milkweed Plants. I then place them in the habitat on my deck. I keep the water clean and the plants last a long time. This way, they are getting natural sun and environment; I swear, the colors are move vivid, and more visible through the chrysalis! I also tell everyone to plant Milkweed and nectar producing flowers for ALL Pollinators. Instead of giving flowers, I give people Milkweed plants, telling them, "You don't have to raise them to help them - build habitat ". Just wanted to say thank you for your videos that are so well done; they are professional, direct and to the point, and entertaining. You have done a great service for saving the Monarchs and are to be commended for your efforts!
That's an intense compliment. Thank you. But, for whatever thanks I receive, I want those using this information to know, whatever thanks I'm due, those actually using the info and getting the work done deserve 10x as much. These videos mean nothing without people putting them to use. Cheers!
i think i’m half of your monarch content views! Haha, i return to these videos regularly to get refreshed, and my first ever monarch just went into a chrysalis.
Wow they must be all in my garden bc I have dozens of them all year. I live in Miami. I always have milkweeds for them. I love the giant milkweeds too. I also get the queens. Thank you so much for caring about these beautiful creatures.
Yesterday I found a caterpillar in my front yard, my kids were thrilled. I remember in 7th grade I had a project that involved taking care of a caterpillar throughout all the stages until it became a beautiful butterfly, most rewarding experience ever, I want to pass that down to my kids and as well as help the butterflies multiply and thrive. I found your channel yesterday and I find it very educational and we want to thank you for what you do to help these wonderful and vital little creatures.
I'm getting super excited about planting my own butterfly garden and I plan to raise butterflies my entire life. I see I could not have come at a better time
HI Mr Lund. I want to thank you for your commitment, time and effort to help these beautiful butterflies. I am also doing what I can, allowing the wild small leaf milkweed on my 5 acre piece of land here in Ashland Oregon to grow and flourish, with plans to spread seeds from the bigger leaf showy milkweed harvested from the many locations available along the roadsides in and around Ashland. I wanted to share my first experience trying to to raise a monarch for a friends 11 year old twin granddaughters who are excited to help the monarchs. I harvested an egg from a showy milkweed plant from a mountain location and brought it to my home. I cut the little square around the egg as you instructed and placed it in a small covered plastic container and 4 days later it hatched out. I was overjoyed to see this transformation. I then moved the little caterpillar to another larger container with some leaves from my common milkweed. This was a mistake on my part because the little leaves dry up too fast, even with wet paper towels around the stem. My caterpillar crawled off of the original square, the little leaves were curled up by the next morning and the caterpillar disappeared. I just wanted to share that it is better to have the big leaves of the showy milkweed to transfer the newly hatched caterpillar to as they provide a bigger canvas on which to track the caterpillar. They are so vulnerable and almost impossible to see without a really good magnifying glass. Also, even using tweezers, it is so easy to harm the caterpillar if you can't see it. I would say that when first hatched, the less you get near it the better? How long does it take for them to grow to a size where you can see them? I want to try again at some point, but don't want to make the same mistake. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you!
Greetings, and welcome aboard! The first thing I suppose I can venture is that once I cut out the leaf square that has the egg on it, I set that in a dish and wait howevermany days until it black tips. Only after it black tips do I put it in a container with a fresh leaf. Forgive me if this is what you have been doing, but you stated that once it hatched, the leaf had curled up by the time the caterpillar left the original square. I've not encountered this problem, so I am thinking it might be that you transferred the egg square to a leaf before it had black tipped? Next, I agree, tweezers aren't safe for handling caterpillars, particularly when they are young. When I need to move/transfer a small one, I'll usually cut out the portion of leaf it is on, and then transfer that leaf piece with the lil' tyke aboard it to a new leaf. I've also been experimenting with very small paint brush ends, and that is working out well too, for transferring the small ones. Should you find yourself in the same situation, here's something that might help... Even if the leaf dried, you can still trust that if the container was closed, the caterpillar was still in there. Eating dry leaves won't harm the caterpillar. It might receive less hydration, but it will still be able to survive. You can continue to add fresh leaves in there, and there's a good chance that the caterpillar will find the fresh food too. They do like to wander, especially when we aren't looking! And in a few days of that, it will be larger, and easier to locate. Keep in mind, though, it's a learning experience for sure. Keep at it. Things get easier, and we learn as we go. And bravo for getting your 11 year old granddaughters in on the experience!
Just wanted to tell you you're awesome! As someone who loves butterflies and has been rearing monarchs for 3 years, it makes me so happy to see that there are other compassionate people out there trying to educate others. Keep up the great work :)
+Glenda Sotolongo Thanks Glenda! This cause doesn't take money, it only takes directed effort. I think that's why it hit so home for me. It's right there in our back yard, waiting (but not waiting too long) for us to take action. Glad you enjoyed the videos! Please check out the Indy Labs videos that are also on this channel. I'm hoping to get those in the hands of people who enjoy (or have kids who enjoy) more "at home" science!
+MrLundScience You said it! It's incredibly rewarding, too. As cheesy as it sounds, it's an awesome feeling to know you're making a positive difference. Browsed through your uploads and watched some of your Indy Labs videos. I'm a bilingual aide at an elementary school and I think the videos would be perfect for our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders! I'll be sure to refer the science teachers to your channel.
+Glenda Sotolongo Très bien! Not sure if French is the other language, but I'm sure it's not Norwegian, which is the other two aside from English that I dabble in. Thanks for checking them out and passing them on!
Thanks to your monarch raising info. I have been able to raise 8 from egg to butterfly for my first time. All based on your excellent information. Had a great time and will do it again next yr. Thanks.
Welcome aboard! This is a very addicting hobby, but so rewarding. I had a neighbor who I released some Monarchs with tell me, it was like living poetry.
I stand corrected! I definitely don't pretend to be a plant expert! I had thought it was swamp milkweed, as I had assumed that from the milky sap it was a type of milkweed, and swamp milkweed seemed to closely resemble it enough for me to falsely identify it as such. Having looked over some photos of dogbane, I must agree with you. Thanks for the correction!
Jamal Glass Greetings Jamal! As far as I can tell, the Michigan region isn't too different for monarchs compared to the Illinois region. Thus, as common milkweed is found in your area, you can use the techniques I show in the videos to find them in your state as well. Good luck!
I am so glad I found your channel. We are releasing monarchs for my Mother's funeral and in looking into this I have discovered that my property has a lot of milkweed. I'm going to start raising monarchs for release and your videos are very well done and helpful. Thank you for sharing these videos!❤
Happy to help. The season is winding down, but, when next season comes around, feel free to ask questions as they arise. I do my best to answer such in these comments.
Hi Mr. Lund! I just wanted to thank you for making all of the Raising Monarch videos! Here's a little about my story. I have a life long love of gardening, birds, butterflies etc. Attracting butterflies to observe on nectar plants was all I had experience with in the past, but I decided to plant more milkweed after attending a special class at a garden club meeting. I have always wanted to raise monarchs but had not done so. Last month in a local Facebook group, a lady had extra caterpillars that she needed help with. So, I decided to brave it and take some. I found your videos. I watch all 5 of the main videos on how to raise them. I picked them up on Sept. 20th. 12 caterpillars of all sizes. I felt like I was equipped enough to take this on. However, the next day while picking leaves for the caterpillars, I found 20 eggs on my own milkweed plants! I had checked before and never found them. So, before bringing them in, I found this video and watched it. I decided to jump in with both feet and took in all 20. The very next day, two monarch females were laying eggs in my garden. 29 more eggs! NOW, I'm laughing at myself and a little nervous about taking these in as well, but..... I do it! I have a full on farm going on LOL. My family was wondering what in the world is she up to now! haha So far, I have raised many from eggs, all sizes of caterpillars, have dealt with 2 with black death chrysalides, one misshaped/deformed chrysalis, 2 crumpled winged butterflies and learned the hard way not to trust local growers (who are very reputable) about pesticides. I lost many due to poisoning. I'm someone with a soft heart and these losses and challenges were heart wrenching. But, to watch them form the chrysalis, emerge and be released is something mind blowing and so rewarding. I have released about 20 so far. I've planted my own milkweed from seeds and cuttings, registered my property as an official Monarch Watch Monarch Weigh Station and enjoy educating my family and friends along the way. With the help of these videos and the fellow enthusiasts questions, challenges, comments etc. I couldn't be this successful. I really enjoy all of the videos and reading everyone's comments! I'm really enjoying this community of enthusiasts! Thank you Mr. Lund and everyone for sharing YOUR stories :) Rainee
Hey, thanks Rainee! Fair warning, as you may have read in the comments - it's addictive! We learn as we go, and each year, the process can improve and be refined. After the first five videos, you may also wish to watch "Thing To Know First". It's almost like a Part Zero, and may give some tips for those getting into this the first year. Good luck!
MrLundScience It really is! I have watched that one also ;) I have watched many of them. How many do you have out there because I feel like I have watched them all! Looking forward to new ones! Thanks for all that you do!
Not exactly sure off the top of my head, but they have all been placed in a playlist. If you type into TH-cam "Raising Monarchs Playlist" it should come up. Others have a similar or same titled playlist with my videos in it, but mine would be the one that says it's from this channel. (And of course, it's totally cool if others have these videos in a playlist. Encouraged, in fact. Helps spread the word!)
Thank you for the info! I helped my seven-year-old granddaughter start a Monarch garden and nursery ... (now I can look a little smarter 😏) Actually, when she's next here I'll watch your videos again with her. Thanks, thanks, especially for stressing the importance of taking responsibility for the eggs we want to care for and not taking more than we can or are willing to care for. That's so important, especially when working with young children.
Howdy from the SF bay area! We planted some milkweed two years ago and this year I was walking by it at the perfect moment to watch a female monarch laying eggs. I was on the ground looking under leaves when she flew in inches from my face and dropped another egg. The biggest of the milkweed plants have tons of aphids, ant lions, wasps on it. I couldn't find any eggs on that big plant, but the two smaller ones with much less activity had four. I've brought them inside & the caterpillars are now chewing through their leaves. This has been a great activity during this covid distancing period. Very informative vids, Mr lund!
This series has been so good! I came back just to watch it again! This inspired me to look for eggs this year and take them home and they are hatching at this moment! I’m going to raise them up and release them when they turn into butterflies! Last year I found bigger caterpillars and raised them to adulthood and t was amazing! I will be planting milkweed this upcoming spring!
That sounds pretty awesome, Luke! Great to have you aboard! I'm pleased to hear that the videos have been helpful. Good luck with your newly hatched little ones, and ask questions as you feel the need!
MrLundScience I went all out this year and I officially hatched 13 monarchs! They are a crazy bunch but I’ve been able to handle the amount that I have! Even the big ones! We have plenty of milkweed where I live and it’s been super rewarding!
Monarch season is starting up in Illinois, probably will start search mid June. Got inspired by my little 6 yr old niece who's raising them at school...super cute. Can't wait. 😊🌱🐛
My wife and I really enjoyed your series and learned something. We have 18 potted milkweed with about 15 eggs, 3 caterpillars and one that I think is in the 5th instar. We are raising them on a large screened patio in Florida.
That's awesome, and having the screened in patio is a very nice bonus. Due to my screened in patio, they can emerge from the chrysalis and are waiting for me when I return home from work (or wherever).
I have 18 potted plants sitting outside my porch. We have 2 monarchs visiting them daily and laying eggs. Yesterday, I spotted a third one here and two of them were mating. This morning I saw them actually laying eggs. After they get to 4th or 5th instar we will move them inside. I had one 4/5 on a plant when I purchased it but found him dead in the pot today. He/she never acted completely normal but I still feel sad. Also, I am documenting this journey on my channel th-cam.com/users/richardsites.
Really cool that you are documenting your experience. I've checked out the first installment and will be watching future episodes for sure. Neat that in the first video you were able to capture the actual egg laying on video. Keep up the efforts!
I found over 30 eggs in my backyard. I used to raise them last year, but made a lot of mistakes. Most made it to adulthood, but I'm going through your vids to get some better tips
Thanks for the videos. My uncle turned me on to raising monarchs. Just got back from the nursery with 2 milkweed plants. Lots of butterflys in my area.
my dad and I have been hatching and raising Monarch caterpillars for a few years now, and every year we grow more and more milkweed for all if the new caterpillars we find. This year we found 110 caterpillars and eggs off of our milkweed growing in only our yard. It's such a cool project and I absolutely can't wait till monarch season each year
Super helpful handsome man! I work as a Naturalist & we officially now have our monarch way station. Looking fwd to raising monarchs. Great music selection, btw😉🧜🏼♀️🦋
Thank you for doing what you do. I so appreciate you teaching us how to raise Monarchs. I just realized I have Monarch eggs on my milkweed and want to hatch them into adults. You did an excellent job explaining each step. Thanks for being "that" guy!
I like to teach. I like it because I know how much I enjoy learning something new, and I vicariously love to see that happen with others. Thanks for having an interest in learning about these guys and their plight!
I have been so fortunate in that I live where I can have potted milkweed plants and find Monarchs at all ages. I had been waiting to find caterpillars almost ready to form chrysalides. Your video inspired me to start earlier. I take the whole leaf with the tiny egg or just hatched caterpillars and with a very small plastic clothespin attach the leaf to a leaf on a potted milkweed I have in a mesh butterfly cage. It works for me. I have both potted and free growing milkweed plants. Your milkweed plant leaves are huge. You have inspired me.
Just found your page. I’m very new at this. I’ve always wanted to have a butterfly garden. I just found a egg on a leaf. I will be starting with just one egg at this time. Thank you for this information it’s extremely helpful. 🦋 👍
I live in Santa Cruz, CA we get the western migration here in the winter. Every year the butterfly count is down. Several of the gardeners here have started growing milkweed. So far this year I released nine adults. It is now July and I found ten more eggs/ babies that I am raising inside in a protected environment. They are so amazing at any stage. So not all the monarchs migrate, some stay here, but they still need to survive our winters, not super cold but they are all by the ocean in the eucalyptus trees, I live a bit inland and I get frosts in my garden, but by the beach it doesn't freeze so my monarchs go there. A short flight, yet necessary to make it through the winter. This is my second year and as soon as my milkweeds were growing last year the monarchs found it and laid eggs. This year even more! I love helping them in any way I can!
watched your videos about 14 days ago; took my first 'pillar into my butterfly cage from my garden (I typically order painted ladies for my grands to watch grow and bloom into butterflies in the spring so I have a netted cage) and we are at "J" stage today!!! so excited and nervous, lol... your videos were so informative! fingers crossed nature continues on its path here... thank you!!
Rich, just discovered your videos last week and they have been very helpful. I constructed two rearing enclosures and have modified what I do after viewing your videos. Last night we "hung out" four crysalises (sp?) and today two emerged and two more in our rearing cage. By the way, I've found several caterpillars on my swamp milkweeds, but in the cages they much prefer common milkweed. Thanks!
All of the above sounds pretty awesome! Glad that the videos could provide you with ideas to refine your system. And, the refinement never ends. I, myself, am always looking for ways to improve. Welcome aboard, Robert!
@@MrLundScience Tachinids have been a problem for us. My milkweed garden has 20 tropical milkweeds (currassavia), three swamp milkweeds and about 8 common milkweeds. The tropicals were much preferred for egg laying and the plants are eaten down to stalks. However, when I bring the caterpillars in they seem to prefer to eat the common milkweed leaves. By having all of my plants confined to a relatively small area, do you think I might be "attracting" the tachinids? Next year we will try to find leaves with eggs and bring them in to protect the caterpillars from the tachinids.
@@robertmoran5394 I'd be purely speculating here, as I do not know how the tachinids locate the caterpillars or what they are sensitive to. Still, it would make logical sense that since it needs to find caterpillars, it'd be attracted to plants that have such caterpillars on them, such as the milkweed, and such as the scents of the flowers. But again, that's purely guessing. Further, there's over 10,000 different tachinid fly species, so I would have to assume that some locate caterpillars in different ways. Some also don't inject the eggs into the caterpillars, but lay eggs that hatch first instar maggots which find the caterpillar (or wait for it to crawl by) and then dig into the caterpillar themselves. So, it's really tough to try and pin down what could be attracting them, which of course would be needed knowledge in order to prevent them. Sorry I don't have a better answer.
Welcome aboard! I have a series as well, "Planting Milkweed" which only has four parts to it. Not sure if it's help to you or if you already have more of a green thumb than I (and it doesn't take much to best me in that department). Here's a link to the first one: th-cam.com/video/c_d1FMJiLo8/w-d-xo.html Good luck!
These videos are so helpful! First round of eggs today! we tried bringing them in when they were very small, but most of those had issues from flies. We should be good to go now!
Thank you so much raise 10 my first year 30 the second year I’m on my third year already released 1 Have 10 eggs one chrysalis and three caterpillars unless it is 2021 OK thank you so much your videos have helped me so much couldn’t do it without you this is my first year doing the eggs this video is helped tremendously thank you thank you thank you
I live in Central Florida ave I just started raising monarchs and swallowtails. I added milkweed just to attract the butterfly but once I saw the caterpillars being eaten by wasps I started bringing them in. I have 1 monarch catepillar and 5 swallowtails. These videos are helping me a lot.
Greetings Miss Gardener! (Miss Soul? Miss 74? Not sure what you prefer.) Welcome aboard! If you are in Florida, though, and you're raising Monarchs, a very important question to ask is, do you know about OE parasites? They are very rampant in Florida. You may wish to look up some things about them asap. You could do your own research, or, I have some videos I've made about them. "What Are OE Parasites?" - th-cam.com/video/kkZTfeFVMiE/w-d-xo.html "OE Parasite Testing" - th-cam.com/video/pxXkAL1h2pw/w-d-xo.html "Alternative OE Testing" - th-cam.com/video/32IqyxjOUfM/w-d-xo.html "Should We Euthanize?" - th-cam.com/video/5WEewtof3w8/w-d-xo.html "OE Parasite Prevention" - th-cam.com/video/oZYzzcGiZRA/w-d-xo.html "Preventing NPV & Other Infections" - th-cam.com/video/2FE9646Z9xs/w-d-xo.html I know that's a LOT, but I also know that if I were getting into this in Florida instead of Michigan, I'd really want to know about OE first. Good luck to you, and ask questions as they pop up!
@@MrLundScience thank you very much for the information and no I did not know about it so I am going to do my research and I will test my first Monarch whenever it becomes a butterfly. Thank you very much for the videos and information.
Dear Mr. Lund, I now have 4 small batches in various stages, and two chrysalides! I am using the mesh containers outside on a South facing unscreened porch. So far, so good! I've found a great way to get rid of the frass without jostling the caterpillars. I cut a drinking straw in half, and then duct taped it into the crevice tool of my vacuum cleaner in such a way that only the straw has suction. It is just perfect for getting rid of the frass. Anyway, thanks for all your support. I'm hoping for the best. ~Mary Anne
Sounds like some might even be able to use one of those, for lack of better descriptions, baby snot remover hand pump things, with a straw on the end. Cool idea!
+Diane Powell Very awesome! You sound quite prepared! It's a shame that we have to wait out the winter, but it gives us time to plan, and recoup too. It can be a lot of work!
Hello! I am so excited to tell you that my husband and I have been growing butterfly weed (with the small orange flowers) for years. This year after they grew flowered and started looking ratty, I cut them down to the ground. They started growing back and that's when we discovered 100s of Monarch butterfly caterpillars. Before long we had what looked like green Christmas lights hanging along the soffit of our house. It was so much harder fun watching them emerge from their cocoons and fly away.
Thank you so much for your videos. My 6yr old and I have begun our monarch Empire! I would love to share our pictures and experience with you. Please let me know where I can post our pictures for you and your viewers. Our pug Louie would also love to see more of your pug in your videos. Thank you again Elizabeth
Ha! We have two pugs, and the female is Sascha, but the male is Louis too! (Spelled differently, obviously.) Pictures could be uploaded to places like Instagram and links can be placed here in the comments section. Another option is that you could tweet me photos to my Twitter account (which would mean you'd have to have a Twitter account) and on there, I am @MrLundScience.
I found 2 monarch caterpillars last year and didnt know what they were at the time. But recently I saw a video on them and have been searing for them ever since. Well, I came across 1 in my backyard and decided it was gonna be 1 that lives and doesnt get eaten by a predator. So I brought it inside and made a home for him followed your videos and now my caterpillar is starting the J hang so we are getting close!!!! WooHooo! Thanks so much for making these videos they are very helpful. And I will be planting more milkweed in my back 3 acres of land by our pond. I have seen just a small few Monarchs flying about. But I hope to increase that number. I think I found some eggs, but not sure I cut the leaf brought it in and am waiting. I hope they are eggs. We shall see.
Hey Bridget, and welcome aboard! Let me say, it sounds like you're doing this totally the right way: Start out small to just raise a few and both get the hang of it, and experience how much time commitment it is. That's the best way, and then if in the near future or next year, you wish to take on higher numbers, you know what you're in for. Sometimes when people start with, say, 20 at once, they get down the road and realize it was a lot more than they thought it would be. When I made the videos, I was just looking to put out there videos I wish had been out there when I was trying to figure all of this out. I never knew they'd be this popular. I'm just so pleased to hear that they are still helping others. Thank you very much for the feedback! Good luck with your possible eggs!
Hi. Thank you for this excellent video series. I raise monarchs in Dearborn MI. I grow milkweed but I can't find places to find eggs/ caterpillars. I'm curious what part of Michigan you find your eggs.
Greetings Michelle! I'm in the Lansing area of Michigan, just a tad outside of it. While I wouldn't say "walking distance" of Lansing, I would say "bike riding distance". However, I know the Dearborn area well too. I'm originally from Port Huron, have spent time around Pontiac, been to Detroit many times, and also, my wife is from Troy. So, I've stomped around the metro Detroit area plenty. And, on top of that, I've found many eggs in metro Detroit as well. Once it's July, there will indeed be eggs to be found on Common Milkweed. Just gotta be able to know where to find some Common Milkweed. In the Troy area, my wife and I have been there with her parents, giving them a visit, and in nearby parks that we've gone to, there's always been come Common Milkweed, and there's always been (as long as it's July) eggs on them. In this vid, there's over forty eggs that are found, all in my mother-in-law's back yard, in Troy: th-cam.com/video/TzdV2uBsyoU/w-d-xo.html Check parks, parking lots, and keep checking your own plants too. They're there. Just don't give up looking. One last note, admittedly, it can be hit or miss with various spots. My wife's mother had 40+ show up on her patch of plants one year, then the next year, none, but then the year after that, about ten. So, if you don't find any in one location, don't give up on it, but also, keep checking/finding more locations.
MrLundScience thank you so much for your reply. I do go go troy Area often. I will start checking parks around me and there. I don't see much milkweed by me that's not been planted by me already lol. This year I'm asking family and friends to allow me to plant milk weed by their homes. More that's available in more locations the better. 🙌 😊
Hey I'm with you brother we got some for my son and daughters daycare so far I think we've done like 10 or 15 hatched two adult nearest maybe about 15 more in a little habitat
I started a couple milkweeds during early spring indoors, it’s still small but next year hopefully it’ll be big enough to house a couple caterpillars. I’ll be planting more in the fall and watch them come up in spring.
Planting milkweed is the number one way to help them, so thank you so much for being willing to get involved already at that level! Some plunge right in, and some gradually get a bit more into it each year. Whether it's a plunge or a gentle slide, both have their advantages. But I always think it's good to ease in so that people don't find themselves in a situation where they accidentally got out above their heads. Your milkweed will be a treat for your yard for years to come. Thanks for doing what you can to help them out!
MrLundScience The population of monarchs in my city has plunged so much in 10 years, they were a little uncommon back in 2011 but now they’re rare to see. I wanna try and attract more and more into the city so future generations can witness their numbers.
Its funny because what he said was swamp milkweed was actually DOGBANE, no wonder he never saw a monarch laying eggs on it. 😂😂 but I do love your videos
With how devices have changed, sometimes they can't see the annotations. TH-cam stopped supporting them a while ago, but if you watch the video on PC, it should still show annotations. (It does on mine, still.) So, some might not see the annotation but yeah, this was brought to my attention. I didn't know as much back then, and while I felt thorough enough on Monarchs to make these videos, my plant identification skills weren't all that hot. Still aren't, but have greatly improved with what is and isn't milkweed (and poison ivy).
I'm built a new caterpillar sanctuary for my front porch, currently it's loaded with black swallowtails. Next spring I'm ready for the Monarchs. I think I will be able to save and release at least 50 monarchs in the spring. Hopefully more. This fall I will have plenty of nectar plants to support the monarchs on their way back to Mexico. I am in Sabine County Texas, I think I'm in a great spot to help them in the spring and again in the fall! :) :)
Awesome job! And yes, Texas is a pretty vital pathway along their migratory route. A big help to them for the fall is to have types of plants that still have nectar producing flowers that late in the season. Now, what those specifically are, I don't necessarily know. Out of my expertise. But, I think this winter I'll be studying up on that.
Watched all your videos and now i am for the first time raising butterflys here in Australia, we do get the monarchs but were i live they are here and there and finding the eggs on milk weeds im yet to find. i have found other butterfly eggs and raising them got only 2 from my orange tree leaves so have no idea what they might be, one has morphed tonight so i excited to see these little guys be able to fly when they come into this world and there ready , thank you for the butterfly lessons . cheers.
Ha-haaaa! It's been a while since I've heard that, but mostly I think because I'm around students who are too young to have a bead on who Rollins is. I started getting told that around the age of 16. So, I wanted to check him out. Who is this Rollins guy? This was 1996. "Come In And Burn" had just come out, so I bought that. I thought it was good, but didn't fall deeply in love with it. I rocked it often, but it didn't become a favorite at the time. Then, I found out that he wrote books. I picked one up, and, man, the pages were totally speaking to me. Not only did I hear someone speak on things I felt I could relate to, but it made his music mean so much more to me. I didn't stop, and read every book of his. As he still puts them out, I still pick them up and read them when I have a chance. Rollins was probably the most pivotal non-family/friend influence I had in my late teens, early twenties that helped shape me into who I became. (Carl Sagan soon followed.)
I've had milkweed in my yard for at least 10 years. The one caterpillar I finally found was about 1/2" long and wasn't there the next day. Many adult monarchs visit my milkweed. I find it hard to believe that just growing milkweed in the suburbs will help. Suburban monarchs do much better if they are raised by people and released.
We could say that the planting of milkweed helps long term, and also helps slow or prevent the decline. The raising of Monarchs definitely helps out the individual, though. Eggs in nature have somewhere between a 3% and 10% chance of making it to the adult stage, depending upon what study is consulted. So, it's safe to say, a 10% or less chance. If you can do better than that, then you're helping those individuals most definitely. Take in 10 eggs, and if just 2 make it, you're already beating nature. But long term, even if we could make *every* egg out there make it to the adult stage, and even if we could guarantee every Monarch migrating a safe journey, it still wouldn't solve the problem. The next year, the number of Monarchs that will be able to develop is still attached to how much milkweed is out there. If there's enough milkweed to support X Monarchs one year, and magically, we could make 10X that number come back in the spring, if the milkweed still stayed the same amount (and it probably didn't...it may be less) then still, only X Monarchs will thrive, as that's all that the milkweed is able to support. Long term, planting milkweed, even in suburbia, is part of the solution. And don't forget, part of the planting of milkweed involves more milkweed seeds being produced. These can travel to areas where they can take root in the wild, and also be used to gift some seeds to people in the community who are interested and willing to plant them. Thank you for having an interest in this. Together, we can make a difference!
My daughter and I have taken up this hobby together (she is 6) and she is extremely in love with all of what we are doing. We want to do it best. What is the best way to do this? My husband is building a butterfly enclosure which is turning out to be amazing. We would like to put a milkweed plant inside the enclosure for when the babies grow bigger and they can have a place to roam freely with lots of food. I tried transplanting some milkweed plants we found growing in the wild and the don't seem to be doing well at all. What would be the best way to deal with raising these beautiful butterflies? Indoors? Outdoors? On the deck? With a shade structure over them so they aren't in the direct sun? Moveable structure so that if the weather is really bad we can move it inside?
Greetings Jocelyne! To answer your question, we'd first have to be on the same page with what you mean by "the best" as in, "the best way to do this?" What is the "best" depends upon what you are looking to get out of it. Let me first say, I don't claim to know the "best" about anything. I've made these videos just to show how I have had success, and if anyone can get something out of that, cool. Now, for me, I consider "best" to mean a high success rate of eggs reaching adulthood and flying off. The numbers define "best" for me. I'm always 80% or above in my success rate, and since in nature, studies say an egg making it to adult is less than 10%, I like what I'm doing. So, from my stand point, the biggest, most important insurance of success is *removing the egg from nature* and raising them in a controlled environment, which are my containers shown in parts 3 and 4. (Have you watched all Parts 1 - 5? That's the "core" of the series where I show everything I do each step of the way.) Thus, if your goal as well is to get as many to adults as possible, I would recommend not leaving them in an enclosure where they roam free. It's nice sounding, but in truth, they would still be in nature. Perhaps it'd be less risky. Perhaps netting can keep away wasps and other predators, but from my experience, ants get everywhere no matter what humans attempt to do, and as Ian Malcolm said in Jurassic Park, "Life finds a way." Having them in a controlled environment where all they have to deal with is munching tasty leaves, that's the best bet. Now, if you are defining "best" as more of a Monarch sanctuary where they have lots of food and plants and freedom, I gotta be honest, I'm not really much of a gardener. Calling me an armature is being generous. I know how to plant milkweed, and that's about it. I've tried transplanting milkweed like you, but that was before I understood its root system better. The roots are shallow and spread out very very wide. So, taking roots only from a 2ft radius from the stalk still isn't really enough. It's very difficult to transplant them. What I would recommend is, raise them as I do for a year or two, and in the meantime, plant milkweed at your home. In two years, you'll have some large plants, and if you wish to put caterpillars on the plants once they've hatched from the eggs and enjoy them that way, that's up to you. Even doing just that gets them past the egg stage, which is actually when they are the most vulnerable. So cool that you are getting your 6 year old daughter into this!!! I hope some of that has helped! Ask more when/if you need to!
I love this video so much! I a have been watching this series for a while and can't sop watching them! i was wondering: are you still raising monarchs?
Indeed, I am. I'm currently taking care of 39. Also, I still make new videos when there's a subject to be covered. You can peruse the channel if you wish. The first five of the series, "Raising Monarchs Part 1...Raising Monarchs Part 2...etc., are the "core" of the series. But, upon making them, found that there were many other details and topics to address, and thus, I've put out many "supplemental" videos that flesh out these details. They are all "Raising Monarchs" titled, still, but don't have a "Part X" in the title. Recently, for example, I showed how to tell what instar a caterpillar was in: th-cam.com/video/IuPsK6xOnDY/w-d-xo.html There are others too now on chrysalis repair, how to prevent diseases and parasites, and what types of pests/predators are out there and what their harm is to the Milkweed plant or to the Monarchs themselves. Thanks for your continued support, and continued efforts in helping out the Monarchs!
Nowhere in my process do I mist. If you're asking about providing them with water, as long as you are supplying them with fresh milkweed that hasn't dried out, all of the moisture they need is right there in the leaves. I find that if there's any misting, this leads to mold growth on the leaves, especially on the paper towel that I wrap the leaf stems in. So, in my process, there's no benefit to misting, and only issues it can cause.
MrLundScience hey, while reviewing some videos today I noticed that you are checking in a bit with your peeps here and wanted to say hello and to share that my egg-hunting season did start about two weeks earlier than last year, finding eggs on April 9th, upon seeing the first “mama Monarch” in the Common Milkweed in our back door garden. As usual I revisit your TH-cam spot this time of year especially this week and today as one of that initial group is eclosing! The number of days from hatching to eclosing is 36 days, or 42 days when including the actual five days she or he took to hatch after that day they were laid. It’s been an unusual spring here as I know it has been also for you, with several frosts/freezings during April and warm humid days with temperatures in the 80’s-90’s. It has been a good way to be spending time at home during this “stay at home” mandate which we have closely followed. Overall it’s probably the usual stormy, fluctuating stuff and holding hope for all of the Monarchs in our Eastern migration. I truly hope that all is well, that you are staying safe, maybe raising some Monarchs ? and of course I am one of many out here thankful for your great classic videos that I still refer back to and also send the link to others online with questions. Since I am not sure where you live in Michigan I am thinking about everyone impacted by the terrible flooding due to the two dams breaking in Midland. Blessings and best wishes.
Hey Mr. Lund- I just found 16 more eggs on my tropical milkweed today. Some are bright yellow while some are very white. Does that mean anything? Also my two larva keep wandering off the leaf. Do I need to keep moving them back on? Thx
Variation in egg color is normal. Anything from a very pale white to a very deep yellow, though those are the extremes. Usually, the color is somewhere in the middle, but from one egg to the next, yes, there can be noticeable differences. As for moving the larva, that might depend upon how young they are. It's normal for a caterpillar to wander off a bit and find a more secluded spot to molt. If that's what's happening, it's recommended that you leave them be. The time where I don't follow that advice, though, is when they are very young, like the first instar. Times like that, the young can wander away from the leaf and are small enough that they aren't able to find their way back to the leaf. So, using a smaller piece of leaf, I coax them onto that, and then leave the small piece of leaf on the main leaf. Does that make sense?
I dont understand. Don't they hatch on their own? I dont know how evasive milk weed is, but curious if will spread into grassy yard area. I would plant in an area, full sun, in a flowerbed if I knew these answers of concern. At least I've seen 1 monarch around this year. Haven't in yrs otherwise.
They certainly do hatch on their own...but that's of course if an ant, or lady bug, or other predator doesn't eat it first. Upon hatching, life is brutal for a caterpillar. They still have the same predators to deal with that could eat an egg, plus, bacteria that may be on the leaf that they could ingest and cause infection. There's a nasty virus called NPV that can take them out. Tachinid flies need to inject their own eggs into caterpillars, which eventually kills them when the tachinid larvae pop out of them. Some birds will eat them if they haven't learned how bad they taste. Etc., etc. In the wild, they have a 3 - 10% chance of going from an egg to an adult, depending upon which study you look at. So, the taking in of eggs and rearing them is in an effort to give them a better than 10% chance. Does that make sense? As for your other question, yes, milkweed will definitely spread to grassy areas, and the planting of milkweed is definitely the number one way to help them. Thank you for your concern for this animal!
I grow a lot of milkweed but only got 3 eggs this year. In 10 days they will fly out and I really hope they make more. All 3 cocooned just an hour ago when making this post. 2 male 1 female. Nest year I plan on mixing more colorful flowers into the fray to hopefully get more.
Some years can be hits, and some, misses. I've had my "not so many" years as well. We do what we can, and it's at their discretion where they choose to lay. Still, thank you for helping out the ones you were able to find!
The answer would be, absolutely nothing! If eggs appear on my milkweed at home, they are quickly removed, as shown in this video. I don't use home milkweed leaves for caterpillar food (unless in a pinch), and instead, go to nearby patches to collect leaves, and at the same time, search for new eggs. This, then, allows me to find eggs, but also, find leaves that don't have aphids. My milkweed I planted at home serves me two purposes. Primarily, it is to grow seed pods that I can get out to my students who want them, and second, certainly to give female Monarchs another small location that is an option.
I use Neem oil, it works great on the aphids and doesn't hurt adult monarchs, but I'm not so sure about eggs and larvae. I also do regular checks and just squish any aphids I see with my fingers. It's my first time finding monarch eggs and trying to raise them.
Hello Mr Lund. Thank you for your expertise. I have a question. I have a crysalis but at the crown looks like he didnt make it all the way. There is a bit of caterpillar sticking out. Do you feel this is a viable crysalis?
Greetings Ardis! Sorry that it has taken me a bit to get to this comment. We're one week out now from our Science Olympiad Regional tournament (I coach) and so I'm quite swamped, and have been the last few weeks. At any rate, I'm not exactly sure how to answer this one. The chrysalis isn't something that forms around the caterpillar like a cocoon does, but instead, is something that was inside the caterpillar. One could think of it as the final molt of the caterpillar. The chrysalis is formed underneath the skin of the caterpillar while it is "J-hanging", and once mostly formed, the skin is shed. Then, there's some wiggling and drying and hardening to do, and it's fully formed. So, if something is sticking out of the chrysalis, it's not really the caterpillar that is sticking out of it anymore. And I'd not be quite sure what is sticking out of it. Is it possible that this is just a remnant of the molted skin that the chrysalis tried to shed off, but it didn't wiggle it off? Sometimes the skin, or at least part of it, can ball up and remain at the top. Whether it's viable or not, only time will tell. I know that nature can surprise us if we give her the chance to, so I wouldn't ever count it out until it shows definite signs of not being healthy, such as major discoloration, or, considerably more than 14 days of not having an adult emerge. I hope that helps. Good luck!
my husband and I have become obsessed with raising butterflies. We have been doing Gulf fritillary. We live in Texas. It's a hobby that isn't too expensive, helps butterflies, and is super cool! Who doesn't like butterflies?!
I have never cut off the flower. I admit, I'm not a botanist, nor much of a gardener. I would say, however, especially for the wild plants, cutting off the flower I would believe, would cause the plant to not produce seeds. The flower is needed for sexual transfer with other plants of the same species, and I would suspect, this would cause the plant to not produce seed pods. Honestly, though, I could be wrong. Perhaps they would still produce seeds asexually. I would say, though, that due to how poorly pollinators in general are doing, particularly the honeybee, I myself would not want to deny them the flower nectar just to try and get slightly larger leaves. There's my two cents! Good luck!
The answer to that does slightly depend upon your location: In Florida, there are spots that they seem be mate/breed throughout the year from what people have told me. If you are west of the Rockies, then the Monarchs do migrate, but they stay within that same range. (Search "Monarch Migration Map" in Google.) Otherwise, all the rest east of the Rockies can start seeing the Monarchs in May if you're in the southern states, June if you're in northern states, and late June if you're in the southern Canadian Provinces. Even then, though, that doesn't mean they'll be in large numbers. There's four generations that live during the summer months. Each generation, the numbers increase compared to the previous, as you'd expect. By mid to late September here in Michigan, it's time for the Monarchs to be heading to Mexico. Either way, though, no matter which generation you raise, it should be released one or two days after you've gotten it to adult status. These guys and gals have very important work to do, mating and laying more eggs! Good luck!
Dear mrLundScience. Just want you to know, that thanks to your instruction videos, we have 24 Monarch ‘pops' on our terrace now and 3 butterfies already flew out. The 24 will hach next week in 4 days. We live in Gran Canaria, so the Monarch butterly does not migrate, it stays here all year. The council of the city of Las Palmas stimulates the growing of the silk-plant the catterpillar eats. There is not a lot of information about the not migrating Monarch Butterly. If you have some, I would be very intererested. Again, thank you very much for your perfectly clear and nice instructions!
Greetings Annemarie! Very cool to hear that you've had success! I appreciate the kind words. I'm sorry, but I don't have much (or really any) information on the nonmigratory populations either. I'm in a situation where I've learned as I've gone too, so much of what I know now after the years of informal education on the subject has mostly been about the population in my area. Perhaps you could be the person who sorta does what I did here, but in your area?
It's been quite a while since I made this video, and we don't even have that camera around any longer. I think it was some version of a hand held "Coolpix". It was nothing fancy. To get the close up shots, I took a jeweler's eye type of magnifier and put it up to the lens of that Coolpix and was able to keep it in focus. NOT having auto-focus on that camera helped in being able to do that.
I have been raising monarchs in southern California for a couple of years now. When I egg hunt, I do it in my own backyard as I have planted milkweed in my garden. I harvest the whole leaf, but I leave them on the leaf. In order to keep the leaf fresh, I have a small container filled with water. I have drilled stem-sized holes in the lid of the container. I simply place the leave in the water container hole and it stays fresh for more than a week.
"I'm just a guy trying to help some butterflies." LOL, awesome :) I wish there where MORE guys like you. Thank you for what you do.
yes you are awesome
Wow...thanks for that. Much appreciated. We're still at it, and won't stop.
I have milkweed in my perennial flower beds and plant tons of flowers for the butterflies...I have had Monarch caterpillars on the milkweed...hoping more will come..but I have only seen one or two...very sad,,,I get so excited when I see them in my gardens.
I have to add living in Ontario Canada there must be at least 50 wild milkweed plants here and i keep planting more along the fence row.just had to add that in..
Crystal Custalow me too. I have a kindergarten teacher in my school and she’s the one who told me about these incredible creatures. She gave me a few caterpillars at the end of my sk school year and I successfully raised and released them into the wild. Ever since I go to my school garden which has has a ton of milkweed so I look for any small caterpillars. On the day that I’m writing this( June 17 2019) I brought home 3 tiny caterpillars. I’m super excited to raise them.
This video should be a STAPLE for all those who are thinking of venturing into the world of Monarch preservation! Well done!!
I appreciate you considering it to be so. Looking forward to another season here in Michigan getting started in about 2 months from now.
Yes, I agree 100%!!!Mr.Lund is the most informative guy I have found on You Tube, in regards to Monarch Butterfly conservation. I started following him 3 years ago when I was searching on how to raise them. I found 2 in my butterfly garden at their 5th instar. I didn't know at the time how threatened they were and didn't know what I was getting myself into. This season, I got my hands full. So far, I have released 3 healthy adults have 20 crysalides, 10 eggs and about 100 caterpillars at different instars. I had to employee my 11 year old daughter to help raise them. Last season, around this time of year I think I only had 10 or so. To keep track, I started a journal. I am sure it will come in handy on this amazing journey with the monarch butterflies. Mr. Lund has inspired me so much that I am thinking about creating my own channel to reach out and help this beautiful creature that I love.
I didnt know other people were doing this. I yield about 70 monarchs a year, but then again I have the time and resources. The release is a huge payoff just to see all those butterfly in my little part of the sky.Also raise Leopard Hawk Moths and Fritillary Butterflies. I encourage anyone with time and dedication to give these little guys a sorely needed push. And thanks to Mr Lund
That's some awesome stuff you're doing, and definitely impressive that you raise Leopard Hawk Moths! So cool!
I found 3 caterpillars and was successful in getting them to butterfly and had excellent releases. So now my goal is to raise them from eggs. I found an egg today. Because of your videos I am successful so far. I appreciate all you have shared.
And I definitely appreciate you using it! Good luck with them!
Thanks! If I load a video about my monarchs I will link you. :)
Cool stuff.
For the last few years we have just raised the caterpillars we have found and then released them as butterflies, this has been so helpful as we earn to find the eggs to help them along from an earlier stage! Thank u!
Thank you so much for your well done videos about Monarchs. I have had milkweed plants in my yard for several years. This year, I found one stranded caterpillar left behind and a heavy frost was coming the next day. I rescued the little guy and am using some of your techniques to keep alive. I am hoping that he will develop and that a nice day will come along when he can be released.
Thanks again!
I wish him/her much luck! Thank you for your compassion!
I've been watching your videos for the last 6 months in anticipation of growing milkweed and raising Monarchs this year and yesterday I finally found some eggs! Thanks so much for all the great info, my first grade class is going to be so excited to raise some Monarchs!
Getting 1st Graders involved? You, sir, are awesome! Very happy to help. Good luck with your project and tell your class I said hello!
Thanks from Lansing, MI. We used to wait for caterpillars but now are collecting eggs right from our yard. We have 9 that just hatched! Your video is helpful and inspirational!
Greetings! Lansing, eh? The Lansing / East Lansing bike trails are a major source of both milkweed and eggs for me. Perhaps we'll cross paths at some point.
My boys have been working on plans to raise and release Monarch Butterflies and introduce Milkweed around our local California creeks over the next few years as a foundation for their homeschool Life Sciences studies. Your videos are providing them (and Dad) with an excellent introduction and instruction guide. Thank you for your work!
Thanks for the thanks, but even more importantly, thank YOU for using it and helping out! Unlike so many other environmental issues we have, this is one problem that really IS solvable by doing some easy things in our back yards. Thanks for helping the cause!
Found this video 6 years later but better late then never right? I can proudly say I’m a monarch raiser now!
Thank you
3rd season raising Monarchs
90 eggs
90 healthy caterpillars!!
Good luck to them all. Thank you for helping them out!
144 eggs and 96 HEALTHY CATERPILLARS
WilliPLAYZ8825 oof. What did u do to them. I raised ~ 200 and kept 187. The only that died, died due to tachinid flies.
@@elontusk8018 DONT JUDGE HIM COULD BE FIRST TIME IDK.
What I mean is that I brought in 96 of the 144 eggs
Tough guy who loves butterflies. LUV IT!!!
Thank you. However, I'd say the Monarchs are tougher. They certainly face more peril on a daily basis than I do.
We've had milkweeds growing for years but this was the first year I actually have seen cats. I now have 4 ready to "do their thing"!! This is so exciting and the process is amazingly beautiful. Thanks for all the info!
Thank YOU for taking it on to help them out! Glad I could be of some type of service.
Caterpillars love kales, cabbages, etc .
can't believe that its has been almost 5 years! your videos had been a great help to me, thank you.
Whoa. It has been five years since Parts 1 - 5, huh? Been a while since I had a shaven head too.
Thank you for making these videos! The knowledge you shared has helped me to raise and release a couple hundred butterflies now. So many comments I can't read them all but a couple tips for others is 1) In my garden I try to eliminate predators for caterpillar safety and remove Aphids to help maintain a healthy leafs. 2) I store picked leafs (Floating in water) in a Tupperware bowl so I can feed at night and early in the morning. My leafs are not big like yours so I have to maintain more ready to go and I don't want to go out at night to pick leafs. 3) I clean each leaf to ensure I'm not introducing a miniature predator to my hatchery. Here in S. California we have Monarchs in the garden all year round.
You're definitely welcome. Thank you many times more for using them and taking an interest in helping out these populations. A couple hundred, eh? That's an awesome undertaking! We both know how much work that takes, so definitely, your efforts are noticed and commended! It's January, so I've still got plenty of months to wait. I'm often envious of those who get the thrill all year round.
This is my first year raising them and I LOVE it. I get a lot of enjoyment from the whole process from seeing monarchs in my yard, to finding eggs and discovering caterpillars, watching them grow and form their chrysalis...It's bittersweet to see them go..... P.S. MAKE SURE TO WASH YOUR HANDS AND DO NOT TOUCH YOUR FACE WHEN HANDLING MILKWEED. IF THE TOXINS GET IN YOUR EYES IT CAN CAUSE A LOT OF DAMAGE
Good advice. Glad to have you aboard!
The caterpillar is doing great now. Thanks so much for the vids and advice. I wouldn't have ever attempted this w/o the inspiration.
Great to hear! Now you'll get to see him/her grow plenty each day. Enjoy!
Just made my backyard & a park near me a Monarch Waystation. I was so excited to find your videos. So fun and informative. Glad to tell you, right now I have 4 large and 13 small catepillars thanks to you. I'm in Michigan also, and I found all the eggs on Swamp which is the majority in my backyard.
Quite awesome! Glad to have you aboard and that you're having fun with it! Ask questions as they come up. Good luck!
Hey Mr. Lund, Here I am into my second year of helping the Monarchs, and your videos made it all so much easier! I have referred several friends to your videos and try to recruit people whenever I can! when the cats are a bit larger, I move them to mesh habitats now. I take wide mouth Mason Jars and punch holes in top of the lids and make "Milkweed Trees" with large stalks of the Milkweed Plants. I then place them in the habitat on my deck. I keep the water clean and the plants last a long time. This way, they are getting natural sun and environment; I swear, the colors are move vivid, and more visible through the chrysalis! I also tell everyone to plant Milkweed and nectar producing flowers for ALL Pollinators. Instead of giving flowers, I give people Milkweed plants, telling them, "You don't have to raise them to help them - build habitat ". Just wanted to say thank you for your videos that are so well done; they are professional, direct and to the point, and entertaining. You have done a great service for saving the Monarchs and are to be commended for your efforts!
That's an intense compliment. Thank you. But, for whatever thanks I receive, I want those using this information to know, whatever thanks I'm due, those actually using the info and getting the work done deserve 10x as much. These videos mean nothing without people putting them to use. Cheers!
i think i’m half of your monarch content views! Haha, i return to these videos regularly to get refreshed, and my first ever monarch just went into a chrysalis.
Wow they must be all in my garden bc I have dozens of them all year. I live in Miami. I always have milkweeds for them. I love the giant milkweeds too. I also get the queens. Thank you so much for caring about these beautiful creatures.
You're very welcome. Thank you for showing an interest!
Yesterday I found a caterpillar in my front yard, my kids were thrilled. I remember in 7th grade I had a project that involved taking care of a caterpillar throughout all the stages until it became a beautiful butterfly, most rewarding experience ever, I want to pass that down to my kids and as well as help the butterflies multiply and thrive. I found your channel yesterday and I find it very educational and we want to thank you for what you do to help these wonderful and vital little creatures.
That's awesome. I had some great teachers, but I never had one have us raise any monarchs (or other insects). The first time I did it, I was 31!
I'm getting super excited about planting my own butterfly garden and I plan to raise butterflies my entire life. I see I could not have come at a better time
Indeed! The more help these pollinators and other pollinators get, the better!
HI Mr Lund. I want to thank you for your commitment, time and effort to help these beautiful butterflies. I am also doing what I can, allowing the wild small leaf milkweed on my 5 acre piece of land here in Ashland Oregon to grow and flourish, with plans to spread seeds from the bigger leaf showy milkweed harvested from the many locations available along the roadsides in and around Ashland. I wanted to share my first experience trying to to raise a monarch for a friends 11 year old twin granddaughters who are excited to help the monarchs. I harvested an egg from a showy milkweed plant from a mountain location and brought it to my home. I cut the little square around the egg as you instructed and placed it in a small covered plastic container and 4 days later it hatched out. I was overjoyed to see this transformation. I then moved the little caterpillar to another larger container with some leaves from my common milkweed. This was a mistake on my part because the little leaves dry up too fast, even with wet paper towels around the stem. My caterpillar crawled off of the original square, the little leaves were curled up by the next morning and the caterpillar disappeared. I just wanted to share that it is better to have the big leaves of the showy milkweed to transfer the newly hatched caterpillar to as they provide a bigger canvas on which to track the caterpillar. They are so vulnerable and almost impossible to see without a really good magnifying glass. Also, even using tweezers, it is so easy to harm the caterpillar if you can't see it. I would say that when first hatched, the less you get near it the better? How long does it take for them to grow to a size where you can see them? I want to try again at some point, but don't want to make the same mistake. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you!
Greetings, and welcome aboard!
The first thing I suppose I can venture is that once I cut out the leaf square that has the egg on it, I set that in a dish and wait howevermany days until it black tips. Only after it black tips do I put it in a container with a fresh leaf. Forgive me if this is what you have been doing, but you stated that once it hatched, the leaf had curled up by the time the caterpillar left the original square. I've not encountered this problem, so I am thinking it might be that you transferred the egg square to a leaf before it had black tipped?
Next, I agree, tweezers aren't safe for handling caterpillars, particularly when they are young. When I need to move/transfer a small one, I'll usually cut out the portion of leaf it is on, and then transfer that leaf piece with the lil' tyke aboard it to a new leaf. I've also been experimenting with very small paint brush ends, and that is working out well too, for transferring the small ones.
Should you find yourself in the same situation, here's something that might help... Even if the leaf dried, you can still trust that if the container was closed, the caterpillar was still in there. Eating dry leaves won't harm the caterpillar. It might receive less hydration, but it will still be able to survive. You can continue to add fresh leaves in there, and there's a good chance that the caterpillar will find the fresh food too. They do like to wander, especially when we aren't looking! And in a few days of that, it will be larger, and easier to locate. Keep in mind, though, it's a learning experience for sure. Keep at it. Things get easier, and we learn as we go. And bravo for getting your 11 year old granddaughters in on the experience!
Just wanted to tell you you're awesome! As someone who loves butterflies and has been rearing monarchs for 3 years, it makes me so happy to see that there are other compassionate people out there trying to educate others. Keep up the great work :)
+Glenda Sotolongo
Thanks Glenda! This cause doesn't take money, it only takes directed effort. I think that's why it hit so home for me. It's right there in our back yard, waiting (but not waiting too long) for us to take action.
Glad you enjoyed the videos! Please check out the Indy Labs videos that are also on this channel. I'm hoping to get those in the hands of people who enjoy (or have kids who enjoy) more "at home" science!
+MrLundScience You said it! It's incredibly rewarding, too. As cheesy as it sounds, it's an awesome feeling to know you're making a positive difference.
Browsed through your uploads and watched some of your Indy Labs videos. I'm a bilingual aide at an elementary school and I think the videos would be perfect for our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders! I'll be sure to refer the science teachers to your channel.
+Glenda Sotolongo
Très bien!
Not sure if French is the other language, but I'm sure it's not Norwegian, which is the other two aside from English that I dabble in. Thanks for checking them out and passing them on!
MrLundScience Haha it's actually Spanish. You're very welcome!
Thanks to your monarch raising info. I have been able to raise 8 from egg to butterfly for my first time. All based on your excellent information. Had a great time and will do it again next yr. Thanks.
Welcome aboard! This is a very addicting hobby, but so rewarding. I had a neighbor who I released some Monarchs with tell me, it was like living poetry.
I stand corrected! I definitely don't pretend to be a plant expert! I had thought it was swamp milkweed, as I had assumed that from the milky sap it was a type of milkweed, and swamp milkweed seemed to closely resemble it enough for me to falsely identify it as such. Having looked over some photos of dogbane, I must agree with you. Thanks for the correction!
How do u find them in IL
Jamal Glass Greetings Jamal! As far as I can tell, the Michigan region isn't too different for monarchs compared to the Illinois region. Thus, as common milkweed is found in your area, you can use the techniques I show in the videos to find them in your state as well. Good luck!
+Jamal Glass dad?
+MrLundScience can I use a tank for my caterpillars?
+Jamari Glass
Glass tank like a terrarium? Yes.
Tank top? No, they'll get out.
Rolling tank with a firing canon? Not recommended.
I am so glad I found your channel. We are releasing monarchs for my Mother's funeral and in looking into this I have discovered that my property has a lot of milkweed. I'm going to start raising monarchs for release and your videos are very well done and helpful. Thank you for sharing these videos!❤
Happy to help. The season is winding down, but, when next season comes around, feel free to ask questions as they arise. I do my best to answer such in these comments.
Hi Mr. Lund! I just wanted to thank you for making all of the Raising Monarch videos! Here's a little about my story. I have a life long love of gardening, birds, butterflies etc. Attracting butterflies to observe on nectar plants was all I had experience with in the past, but I decided to plant more milkweed after attending a special class at a garden club meeting. I have always wanted to raise monarchs but had not done so. Last month in a local Facebook group, a lady had extra caterpillars that she needed help with. So, I decided to brave it and take some. I found your videos. I watch all 5 of the main videos on how to raise them. I picked them up on Sept. 20th. 12 caterpillars of all sizes. I felt like I was equipped enough to take this on. However, the next day while picking leaves for the caterpillars, I found 20 eggs on my own milkweed plants! I had checked before and never found them. So, before bringing them in, I found this video and watched it. I decided to jump in with both feet and took in all 20. The very next day, two monarch females were laying eggs in my garden. 29 more eggs! NOW, I'm laughing at myself and a little nervous about taking these in as well, but..... I do it! I have a full on farm going on LOL. My family was wondering what in the world is she up to now! haha
So far, I have raised many from eggs, all sizes of caterpillars, have dealt with 2 with black death chrysalides, one misshaped/deformed chrysalis, 2 crumpled winged butterflies and learned the hard way not to trust local growers (who are very reputable) about pesticides. I lost many due to poisoning. I'm someone with a soft heart and these losses and challenges were heart wrenching. But, to watch them form the chrysalis, emerge and be released is something mind blowing and so rewarding.
I have released about 20 so far. I've planted my own milkweed from seeds and cuttings, registered my property as an official Monarch Watch Monarch Weigh Station and enjoy educating my family and friends along the way. With the help of these videos and the fellow enthusiasts questions, challenges, comments etc. I couldn't be this successful. I really enjoy all of the videos and reading everyone's comments! I'm really enjoying this community of enthusiasts! Thank you Mr. Lund and everyone for sharing YOUR stories :) Rainee
Hey, thanks Rainee! Fair warning, as you may have read in the comments - it's addictive! We learn as we go, and each year, the process can improve and be refined. After the first five videos, you may also wish to watch "Thing To Know First". It's almost like a Part Zero, and may give some tips for those getting into this the first year.
Good luck!
MrLundScience It really is! I have watched that one also ;) I have watched many of them. How many do you have out there because I feel like I have watched them all! Looking forward to new ones! Thanks for all that you do!
Not exactly sure off the top of my head, but they have all been placed in a playlist. If you type into TH-cam "Raising Monarchs Playlist" it should come up. Others have a similar or same titled playlist with my videos in it, but mine would be the one that says it's from this channel. (And of course, it's totally cool if others have these videos in a playlist. Encouraged, in fact. Helps spread the word!)
you are so kind that you are helping the butterflies. I would do that too I love butterflies. I did not think about that.
Perhaps it's something you can plan to try for next spring. If so, good luck! I'll be here then too.
Thank you for the info! I helped my seven-year-old granddaughter start a Monarch garden and nursery ... (now I can look a little smarter 😏) Actually, when she's next here I'll watch your videos again with her. Thanks, thanks, especially for stressing the importance of taking responsibility for the eggs we want to care for and not taking more than we can or are willing to care for. That's so important, especially when working with young children.
You're absolutely welcome. Great job getting the next generation into this!
Howdy from the SF bay area! We planted some milkweed two years ago and this year I was walking by it at the perfect moment to watch a female monarch laying eggs. I was on the ground looking under leaves when she flew in inches from my face and dropped another egg. The biggest of the milkweed plants have tons of aphids, ant lions, wasps on it. I couldn't find any eggs on that big plant, but the two smaller ones with much less activity had four. I've brought them inside & the caterpillars are now chewing through their leaves. This has been a great activity during this covid distancing period. Very informative vids, Mr lund!
This series has been so good! I came back just to watch it again! This inspired me to look for eggs this year and take them home and they are hatching at this moment! I’m going to raise them up and release them when they turn into butterflies! Last year I found bigger caterpillars and raised them to adulthood and t was amazing! I will be planting milkweed this upcoming spring!
That sounds pretty awesome, Luke! Great to have you aboard! I'm pleased to hear that the videos have been helpful. Good luck with your newly hatched little ones, and ask questions as you feel the need!
MrLundScience I went all out this year and I officially hatched 13 monarchs! They are a crazy bunch but I’ve been able to handle the amount that I have! Even the big ones! We have plenty of milkweed where I live and it’s been super rewarding!
Monarch season is starting up in Illinois, probably will start search mid June. Got inspired by my little 6 yr old niece who's raising them at school...super cute. Can't wait. 😊🌱🐛
Great to hear! Good luck with your efforts this season!
Something I read the other day sparked me so here I am, a novice learning how to help make some insects 😀 Great video, thank you!
My wife and I really enjoyed your series and learned something. We have 18 potted milkweed with about 15 eggs, 3 caterpillars and one that I think is in the 5th instar. We are raising them on a large screened patio in Florida.
That's awesome, and having the screened in patio is a very nice bonus. Due to my screened in patio, they can emerge from the chrysalis and are waiting for me when I return home from work (or wherever).
I have 18 potted plants sitting outside my porch. We have 2 monarchs visiting them daily and laying eggs. Yesterday, I spotted a third one here and two of them were mating. This morning I saw them actually laying eggs. After they get to 4th or 5th instar we will move them inside. I had one 4/5 on a plant when I purchased it but found him dead in the pot today. He/she never acted completely normal but I still feel sad. Also, I am documenting this journey on my channel th-cam.com/users/richardsites.
Really cool that you are documenting your experience. I've checked out the first installment and will be watching future episodes for sure. Neat that in the first video you were able to capture the actual egg laying on video. Keep up the efforts!
I found over 30 eggs in my backyard. I used to raise them last year, but made a lot of mistakes. Most made it to adulthood, but I'm going through your vids to get some better tips
Good luck with your 30! Ask questions when needed. I'll be here all summer and then some.
+MrLundScience thank you!! I'm sure I'll be coming back to ask questions :)
This Video should be played in every school !
Thanks for the videos. My uncle turned me on to raising monarchs. Just got back from the nursery with 2 milkweed plants. Lots of butterflys in my area.
You're welcome! Great to hear that you're getting into it and have had some luck already! Welcome aboard!
my dad and I have been hatching and raising Monarch caterpillars for a few years now, and every year we grow more and more milkweed for all if the new caterpillars we find. This year we found 110 caterpillars and eggs off of our milkweed growing in only our yard. It's such a cool project and I absolutely can't wait till monarch season each year
That sounds like an awesome, invested set up. Congrats!
Super helpful handsome man! I work as a Naturalist & we officially now have our monarch way station. Looking fwd to raising monarchs. Great music selection, btw😉🧜🏼♀️🦋
Thank you for doing what you do. I so appreciate you teaching us how to raise Monarchs. I just realized I have Monarch eggs on my milkweed and want to hatch them into adults. You did an excellent job explaining each step. Thanks for being "that" guy!
I like to teach. I like it because I know how much I enjoy learning something new, and I vicariously love to see that happen with others. Thanks for having an interest in learning about these guys and their plight!
I have been so fortunate in that I live where I can have potted milkweed plants and find Monarchs at all ages. I had been waiting to find caterpillars almost ready to form chrysalides. Your video inspired me to start earlier. I take the whole leaf with the tiny egg or just hatched caterpillars and with a very small plastic clothespin attach the leaf to a leaf on a potted milkweed I have in a mesh butterfly cage. It works for me. I have both potted and free growing milkweed plants. Your milkweed plant leaves are huge. You have inspired me.
Just found your page. I’m very new at this. I’ve always wanted to have a butterfly garden. I just found a egg on a leaf. I will be starting with just one egg at this time. Thank you for this information it’s extremely helpful. 🦋 👍
This is amazing .. I enjoyed this video so much! I’ll watch more of the videos & raise them with my family! Thank you so much!
You're welcome. Glad that you could find it useful!
I live in Santa Cruz, CA we get the western migration here in the winter. Every year the butterfly count is down. Several of the gardeners here have started growing milkweed. So far this year I released nine adults. It is now July and I found ten more eggs/ babies that I am raising inside in a protected environment. They are so amazing at any stage. So not all the monarchs migrate, some stay here, but they still need to survive our winters, not super cold but they are all by the ocean in the eucalyptus trees, I live a bit inland and I get frosts in my garden, but by the beach it doesn't freeze so my monarchs go there. A short flight, yet necessary to make it through the winter.
This is my second year and as soon as my milkweeds were growing last year the monarchs found it and laid eggs. This year even more! I love helping them in any way I can!
watched your videos about 14 days ago; took my first 'pillar into my butterfly cage from my garden (I typically order painted ladies for my grands to watch grow and bloom into butterflies in the spring so I have a netted cage) and we are at "J" stage today!!! so excited and nervous, lol... your videos were so informative! fingers crossed nature continues on its path here... thank you!!
Rich, just discovered your videos last week and they have been very helpful. I constructed two rearing enclosures and have modified what I do after viewing your videos. Last night we "hung out" four crysalises (sp?) and today two emerged and two more in our rearing cage. By the way, I've found several caterpillars on my swamp milkweeds, but in the cages they much prefer common milkweed. Thanks!
All of the above sounds pretty awesome! Glad that the videos could provide you with ideas to refine your system. And, the refinement never ends. I, myself, am always looking for ways to improve. Welcome aboard, Robert!
@@MrLundScience Tachinids have been a problem for us. My milkweed garden has 20 tropical milkweeds (currassavia), three swamp milkweeds and about 8 common milkweeds. The tropicals were much preferred for egg laying and the plants are eaten down to stalks. However, when I bring the caterpillars in they seem to prefer to eat the common milkweed leaves. By having all of my plants confined to a relatively small area, do you think I might be "attracting" the tachinids? Next year we will try to find leaves with eggs and bring them in to protect the caterpillars from the tachinids.
@@robertmoran5394 I'd be purely speculating here, as I do not know how the tachinids locate the caterpillars or what they are sensitive to. Still, it would make logical sense that since it needs to find caterpillars, it'd be attracted to plants that have such caterpillars on them, such as the milkweed, and such as the scents of the flowers. But again, that's purely guessing. Further, there's over 10,000 different tachinid fly species, so I would have to assume that some locate caterpillars in different ways. Some also don't inject the eggs into the caterpillars, but lay eggs that hatch first instar maggots which find the caterpillar (or wait for it to crawl by) and then dig into the caterpillar themselves. So, it's really tough to try and pin down what could be attracting them, which of course would be needed knowledge in order to prevent them. Sorry I don't have a better answer.
Now why does the music of Radio Head blend in so well with nature?
Just watched all 5 videos. Great job. I'll be planting milkweed soon as the weather warms up.
Welcome aboard! I have a series as well, "Planting Milkweed" which only has four parts to it. Not sure if it's help to you or if you already have more of a green thumb than I (and it doesn't take much to best me in that department). Here's a link to the first one: th-cam.com/video/c_d1FMJiLo8/w-d-xo.html
Good luck!
I just found this series, and it is fantastic!. Thank you for doing this.
I need help and your videos have helped me on a LOT of things. I know a lot more about monarch butterflies now! Thanks for your videos!
You're definitely welcome!
These videos are so helpful! First round of eggs today! we tried bringing them in when they were very small, but most of those had issues from flies. We should be good to go now!
Great to hear! Welcome aboard! Ask questions as they arise. There's multiple videos that I've tried to make to cover the issues that can come up.
Thank you so much raise 10 my first year 30 the second year I’m on my third year already released 1 Have 10 eggs one chrysalis and three caterpillars unless it is 2021 OK thank you so much your videos have helped me so much couldn’t do it without you this is my first year doing the eggs this video is helped tremendously thank you thank you thank you
I live in Central Florida ave I just started raising monarchs and swallowtails. I added milkweed just to attract the butterfly but once I saw the caterpillars being eaten by wasps I started bringing them in. I have 1 monarch catepillar and 5 swallowtails. These videos are helping me a lot.
Greetings Miss Gardener! (Miss Soul? Miss 74? Not sure what you prefer.)
Welcome aboard! If you are in Florida, though, and you're raising Monarchs, a very important question to ask is, do you know about OE parasites? They are very rampant in Florida. You may wish to look up some things about them asap. You could do your own research, or, I have some videos I've made about them.
"What Are OE Parasites?" - th-cam.com/video/kkZTfeFVMiE/w-d-xo.html
"OE Parasite Testing" - th-cam.com/video/pxXkAL1h2pw/w-d-xo.html
"Alternative OE Testing" - th-cam.com/video/32IqyxjOUfM/w-d-xo.html
"Should We Euthanize?" - th-cam.com/video/5WEewtof3w8/w-d-xo.html
"OE Parasite Prevention" - th-cam.com/video/oZYzzcGiZRA/w-d-xo.html
"Preventing NPV & Other Infections" - th-cam.com/video/2FE9646Z9xs/w-d-xo.html
I know that's a LOT, but I also know that if I were getting into this in Florida instead of Michigan, I'd really want to know about OE first. Good luck to you, and ask questions as they pop up!
@@MrLundScience thank you very much for the information and no I did not know about it so I am going to do my research and I will test my first Monarch whenever it becomes a butterfly. Thank you very much for the videos and information.
You're definitely welcome. Thank you for taking an interest in helping them out!
Dear Mr. Lund, I now have 4 small batches in various stages, and two chrysalides! I am using the mesh containers outside on a South facing unscreened porch. So far, so good! I've found a great way to get rid of the frass without jostling the caterpillars. I cut a drinking straw in half, and then duct taped it into the crevice tool of my vacuum cleaner in such a way that only the straw has suction. It is just perfect for getting rid of the frass. Anyway, thanks for all your support. I'm hoping for the best. ~Mary Anne
Sounds like some might even be able to use one of those, for lack of better descriptions, baby snot remover hand pump things, with a straw on the end. Cool idea!
What a great small but wonderful way to help nature..love sharing too. Thank you
High and Dry starts up, and I'm just like, "Hold on, I know that drum and cymbals intro..."
Awww yeah...
Thank you, this is a great series, I have about 20k milkweed sees to plant this coming season. Soon I hope to start raising.
+Diane Powell Very awesome! You sound quite prepared! It's a shame that we have to wait out the winter, but it gives us time to plan, and recoup too. It can be a lot of work!
Hello! I am so excited to tell you that my husband and I have been growing butterfly weed (with the small orange flowers) for years. This year after they grew flowered and started looking ratty, I cut them down to the ground. They started growing back and that's when we discovered 100s of Monarch butterfly caterpillars. Before long we had what looked like green Christmas lights hanging along the soffit of our house. It was so much harder fun watching them emerge from their cocoons and fly away.
That sounds awesome! Happy to hear you had such a productive season!
Thank you so much for your videos. My 6yr old and I have begun our monarch Empire! I would love to share our pictures and experience with you. Please let me know where I can post our pictures for you and your viewers. Our pug Louie would also love to see more of your pug in your videos. Thank you again
Elizabeth
Ha! We have two pugs, and the female is Sascha, but the male is Louis too! (Spelled differently, obviously.)
Pictures could be uploaded to places like Instagram and links can be placed here in the comments section. Another option is that you could tweet me photos to my Twitter account (which would mean you'd have to have a Twitter account) and on there, I am @MrLundScience.
I found 2 monarch caterpillars last year and didnt know what they were at the time. But recently I saw a video on them and have been searing for them ever since. Well, I came across 1 in my backyard and decided it was gonna be 1 that lives and doesnt get eaten by a predator. So I brought it inside and made a home for him followed your videos and now my caterpillar is starting the J hang so we are getting close!!!! WooHooo! Thanks so much for making these videos they are very helpful. And I will be planting more milkweed in my back 3 acres of land by our pond. I have seen just a small few Monarchs flying about. But I hope to increase that number. I think I found some eggs, but not sure I cut the leaf brought it in and am waiting. I hope they are eggs. We shall see.
Hey Bridget, and welcome aboard!
Let me say, it sounds like you're doing this totally the right way: Start out small to just raise a few and both get the hang of it, and experience how much time commitment it is. That's the best way, and then if in the near future or next year, you wish to take on higher numbers, you know what you're in for. Sometimes when people start with, say, 20 at once, they get down the road and realize it was a lot more than they thought it would be.
When I made the videos, I was just looking to put out there videos I wish had been out there when I was trying to figure all of this out. I never knew they'd be this popular. I'm just so pleased to hear that they are still helping others. Thank you very much for the feedback! Good luck with your possible eggs!
I think your videos are excellent!
Well hey, thanks. And also, thanks for your interest in this cause!
Hi. Thank you for this excellent video series. I raise monarchs in Dearborn MI. I grow milkweed but I can't find places to find eggs/ caterpillars. I'm curious what part of Michigan you find your eggs.
Greetings Michelle!
I'm in the Lansing area of Michigan, just a tad outside of it. While I wouldn't say "walking distance" of Lansing, I would say "bike riding distance". However, I know the Dearborn area well too. I'm originally from Port Huron, have spent time around Pontiac, been to Detroit many times, and also, my wife is from Troy. So, I've stomped around the metro Detroit area plenty. And, on top of that, I've found many eggs in metro Detroit as well. Once it's July, there will indeed be eggs to be found on Common Milkweed. Just gotta be able to know where to find some Common Milkweed. In the Troy area, my wife and I have been there with her parents, giving them a visit, and in nearby parks that we've gone to, there's always been come Common Milkweed, and there's always been (as long as it's July) eggs on them.
In this vid, there's over forty eggs that are found, all in my mother-in-law's back yard, in Troy: th-cam.com/video/TzdV2uBsyoU/w-d-xo.html
Check parks, parking lots, and keep checking your own plants too. They're there. Just don't give up looking. One last note, admittedly, it can be hit or miss with various spots. My wife's mother had 40+ show up on her patch of plants one year, then the next year, none, but then the year after that, about ten. So, if you don't find any in one location, don't give up on it, but also, keep checking/finding more locations.
MrLundScience thank you so much for your reply. I do go go troy Area often. I will start checking parks around me and there. I don't see much milkweed by me that's not been planted by me already lol. This year I'm asking family and friends to allow me to plant milk weed by their homes. More that's available in more locations the better. 🙌 😊
Hey I'm with you brother we got some for my son and daughters daycare so far I think we've done like 10 or 15 hatched two adult nearest maybe about 15 more in a little habitat
Very awesome! Thanks for helping them out, and getting the family into conservation efforts!
I love these beautiful butterflies😍😍😍
They are natural teachers.
I started a couple milkweeds during early spring indoors, it’s still small but next year hopefully it’ll be big enough to house a couple caterpillars. I’ll be planting more in the fall and watch them come up in spring.
Planting milkweed is the number one way to help them, so thank you so much for being willing to get involved already at that level! Some plunge right in, and some gradually get a bit more into it each year. Whether it's a plunge or a gentle slide, both have their advantages. But I always think it's good to ease in so that people don't find themselves in a situation where they accidentally got out above their heads. Your milkweed will be a treat for your yard for years to come. Thanks for doing what you can to help them out!
MrLundScience The population of monarchs in my city has plunged so much in 10 years, they were a little uncommon back in 2011 but now they’re rare to see. I wanna try and attract more and more into the city so future generations can witness their numbers.
Did you rear any egg-parasitoids Trichogramma from eggs of moths? I study and describe them.
Not to my knowledge...
Are you asking if I've reared any intentionally, or unintentionally? I'm unfamiliar with them.
Its funny because what he said was swamp milkweed was actually DOGBANE, no wonder he never saw a monarch laying eggs on it. 😂😂 but I do love your videos
With how devices have changed, sometimes they can't see the annotations. TH-cam stopped supporting them a while ago, but if you watch the video on PC, it should still show annotations. (It does on mine, still.) So, some might not see the annotation but yeah, this was brought to my attention. I didn't know as much back then, and while I felt thorough enough on Monarchs to make these videos, my plant identification skills weren't all that hot. Still aren't, but have greatly improved with what is and isn't milkweed (and poison ivy).
😂
I'm built a new caterpillar sanctuary for my front porch, currently it's loaded with black swallowtails. Next spring I'm ready for the Monarchs. I think I will be able to save and release at least 50 monarchs in the spring. Hopefully more. This fall I will have plenty of nectar plants to support the monarchs on their way back to Mexico. I am in Sabine County Texas, I think I'm in a great spot to help them in the spring and again in the fall! :) :)
Awesome job! And yes, Texas is a pretty vital pathway along their migratory route. A big help to them for the fall is to have types of plants that still have nectar producing flowers that late in the season. Now, what those specifically are, I don't necessarily know. Out of my expertise. But, I think this winter I'll be studying up on that.
Watched all your videos and now i am for the first time raising butterflys here in Australia, we do get the monarchs but were i live they are here and there and finding the eggs on milk weeds im yet to find. i have found other butterfly eggs and raising them got only 2 from my orange tree leaves so have no idea what they might be, one has morphed tonight so i excited to see these little guys be able to fly when they come into this world and there ready , thank you for the butterfly lessons . cheers.
I’m starting this summer:) ( it’s April 26 today)
Great news. Good luck in your efforts!
Thanks. We are starting to get into this helpful hobby
Welcome aboard Kimuseni! As questions arise, feel free to ask.
9:07 there's a Caterpillar under the leaf in the bottom left
Indeed. And I checked...his name is Waldo.
Great catch!
I didn't know Henry Rollins was so into Monarch rearing, how cool!
Seriously though, excellent videos.
Ha-haaaa!
It's been a while since I've heard that, but mostly I think because I'm around students who are too young to have a bead on who Rollins is. I started getting told that around the age of 16. So, I wanted to check him out. Who is this Rollins guy? This was 1996. "Come In And Burn" had just come out, so I bought that. I thought it was good, but didn't fall deeply in love with it. I rocked it often, but it didn't become a favorite at the time.
Then, I found out that he wrote books. I picked one up, and, man, the pages were totally speaking to me. Not only did I hear someone speak on things I felt I could relate to, but it made his music mean so much more to me. I didn't stop, and read every book of his. As he still puts them out, I still pick them up and read them when I have a chance.
Rollins was probably the most pivotal non-family/friend influence I had in my late teens, early twenties that helped shape me into who I became. (Carl Sagan soon followed.)
I've had milkweed in my yard for at least 10 years. The one caterpillar I finally found was about 1/2" long and wasn't there the next day. Many adult monarchs visit my milkweed.
I find it hard to believe that just growing milkweed in the suburbs will help. Suburban monarchs do much better if they are raised by people and released.
We could say that the planting of milkweed helps long term, and also helps slow or prevent the decline. The raising of Monarchs definitely helps out the individual, though. Eggs in nature have somewhere between a 3% and 10% chance of making it to the adult stage, depending upon what study is consulted. So, it's safe to say, a 10% or less chance. If you can do better than that, then you're helping those individuals most definitely. Take in 10 eggs, and if just 2 make it, you're already beating nature.
But long term, even if we could make *every* egg out there make it to the adult stage, and even if we could guarantee every Monarch migrating a safe journey, it still wouldn't solve the problem. The next year, the number of Monarchs that will be able to develop is still attached to how much milkweed is out there. If there's enough milkweed to support X Monarchs one year, and magically, we could make 10X that number come back in the spring, if the milkweed still stayed the same amount (and it probably didn't...it may be less) then still, only X Monarchs will thrive, as that's all that the milkweed is able to support. Long term, planting milkweed, even in suburbia, is part of the solution. And don't forget, part of the planting of milkweed involves more milkweed seeds being produced. These can travel to areas where they can take root in the wild, and also be used to gift some seeds to people in the community who are interested and willing to plant them.
Thank you for having an interest in this. Together, we can make a difference!
I am trying to watch your video part 2 so that I know what to do with the eggs that I found found. Please help!
I'm certainly able to answer whatever questions you have (that I know the answers to). What help do you need? Do you have questions?
My daughter and I have taken up this hobby together (she is 6) and she is extremely in love with all of what we are doing. We want to do it best. What is the best way to do this? My husband is building a butterfly enclosure which is turning out to be amazing. We would like to put a milkweed plant inside the enclosure for when the babies grow bigger and they can have a place to roam freely with lots of food. I tried transplanting some milkweed plants we found growing in the wild and the don't seem to be doing well at all. What would be the best way to deal with raising these beautiful butterflies? Indoors? Outdoors? On the deck? With a shade structure over them so they aren't in the direct sun? Moveable structure so that if the weather is really bad we can move it inside?
Greetings Jocelyne!
To answer your question, we'd first have to be on the same page with what you mean by "the best" as in, "the best way to do this?" What is the "best" depends upon what you are looking to get out of it.
Let me first say, I don't claim to know the "best" about anything. I've made these videos just to show how I have had success, and if anyone can get something out of that, cool. Now, for me, I consider "best" to mean a high success rate of eggs reaching adulthood and flying off. The numbers define "best" for me. I'm always 80% or above in my success rate, and since in nature, studies say an egg making it to adult is less than 10%, I like what I'm doing. So, from my stand point, the biggest, most important insurance of success is *removing the egg from nature* and raising them in a controlled environment, which are my containers shown in parts 3 and 4. (Have you watched all Parts 1 - 5? That's the "core" of the series where I show everything I do each step of the way.) Thus, if your goal as well is to get as many to adults as possible, I would recommend not leaving them in an enclosure where they roam free. It's nice sounding, but in truth, they would still be in nature. Perhaps it'd be less risky. Perhaps netting can keep away wasps and other predators, but from my experience, ants get everywhere no matter what humans attempt to do, and as Ian Malcolm said in Jurassic Park, "Life finds a way." Having them in a controlled environment where all they have to deal with is munching tasty leaves, that's the best bet.
Now, if you are defining "best" as more of a Monarch sanctuary where they have lots of food and plants and freedom, I gotta be honest, I'm not really much of a gardener. Calling me an armature is being generous. I know how to plant milkweed, and that's about it. I've tried transplanting milkweed like you, but that was before I understood its root system better. The roots are shallow and spread out very very wide. So, taking roots only from a 2ft radius from the stalk still isn't really enough. It's very difficult to transplant them. What I would recommend is, raise them as I do for a year or two, and in the meantime, plant milkweed at your home. In two years, you'll have some large plants, and if you wish to put caterpillars on the plants once they've hatched from the eggs and enjoy them that way, that's up to you. Even doing just that gets them past the egg stage, which is actually when they are the most vulnerable.
So cool that you are getting your 6 year old daughter into this!!!
I hope some of that has helped! Ask more when/if you need to!
I love this video so much! I a have been watching this series for a while and can't sop watching them! i was wondering: are you still raising monarchs?
Indeed, I am. I'm currently taking care of 39.
Also, I still make new videos when there's a subject to be covered. You can peruse the channel if you wish. The first five of the series, "Raising Monarchs Part 1...Raising Monarchs Part 2...etc., are the "core" of the series. But, upon making them, found that there were many other details and topics to address, and thus, I've put out many "supplemental" videos that flesh out these details. They are all "Raising Monarchs" titled, still, but don't have a "Part X" in the title. Recently, for example, I showed how to tell what instar a caterpillar was in: th-cam.com/video/IuPsK6xOnDY/w-d-xo.html
There are others too now on chrysalis repair, how to prevent diseases and parasites, and what types of pests/predators are out there and what their harm is to the Milkweed plant or to the Monarchs themselves.
Thanks for your continued support, and continued efforts in helping out the Monarchs!
Do you talk about misting with a spray bottle in any of your videos or do you have a different method?
Nowhere in my process do I mist. If you're asking about providing them with water, as long as you are supplying them with fresh milkweed that hasn't dried out, all of the moisture they need is right there in the leaves. I find that if there's any misting, this leads to mold growth on the leaves, especially on the paper towel that I wrap the leaf stems in. So, in my process, there's no benefit to misting, and only issues it can cause.
Thank you for this video !! I appreciate your knowledge.
You're very welcome. Thanks for taking interest.
this has inspired me to help i started a milkweed garden and there are lots of caterpillars here i call it project b.b.m. (bring back monarchs)
Awesome! Thanks for checking it out. Welcome aboard!
Thank you I did this last year, looking forward to doing it again this summer!
I'm about a month away from them showing up, but that's plenty of time to work with the milkweed! Good luck!
MrLundScience hey, while reviewing some videos today I noticed that you are checking in a bit with your peeps here and wanted to say hello and to share that my egg-hunting season did start about two weeks earlier than last year, finding eggs on April 9th, upon seeing the first “mama Monarch” in the Common Milkweed in our back door garden. As usual I revisit your TH-cam spot this time of year especially this week and today as one of that initial group is eclosing! The number of days from hatching to eclosing is 36 days, or 42 days when including the actual five days she or he took to hatch after that day they were laid. It’s been an unusual spring here as I know it has been also for you, with several frosts/freezings during April and warm humid days with temperatures in the 80’s-90’s. It has been a good way to be spending time at home during this “stay at home” mandate which we have closely followed. Overall it’s probably the usual stormy, fluctuating stuff and holding hope for all of the Monarchs in our Eastern migration. I truly hope that all is well, that you are staying safe, maybe raising some Monarchs ? and of course I am one of many out here thankful for your great classic videos that I still refer back to and also send the link to others online with questions. Since I am not sure where you live in Michigan I am thinking about everyone impacted by the terrible flooding due to the two dams breaking in Midland. Blessings and best wishes.
Hey Mr. Lund- I just found 16 more eggs on my tropical milkweed today. Some are bright yellow while some are very white. Does that mean anything? Also my two larva keep wandering off the leaf. Do I need to keep moving them back on? Thx
Variation in egg color is normal. Anything from a very pale white to a very deep yellow, though those are the extremes. Usually, the color is somewhere in the middle, but from one egg to the next, yes, there can be noticeable differences.
As for moving the larva, that might depend upon how young they are. It's normal for a caterpillar to wander off a bit and find a more secluded spot to molt. If that's what's happening, it's recommended that you leave them be. The time where I don't follow that advice, though, is when they are very young, like the first instar. Times like that, the young can wander away from the leaf and are small enough that they aren't able to find their way back to the leaf. So, using a smaller piece of leaf, I coax them onto that, and then leave the small piece of leaf on the main leaf. Does that make sense?
I dont understand. Don't they hatch on their own? I dont know how evasive milk weed is, but curious if will spread into grassy yard area. I would plant in an area, full sun, in a flowerbed if I knew these answers of concern. At least I've seen 1 monarch around this year. Haven't in yrs otherwise.
They certainly do hatch on their own...but that's of course if an ant, or lady bug, or other predator doesn't eat it first. Upon hatching, life is brutal for a caterpillar. They still have the same predators to deal with that could eat an egg, plus, bacteria that may be on the leaf that they could ingest and cause infection. There's a nasty virus called NPV that can take them out. Tachinid flies need to inject their own eggs into caterpillars, which eventually kills them when the tachinid larvae pop out of them. Some birds will eat them if they haven't learned how bad they taste. Etc., etc. In the wild, they have a 3 - 10% chance of going from an egg to an adult, depending upon which study you look at. So, the taking in of eggs and rearing them is in an effort to give them a better than 10% chance. Does that make sense?
As for your other question, yes, milkweed will definitely spread to grassy areas, and the planting of milkweed is definitely the number one way to help them.
Thank you for your concern for this animal!
I grow a lot of milkweed but only got 3 eggs this year. In 10 days they will fly out and I really hope they make more. All 3 cocooned just an hour ago when making this post. 2 male 1 female. Nest year I plan on mixing more colorful flowers into the fray to hopefully get more.
Some years can be hits, and some, misses. I've had my "not so many" years as well. We do what we can, and it's at their discretion where they choose to lay. Still, thank you for helping out the ones you were able to find!
great video, what do you do to control aphids on your milkweed?
The answer would be, absolutely nothing!
If eggs appear on my milkweed at home, they are quickly removed, as shown in this video. I don't use home milkweed leaves for caterpillar food (unless in a pinch), and instead, go to nearby patches to collect leaves, and at the same time, search for new eggs. This, then, allows me to find eggs, but also, find leaves that don't have aphids.
My milkweed I planted at home serves me two purposes. Primarily, it is to grow seed pods that I can get out to my students who want them, and second, certainly to give female Monarchs another small location that is an option.
I use Neem oil, it works great on the aphids and doesn't hurt adult monarchs, but I'm not so sure about eggs and larvae. I also do regular checks and just squish any aphids I see with my fingers. It's my first time finding monarch eggs and trying to raise them.
Hello Mr Lund. Thank you for your expertise. I have a question. I have a crysalis but at the crown looks like he didnt make it all the way. There is a bit of caterpillar sticking out. Do you feel this is a viable crysalis?
Greetings Ardis!
Sorry that it has taken me a bit to get to this comment. We're one week out now from our Science Olympiad Regional tournament (I coach) and so I'm quite swamped, and have been the last few weeks.
At any rate, I'm not exactly sure how to answer this one. The chrysalis isn't something that forms around the caterpillar like a cocoon does, but instead, is something that was inside the caterpillar. One could think of it as the final molt of the caterpillar. The chrysalis is formed underneath the skin of the caterpillar while it is "J-hanging", and once mostly formed, the skin is shed. Then, there's some wiggling and drying and hardening to do, and it's fully formed. So, if something is sticking out of the chrysalis, it's not really the caterpillar that is sticking out of it anymore. And I'd not be quite sure what is sticking out of it. Is it possible that this is just a remnant of the molted skin that the chrysalis tried to shed off, but it didn't wiggle it off? Sometimes the skin, or at least part of it, can ball up and remain at the top. Whether it's viable or not, only time will tell. I know that nature can surprise us if we give her the chance to, so I wouldn't ever count it out until it shows definite signs of not being healthy, such as major discoloration, or, considerably more than 14 days of not having an adult emerge. I hope that helps. Good luck!
@@MrLundScience oh yes. That makes sense. Thank you
my husband and I have become obsessed with raising butterflies. We have been doing Gulf fritillary. We live in Texas. It's a hobby that isn't too expensive, helps butterflies, and is super cool! Who doesn't like butterflies?!
You make helpful and entertaining videos. Thank you, Rich Lund. Subscribed.
Thanks we really like your channel .
Much appreciated. Happy to supply!
This is so cool! I have tried to find some butterfly eggs before, but I keep finding so many ants and slugs on the leaves! Do they eat the eggs?
They can and do... But hey, aside from that, welcome aboard!
It really helped me and my dad raise monarch butterflies
Very cool! Thanks for getting involved!
Do you recommend cutting off the flower? I've heard that it's better to do that so that the energy goes to the leaves.
Thanks!
I have never cut off the flower. I admit, I'm not a botanist, nor much of a gardener.
I would say, however, especially for the wild plants, cutting off the flower I would believe, would cause the plant to not produce seeds. The flower is needed for sexual transfer with other plants of the same species, and I would suspect, this would cause the plant to not produce seed pods. Honestly, though, I could be wrong. Perhaps they would still produce seeds asexually.
I would say, though, that due to how poorly pollinators in general are doing, particularly the honeybee, I myself would not want to deny them the flower nectar just to try and get slightly larger leaves.
There's my two cents! Good luck!
i planted 15+ milkweeds in my yard to help and learn .thank you
When is the best time of year to be able to find them.. raise them.. and still have time to release them before winter??
The answer to that does slightly depend upon your location:
In Florida, there are spots that they seem be mate/breed throughout the year from what people have told me.
If you are west of the Rockies, then the Monarchs do migrate, but they stay within that same range. (Search "Monarch Migration Map" in Google.)
Otherwise, all the rest east of the Rockies can start seeing the Monarchs in May if you're in the southern states, June if you're in northern states, and late June if you're in the southern Canadian Provinces. Even then, though, that doesn't mean they'll be in large numbers. There's four generations that live during the summer months. Each generation, the numbers increase compared to the previous, as you'd expect. By mid to late September here in Michigan, it's time for the Monarchs to be heading to Mexico.
Either way, though, no matter which generation you raise, it should be released one or two days after you've gotten it to adult status. These guys and gals have very important work to do, mating and laying more eggs! Good luck!
Dear mrLundScience. Just want you to know, that thanks to your instruction videos, we have 24 Monarch ‘pops' on our terrace now and 3 butterfies already flew out. The 24 will hach next week in 4 days.
We live in Gran Canaria, so the Monarch butterly does not migrate, it stays here all year.
The council of the city of Las Palmas stimulates the growing of the silk-plant the catterpillar eats. There is not a lot of information about the not migrating Monarch Butterly. If you have some, I would be very intererested.
Again, thank you very much for your perfectly clear and nice instructions!
Greetings Annemarie!
Very cool to hear that you've had success! I appreciate the kind words. I'm sorry, but I don't have much (or really any) information on the nonmigratory populations either. I'm in a situation where I've learned as I've gone too, so much of what I know now after the years of informal education on the subject has mostly been about the population in my area. Perhaps you could be the person who sorta does what I did here, but in your area?
What kind of video camera did you use?
It's been quite a while since I made this video, and we don't even have that camera around any longer. I think it was some version of a hand held "Coolpix". It was nothing fancy. To get the close up shots, I took a jeweler's eye type of magnifier and put it up to the lens of that Coolpix and was able to keep it in focus. NOT having auto-focus on that camera helped in being able to do that.
I found 2 eggs, I'm not sure what kind of butterfly laid them, could u possibly identify them??
If I had a photo, it's possible. Without a photo, not really. Do you have a photo of them posted somewhere?
I have been raising monarchs in southern California for a couple of years now. When I egg hunt, I do it in my own backyard as I have planted milkweed in my garden. I harvest the whole leaf, but I leave them on the leaf. In order to keep the leaf fresh, I have a small container filled with water. I have drilled stem-sized holes in the lid of the container. I simply place the leave in the water container hole and it stays fresh for more than a week.
Stacey Wilson This is good to know, Stacey. THANK YOU. By keeping a lid on the container, I suppose it prevents the caterpillars from drowning?
Stacey Wilson The caterpillars don't fall in the water because the holes are so tight to hold the leaf.
just.. wonderful!
Hey, thanks!