Raising Monarchs - Chrysalis Issues (Help The Monarch Butterfly)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ส.ค. 2018
- If you raise enough Monarchs, you will eventually see a chrysalis that just doesn't look right. Is it unhealthy? Will the adult emerge with problems, or will it take flight without difficulty? In this episode, we examine some potential issues you may encounter with the chrysalis stage. In all cases, I urge that you give the Monarch the chance to surprise you.
If you are new to this series, I highly recommend checking out the "core" of Raising Monarchs, Parts 1 - 5, which shows in detail, how I raise Monarchs from egg to adult, and how you can too with essentially zero cost using household items.
Raising Monarchs Instructional Video Series:
• Raising Monarchs Part ...
All about OE, what it is, the life cycle, etc.:
"What Are OE Parasites?" - • Raising Monarchs - Wha...
Testing for OE Parasites:
"OE Parasite Testing" - • Raising Monarchs - OE ...
How to bleach treat eggs:
"OE Parasite Prevention" - • Raising Monarchs - OE ...
How to bleach treat leaves:
"Preventing NPV and Other Infections" - • Raising Monarchs - Pre...
What experts are saying about when to euthanize Monarchs:
"Should We Euthanize?" - • Raising Monarchs - Sho...
Just keep planting milkweed seeds and educate your neighbors about the survival of monarchs.
I know a few places that have milkweed plants and I'll often take a few cuttings to feed these little chubby caterpillars, but if you do that too, don't throw away the stems after they devour the leaves, keep them in the water and wait for them to root.
Give it 2 weeks and when you start to see those new white roots coming out of the lower stem, put that stem in a small pot in well draining sandy-like soil and water it very well for a couple of days.
They root really fast and its so much faster than having to deal with seeds.
Even if you don't have monarch cats to feed, take cuttings anyway, and the seed pods while you're at it, and start making new plants out of those cuttings and toss those seeds in random places that have some kind of water source near by and hope for the best.
I say all this because there's never enough milkweed, so make more milkweed possible ☺
Hi Rich,
If you recall, I wrote to you regarding a chrysalis that I had damaged by breaking a small part off the top of it's anchor while transferring it to the yarn hanger. You told me about infection and fluid loss so I ran to the store to see what might work. What I ended up doing was using two connected pieces of Command damage-free poster strips, removed the black "wall side" cover strips placing the broken chrysalis anchor on the bottom center of one side and closed the other side over it like closing a book. I pressed firmly around the anchor so there adhesive would seal it and hopefully prevent an infection or fluid loss, said a prayer and hung it up using the rounded ended of the poster strip. I'm so happy to report that a healthy female hatched this morning! YAY!! I hope that info may help someone else.
Sounds like some intense engineering! Bravo on your ingenuity!
@@MrLundScience
Awwww, shucks😊
@@MrLundScience
JK. Praise Jesus it worked! I was sweating it!!
Thank you so very much for this series! This is my 1st year. I have 15+ milkweed plants in my chemical free yard. I harvested over 25 eggs, all hatched! But along the way I lost some caterpillars. :( I have had 7 emerge so far and I've released them. I have one fallen chrysalis, but never did think of not letting it grow! I have 4 more chrysalis hanging. 2 babies just hatched Monday and I found 3 more eggs yesterday. YES, this is addictive! I had half the neighborhood over yesterday to watch the 7 emerge! It is utterly fascinating! God's miracles for sure. And yep, already thinking of how I can make my set-up better next year, and keep better records and maybe even get bold enough to tag. Thank you!
Thank you for taking this so well to heart, and getting your neighbors interested in this! Soon, they'll be asking you for milkweed seeds, or other ways that they can help, if they haven't already. Great job being an ambassador to this cause!
Rich: I had a cat whose skin split in two places while pupating and she was only able to shed half, the other half basically strangling the top third of the chrysalis. I decided to let her be but didn't get my hopes up. She eclosed early this morning on her own and looks remarkably normal--just has a slight divot on the edge of her hind wings (still waiting to see if she flies). The big problem is that her proboscis was caught in the strangled part of the chrysalis. I helped get it free, but it's pretty crumpled up at the tips and I don't think there's hope of it fusing at this point. I will offer her honey nectar later on to see if she can eat, then make a longer-term Plan. BUT I was shocked she came out as well as she did. I appreciate your encouragement to always give them a chance and I thank you for all of your videos that have helped me tremendously in this process. PS, I "tweeted" you a picture of the chrysalis a couple of weeks ago in my desperation, but I'm fairly inept at Twitter so I don't know if you even saw it. Peace and Godspeed to these amazing Monarchs. -Olivia
This happened to one of my cat's today.
Planted a small patch of butterfly weed last year. Didn't think anything would come of it. Happened to decide to weed the area this year (I wouldn't have checked otherwise) and noticed monarch caterpillars! I got super excited. I'm raising 7 of them right now. One is pretty close to making its chrysalis... Been watching your channel since for tips on how to raise them healthy and strong from egg stage on. Very helpful
Awesome news! Thank you for helping them along their way!
I’ve had quite a few this year that have fallen, gotten a flat side, and emerged fine. Chrysalis B looks like it had a confrontation with another hungry caterpillar, I’ve seen it a lot. I’ve released over 400 myself this year. Great to see you helping the monarchs! Thanks!
Over 400!? NICE! You've got me beat (not that it's a competition). I've taken in just a bit over 200 at this point. Great work, man!
Also, I've checked out a few of your videos too. We share a passion for coins, though I'll admit, mine is quite amateur. Got a US Gold Double Eagle, though, which is my prize possession. So nice and heavy in the hand...it just feels right.
MrLundScience wow! 200 is pretty good. That’s my next move, I want a nice double eagle from the late 1800’s. Thanks for checking my channel out! I’m more of an entomologist than a collector but it’s very fun.
So, you do know that Canada put out silver Monarch Butterfly coins, right?
www.mint.ca/store/coins/3-oz.-pure-silver-coloured-coin---monarch-migration---mintage-3500-2017-prod3040099
I also am big into collecting foreign banknotes that have scientists printed on them.
Thank you so much for this video! This is my first year raising monarchs. I woke up this morning to a chrysalis that had a odd deformity and am concerned about it. You showed the exact same thing on your video; so I am a little more confident in its outcome. I subscribed to your channel to learn more. Thank you so much!
Thanks for this! I had two very odd looking ones that got a bit damaged during a rain storm. Wasn't sure if they were still viable, but after watching this, I hung them up and gave them a chance. Two beautiful, totally healthy butterflies emerged yesterday!
Just want to say thank you so much for all the great videos. We’ve had common milkweed for the last few years, and I could never find monarch caterpillars. My youngest found a stage 4 on the milkweed last weekend, and thanks to your videos, we now know how to find their eggs, other caterpillars and how to care for them. We have collected 3 more caterpillars and almost a dozen eggs since and hope to raise them all to release! Your videos have been a wealth of information and an inspiration (oh, and we are going to plant more milkweed and butterfly friendly flowers!). Keep up the great work!
Thank you, and definitely thanks for offering to plant milkweed. It is the number one way to help the populations out! Great to hear that you've taken an interest in this. Good luck with those you are raising!
Thanks Mr. Lund, can’t wait to see the next video, this is my first year raising monarchs(I’m in OR and they used to fly through here but you only ever see one or two) and I’m hoping to bring them back here. Your videos have been a great help.
Thanks Patrick! The follow up video is being edited already.
Your videos are just what I need to help me be as thoughtful as possible about my monarch raising behavior. So many questions arise, and I always want to err on the side of caution and hope for each life in my care.
I had one this year that J Hung on the side of an aquarium instead of climbing to the top, after it shed its skin to show the chrysalis and wiggle it tore something and started dripping clear liquid from in side I was pretty sure leaving it as it was it would leak out, so I used a soft paper towel to hold it with in one hand while using a razor to loosen up the silk as the Chrysalis was too soft to try and do any kind of pulling, I was able to get it free then clipped it to the top of the aquarium wire type lid using a paper clip to make a L shape from the lid then clipping the Chrysalis to the paper clip, it lost at least 1/3 of its content as clear liquid drops, I figured it may just blacken and die but surprisingly as it dryed it was just a smaller size Chrysalis all went fine and it hatched from the Chrysalis just a smaller size then it would have, I was pleasantly surprised! It was a female looks normal just rather small and was able to fly!
Wow, man! That's awesome! If you weren't telling me this, I would not have predicted a chrysalis that goes through that would be able to still make it! I'm very glad this video was made to elicit such stories and experiences from others. We teach each other and we learn from each other. VERY COOL!
I never knew thanks
What is inside a Chrysalis
anyway
What is in side a cocoon tell me no reply
Thanks for the reply
This is my first year to help the Monarch butterflies. I planted milkweed last year from a friends yard. It grew very well this year and got the attention of the Monarch butterflies. We have birthed 14 and have 6 more ready. I started collection the newborns because I saw a wasp eating one of the caterpillar. I tried to leave them on the plants but intervened. So now I have 2 in instar 2 and 12 newborn in multiple houses. Darn wasp will NOT have an easy dinner if I can help it! Mr. Lund I want to THANK YOU for the help and education.
Hey, you're welcome, and thank *you* for keeping those cats free from wasp harm! This being your first year, I'll warn you as I warn many: This is addictive! You're probably already starting to brainstorm how next year can be even better.
Good luck! Ask questions as you need to!
Thank you for all you wisdom and love for these beautiful butterflies! You are helping me learn. I planted milkweed two years ago and have experienced many cats and chrysalis and beautiful monarchs! This year it has been overwhelming. I live in South Texas near Houston and my milkweed has provided food, but I have had a late explosion twice in Oct/Nov and NOW of caterpillars. It's so cold and I have the bleeding heart to help them survive. So I took many in this month. And, I am reaching out to our local Monarchs & Milkweeks society whom have offered help, but your videos are wonderful and a blessing too. I am housing 15 or so cats and about the same in monarchs to be ready to meet the world. But, it has been very cold and to release them is not good so your feeding recommendations I hope helps. I have two new monarchs right now. Made your mixture and tried but they are not ready....I put an orange gatorade cap in there with some of this food, hoping they will see the orange and eat. And, it is overwhelming as I do work, but feel so responsible for their release! I somehow posted with my sons account, I am Carey Herron (MOM) to Connor. LOL I guess I don't have a youtube acct to comment on...
Greetings Carey! Thank you for your compassion towards these animals.
Something you should know is that there are different opinions as to whether this is a good idea, or potentially not a good one if it's this late in the season. I don't know enough to call it one way or another. Certainly helping these individuals survive is a good thing from their perspective! However, some would say that if they are not released, and released at a later date, this has the chance to cause disruption to the normal cycles that the populations experience. What I mean is, since we don't fully understand everything about what triggers when mating happens, what exactly starts the migration, etc., then if many were caring for and releasing adults at times that aren't normal, could that potentially disrupt some of these less understood cycles? It likely could, but it's an unknown. One person in south Texas doing this with 15 adults probably isn't a large enough operation to cause any such effect. However, if many release some Monarchs out of season, the numbers could add up to something significant. How many is unknown. Whether it actually would matter is unknown. There's just a lot of unknown here, which is why some experts are very hesitant and caution against it.
For me, I set a date to no longer take in new lives. It's tough to do, but for me, it's been October 1st. If I find eggs or caterpillars after that date, I let nature take its course. "Mom" laid the eggs, but that doesn't mean she understood that it's highly unlikely that eggs laid that late in the season will be able to make it as adults. Still, there is that chance, and a late laying female is genetically just playing the numbers. She has the impulse to lay, and if even 1 out of 100 eggs makes it to an adult that successfully migrates, well, her genes are still in the gene pool, and mission accomplished. What this also causes for me, though, is times where maybe I have taken in eggs in late September, and thus, am releasing adults in late October, even though I know that much of the food on the migratory path is gone, and they have a very difficult journey ahead. But, I have to let nature take its course.
In your case, certainly what you do is up to you. I would say, though, releasing once they are adults is never the wrong thing to do (save for if there is a blizzard or downpour storm happening that very day). The Monarchs are more hardy than we sometimes give them credit for, and have had to deal with storms and low temps for millions of years. If given the chance, they are able to find shelter more often than not, and despite temps being low, so long as they are not freezing, they are able to manage. When you feel it's right, releasing is their best bet for becoming part of the gene pool again.
I hope this helps and gives food for thought. Thank you again for taking the time to try and help!
Liked and subscribed. 🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋 what breath of fresh air 🌼💐 I needed 😌 🙌🏽 this today. A real actual wholesome person 💯
Excellent series. I’ve been raising monarchs for about ten years and our respective procedures are very similar. I typically collected only larger cats......but your series gave me the confidence to take eggs and little guys. I’ve had great success so far this season......130 eggs....90% or better have hatched and are thriving. To date I have released 30 adults and have 65 live chrysalides.....and about a million cats of various sizes in my 3 habitats. I do have a suggestion.....something that has worked well for me. To keep the milkweed fresh for feeding, I use the reservoir that florists use for single fresh cut flowers (closed end pointed cylindrical plastic tube filled with water). The florist gave me a handful of them for free when they realized what I needed them for. I cut the top 8 or 10 inches of the plant off and stick it in this reservoir and stand it up in the habitat. It keeps the plant fresh all day.
Hey Ben! Nice to meet a kindred spirit who is ten years in the game. Not only do we have a similar process, seems we have similar success rates of roughly 90%. (I'll be putting out a "results" type of video this year, after the final release, and report what success rate I had... Some asked how I calculate it.) I fully agree, those reservoirs can certainly help keep the leaves more fresh for longer. One reason I don't use them is that usually, I'm having enough caterpillars that the leaves I use are eaten before they are dried up, so it hasn't been necessary. The other reason, though, is that in all considerations for the video, I try to show the cheapest way to get results without diminishing quality. I figured that if people see a very low cost way to do things, they might be more apt to do it. But yeah, some have shown me the same type of reservoirs you describe in their processes, and it's definitely a great idea.
Cool to meet you Ben!
This is my first year to help the monarchs. I haven’t had one birth yet, but I’m pretty close! I have 8 chrysalis hanging. I need to plant some milkweed in my yard, because the hardest part is to find it that’s not along a major road where I can’t pull over or worry about if the weeds have been sprayed. Wish me luck!
Much luck wished, and then some! Thank you for doing what you can. It's rewarding in multiple ways. When/if you have questions, ask away. I usually am able to respond to comments/questions earlier than this. Start of the school year is always a pretty busy time.
I started doing this years ago and have been doing it every year. It is very addictive..lol. I have raised approximately thirty healthy monarchs this season, and still am waiting for approximately twenty more to emerge. All of these came from just one small milkweed patch on the side of my house. I've only had one chrysalis that didn't make it so far, was shriveled up a few hours after it changed, but I left it hanging for now. My channel is mostly metal detecting videos, but I did make a few videos to show how I raise Monarch Butterflies. Last year I barely raised ten.. this year I'm around 70! Thanks for posting your videos, really appreciate all the great info. Good luck!
Glad to have helped. I'm off to check out some of your videos now!
@@MrLundScience There's only one or two, but would welcome any feedback you may have! Released two that emerged just today, about twenty left. Thanks again for any feedback!
Thanks for all the support you put your videos I appreciate it 😁
And I very much appreciate people using them to help out this awesome animal!
OMG Rich! Thank you! I make tiny hammocks out of spare screening to rest the chrysalises in if they fall! And I have had some downright creepy looking ones that I moved away from everyone else, just in case, and they actually emerged perfectly normal! DONT GIVE UP ON YOUR ODDBALLS :)
We're 12 for 12 with our Monarch chrysalises this year with 4 more to go. Haven't had one fall yet, but we've wondered how to hang one if it does fall. Glad to see you have success with a simple clip so now we'll be prepared. Thanks for the info.
Great news! Also, if you haven't watched Parts 1 - 5, the "core" of the series, that shows the whole process, including how I will remove a chrysalis from a container and hang them on a cord. Not everyone needs to do such, as I mostly do it to prevent crowding, but Part 4 shows also how the hanging/clipping is done.
It's Dec 6 here in the SF bay area and a neighbor just alerted me to some caterpillars down the street. I collected four, 2nd & 3rd instar. I think we have just enough milkweed left to get these guys to chrysalis. I figured we were done for the year. Not so!
Thank you so much for your videos. This is my first year trying to help the butterflies other than planting lots of flowers and never pulling up the milkweed, i have a field full. My first attempt i successfully released 4 adults. Now i have built a large cage type box and used screening wire on all sides so plenty of light and air can circulate. I have about 20 cats and last night 4 changed from the j postion into chrysalis. I havent found any eggs so think the season may be drawing close, I live in Ontario. My grandchildren have learned a lot and are eager for gearing up for next year. So happy so many people are willing to take the time to help and that you are taking the time to help them TFS
Much appreciated. Sounds like you have a great set up. And hey, it's not too late, I don't think. Close to Ontario, I'm in Michigan, and found some eggs today still. And one from southern Ontario told me he's still finding eggs as of four days ago. There's hope! Also, great that you have your kids involved!
I am a big fan of your videos. This is my first year doing this purely by watching your videos. I had planted Swamp Milkweed and Butterfly weed in spring and a Monarch female laid plenty of eggs on both with slight preference for swamp milkweed. I have released 15 Monarch so far. I have 30 more in Chrysalis stage.
Anyways I had 3 issues which turned out to be fine.
One caterpillar fell doing while J hanging and had one side flattened. It turned out to be just fine.
One normal Chrysalis monarch had fluid bubble in the edge of the wing. That monarch could not fly due to extra weight. Once it fell down causing the bubbles to burst. Green liquid came out which turned brown immediately. After losing that extra weight the wings looked perfectly flat and crisp and that was able to fly well and was released.
Last one had a small wing. One side was normal and one side was short. After feeding it some watermelon it garnered enough energy to fly with a small wing.
Out of 30 in Chrysalises I have two Chrysalises that have the black skin top still stuck to the chrysalis for no apparent reason. My guess is that the chrysalis was too close to the edge and during the wiggle process the black dead skin portion got stuck. I am hoping those will be fine.
The skin at the top shouldn't cause any issues. However, caterpillars like to eat such skins for added protein. So, if it is still around other caterpillars, they may stumble upon it, start to eat it, and even munch on the chrysalis. It's not too common, but this can sometimes happen. Just be aware of it. And it's cool to hear that multiple possible problems turned out to still produce a flight-ready butterfly! Great job!
Great video! Thanks for sharing!
You're certainly welcome. Thanks for checking it out, and I hope it can be helpful!
This is the first year that I am helping monarch. I have been facing so many problems. It makes me so sad. Thanks for the videos. I will have to learn along the way. I have released five butterflies so far. I am having four cystalis and about thirty caterpillars right now.
Thank you so much for posting this video!! It has given me hope. This is my second year raising monarchs and my first time having an issue with a chrysalis. Part of the problem was where the caterpillar chrysalised... when I found it, it had a dent in the very bottom of it where it was stuck or squished between a rack. It also had a small tear in it on the lower side. I wanted to wait till it dried to move it, but I felt that it being where it was would’ve caused more damage. Well when I tried to take the silk off (my first time doing that) my tweezers got the black thing that’s attached to the silk, and green and clear liquid started coming out 😣. But it seems fine now, thankfully. Then when I was holding it, I put a small dent in it 😞. I’ve never held one while it was still soft before and didn’t realize how easily they can be damaged. Lesson learned. I pray that it will come out ok. Maybe my comment will prevent someone else from making the same mistakes.
I had a chrysalis that was severely deformed, and I wasn't expecting it to last more that a few days. But it made it until it hatched, which took almost an hour. We helped it along, but the problem was, it's wings were fused onto the cocoon, and so was it's leg. You could really tell that something was wrong with the wings, they had no stripes and kind of faded from orange to black... no white on them whatsoever. We really couldn't tell if it was male or female. We fed the butterfly some sugar water, but it died a few minutes later.
R.I.P. Butterfly.
Very sorry that this happened. But, I hope you can take solace in that you gave it the full chance and didn't count it out of the game until you knew for sure. It's respectable, as sometimes, they can surprise us. Thank you.
I'm glad I found this video. I had 2 special chrysalises which hatched yesterday. They were special because one was injured (pierced by a spike of a lime branch it hanged on to), and the other one was deformed (same with yours, part of its shell was missing/ transparent). I didn't expect they would survive as chrysalises, but yesterday they hatched. The injured one had almost perfect wings, but its proboscis was deformed and could not curl (I think because the spike pierced into the part which became proboscis). It hurt me to see the butterfly struggled for the whole day to arrange its proboscis. I euthanized it. The other one, as expected, had an imperfect wing. I was about to euthanize it too, but then, it flew. I was surprised and followed it outside to make sure. After observing it for minutes, I realized that the butterfly could only fly when it's windy. I decided to give it a chance, considering it's often windy these days.
I almost always feel guilty when a caterpillar/ chrysalis/ butterfly I care didn't develop well. I was afraid that it was because of my mistreat. Now I learned that sometimes it happens naturally too. Watching this video, somehow, relieved me.
Two years after this video comes out, and I remembered your advice to give them a chance. I have one chrysalis that I suspect a sibling walked over in his soft, newly-pupated stage, so there's a single blackish-brown spot on him. It isn't getting bigger, he isn't turning black, it just looks like a chunk got burnt into him, honestly. So I'm waiting to see, because he doesn't seem to be getting worse. It looks similar to the spots in chrysalis B in the video, but it's a single spot, and the rest of the chrysalis is so beautifully formed I'm hard pressed to think it formed this spot on its own.
But that's the luck, I had 9 cats in one cage that all separated beautifully, and then when I had two or three whole chrysalises, one other cat walks all over the freshest one. I saw him hanging out a little too close for comfort, so I tried to sort of coax him away, but he must've gone back when I was away. SIGH...
Still, it's a record year for me this year.
Love your videos
Thank you! Nice video. I have gulf fritilliary & still learning.
We found two caterpillars, bought a Milkweed plant. Watching this with our youngest. We purchased a butterfly habitat kit. Thank you for this video.
You're welcome. Happy to be of service!
you help me so much! thank you !!! monarch greetings from Panamá 🇵🇦💙
Thanks for this video! I had a caterpillar eating and damaging part of a chrysalis. A tiny part of the bottom of the chrysalis was eaten and is black now. There are also two black lines up the chrysalis. After seeing your video, I am going to take your advice and see what emerges from the chrysalis. Hope the butterfly will be a healthy one! I’m keeping my fingers crossed!
Greetings from Iowa! I have raised monarchs with my daughter for several years. these are heart breaking scenarios. I firmly believe that it helps to LIGHTLY MIST your leaves before feeding them to the caterpillars and even daily or as needed. i think hydration does help improve health and provide fluids to fully pump/fill the wings. i'm aware the leaves should provide a sufficient source of water and most of the time they do. this is really just an added preventative step i like to take. sorry for grammar issues my keyboard buttons! just make sure to maintain good air ventilation and circulation to prevent mold or bacterial growth by airing out your containers more often, keep a slow source of airflow nearby, or keeping caterpillars in a netted environment. this is additional work that is not absolutely necessary but if you live in a very dry climate it might help.
I would put misting in the category of "benefit with risk" (if there is such a category) and likely makes more sense in some regions than others. I like that LIGHTLY was put in all caps! If a caterpillar is receiving hydration, it won't matter whether it comes in the form of water on the leaves, or the hydration from the plant it eats. But, as you point out, in regions where there is less rainfall, the milkweed leaves themselves may not have as much hydration as they could. In such areas, the benefit may outweigh the risk. And that risk being, potential for mold growth. When I first started doing this, I misted my leaves because, well, I didn't know what I was doing. Mold ended up growing in a few of my containers. I then read a web page that described just a few tips to feeding caterpillars that said to absolutely not mist due to the risk of mold. I don't know how much I'd use the word "absolutely", but again, as I was brand new to it, I thought I had done something wrong and immediately stopped misting. The Monarchs didn't seem to have any noticeable health impairments from not misting, and I haven't since. Still, I think that in dryer climates, it makes some sense, provided it's done in a very sparing way. I suppose one would know if they are misting too much if mold develops, and in those cases, cut the misting in half, and see if that's enough to prevent mold. If not, cut in half again, and repeat.
I love your video! This summer was the first one that my daughter and I raised caterpillars to monarchs.
So far, we have released 20 and we have seven left.
We did have one little caterpillar, where there must’ve been some pesticide on one of the leaves on the milkweed, and it started vomiting, green stuff everywhere I was not home when it started, so it was going on probably for at least three hours. I quickly removed it, rinsed it off with water and put it on clean milkweed in a separate container than my other caterpillar’s. Unbelievably enough after I put it on clean milkweed, it took about an hour, but started to act normal, put it back in the enclosure, and after I left and went to bed, it crawled up the plastic side of our enclosure, only got about an inch off the ground and Jade and crystallized on the side and not the top. We waited 24 hours before removing it and it had a flat upper side on the chrysalis. Because of all the vomiting the night before this was the tiniest chrysalis I’ve ever seen. But… That little tiny chrysalis produced a small but healthy butterfly. she was tilted as she hung to dry, so we watched her clothes and kept her for an extra 12 hours. but she could fly. We kept her an extra 12 to be sure she would be ready. when we released her, she flew up in to a High tree. Sweetest little thing ever.
Omg omg omg another video thanks I love it and I’m just learning more and more from you and I like your videos and hey did you get it hair dyed wow I love your hair to talk others nice
Wow, hey thanks! Glad that I can facilitate some learning. I'll do my best to keep at it!
Off topic, but your AC DC Tesla / Edison shirt is fantastic
I'm a bit of an alternating current kinda guy, myself.
Very informative
Thankyou it's a lot of help
Last year when I had about 6 monarchs I was In love with them and they all became healthy butterflies, except for one. I had a butterfly mesh tent up in my room next to my bed. All the monarchs emerged from their crysalides (excuse if I spelled that wrong) at night. And one of them had fallen before it was able to dry its wings. When I saw it in the morning it was to late. I was still alive which was very reliving, but I let it climb on my finger and tried multiple times to try and get it to dry out its wings. But it just couldn't. I could see that it was a female, and luckily she didn't die so she had a full life until she passed away. I did think multiple times that she might die, but she never did and I never gave up on her. So this is your reminder to keep trying no matter how dull the chance may seem and never give up😉👍
Another AWESOME video and WELL DONE!! Like the "punk" look on your hair! ;-) :-) I've already added this video to TWO groups!! Keep up the GREAT work Rich and I'm having a TERRIFIC monarch season this year compared to last year! :-)
Great to hear that you're having an awesome season! The hair choice was do to one of the Hip Hop videos we have been shooting recently. Not likely to be long-lived, though. I don't picture me having this look on the first day of school.
Yes, but your students may like it! Not sure about the parents and school board to name a few however! LOL!
That's true...but picture day comes quick, and I personally do not want it in the yearbook!
SPOIL SPORT! LOL!
Love your videos, I have 9 cats and one chrysalis, if it weren't for your vids I would be a horrible dad, Thanks for the videos!
Ha ha...naw, you wouldn't be a horrible dad. You'd figure it out. But if these videos can accelerate the learning, then good. Hope so. Thank you for taking the time to try and help!
I started this as a project to do with my son.. he lost interest but I just live that I'm adding to the monarch population and so I'm growing as much milkweed as I can in my yard then bringing cats in my lanai when hatched because hornets and other predators eat them up. Thanks for the video and your contribution!
Really good video. Thank you
Welcome!
@@MrLundScience I wanted to mention - I am using a small floral tube to keep the leaves fresh - seems to work well. :-)
Woah, nice hair!
Hey, thanks!
Hello my name is egg yeah I say that, looks awesome
0 dislikes, let's keep it that way
Thanks for the support. It's much appreciated. As for dislikes, hey, they happen. No amount of them ever really stands in the way of anything being done here, so they matter little. Actually, the way TH-cam's algorithms work, dislikes can actually help a video spread just as much as likes do. TH-cam tracks interactions with a video. So, if people not only view it, but view a lot of it (meaning, actually play the video for most or all of its length), that matters to TH-cam. If people comment on the video, they are interacting with it, and that matters to TH-cam. And if people take the time to like or even dislike the video, that means the video was able to get an emotional response from the person, and that's an interaction, and that matters to TH-cam. So, even a thumbs down still shows that the person cared enough about the video to give it a thumbs down. The only time thumbs down hurt a video is if there is a significantly larger number of them than thumbs up. So, if there's videos out there that you don't like, giving them a thumbs down actually helps them score points with TH-cam, and it will be recommended more often to people.
And when it comes to raising Monarchs, the people who want to watch the video and learn from it still will, whether a little thumbs down icon was clicked or not. It matters little.
MrLundScience thanks for the knowledge, I didn't know TH-cam worked that way.
Yeah, I don't care about it necessarily, as much as I find it very interesting. Seeing how algorithms work and such. The actual worst thing you can do to a video (not that just one viewer can really do much overall) is to click on it, watch about 10 seconds of it, and then leave TH-cam. When a video is only watched a bit, TH-cam interprets that as an uninteresting video that won't do well if they recommend it to others. TH-cam's goal is to get you to stay on TH-cam's website. So, if you watch a video TH-cam suggested, and it gets you to no longer stay on TH-cam, they keep track of that. If you watch a video for a good amount of time, or even all the way through, TH-cam loves that. And, at the end of videos people often do what I do and have thumbnails for what we hope you'll check out from our channel. BUT, if you keep watching, at the very end, TH-cam puts up those other possible recommendations, and if you click on one of those, again, the original video was good enough to keep you at TH-cam. So, that original video still gets credit for that. I think it's all super interesting, but hey, this guy's a nerd, right? ;-)
I was glad to see you put chrysalis A in a container with netting up the sides. One of mine that was down, was able to hatch and pull itself up on the netting wall to allow the wings to hang while it pumped its abdominal fluid into them.
We went with a rectangular net enclosure to raise our “cats” from instar 3-5. This has worked quite well though overcrowding of jhang sites is our next concern. They have lots of area available , though tend to congregate in two corners. I’m hoping they emerge with enough days in between them that it isn’t a serious problem.
By the way, this season, I’ve worked with approximately 200 eggs and/or caterpillars. At one point, after starting back to work, I started releasing 4th and 5th instar to find their own jhang location. About two weeks later, I started collecting caterpillars again at 3rd instar. It has been a very pleasurable hobby. I’m thankful it’s seasonal, smile.
Yep. The netting I use for Monarchs eclosing on their sides has been something I've had to do a couple of times. Made a video showing that here, should you wish to check it out, but it's essentially what you already saw but with a few details fleshed out: th-cam.com/video/kxCzr89Ck3E/w-d-xo.html
200, eh? That's great! Excellent commitment. I know how much work that really is!
We had a caterpillar this week that behaved in a manner I've never seen before. It seemed to be healthy, but then I found it dangling limply from a few strands of web. I removed a second caterpillar from the jar, and while I was doing that, the first one landed on a leaf and started eating. But a few hours later, it was once again dangling helplessly (not in a J) from a few strands of silk. I lay the jar on its side so the caterpillar was once again on a leaf. It stayed there the rest of the day, sometimes moving, writhing or twitching. It pooped a few times but didn't eat any more. The next morning, it was lying in a C-shape on the leaf. I assumed it was dead. However, when I came back a few hours later, intending to dispose of the caterpillar and clean out the container, I found a chrysalis! The chrysalis seems to be completely formed, although the caterpillar skin is stuck to one side of it. The chrysalis is green and generally the right shape, but it is deformed--a bit lumpy. We've been doing this for three summers now, and we generally give caterpillars every chance. We've had many surprise us by turning out healthy when the chrysalis didn't look right. You didn't address misshapen chrysalises in this video (not simply flat on one side). Have you ever experienced that? Is there any chance this butterfly will emerge in good shape?
How cool dude Like a window right into the crystalis! Awesume. Acdc and orange hair though, whats that all about :)???
I’m so happy I found your channel! I live in Katy TX and I had about 20 caterpillars on my milkweed, about 2 weeks ago I noticed that there are lots of chrysalis in different places of my backyard. My question to you is... if they will survive cold temperatures? We’ve had good weather but today we dropped into the 30s, it’s wet and windy outside! Should I bring the chrysalis inside? I noticed that 2 monarch butterflies hatched about 2 days ago but they wouldn’t fly (I’m guessing it’s too cold) not sure if I made the right decision but I brought them inside. Placed them inside a little house that I made with flowers and cotton balls soaked in Gatorade. They seem to be ok, I plan to release them soon. Next week we are expecting to be in the 60s again. Thanks in advance and I look forward to seeing more of your awesome videos!!
Hey Maria. Freezing temperatures are definitely no good for the chrysalis. If portions of it froze, there's definitely a good chance that could cause problems in development or even be fatal. If all of the chrysalis freezes solid, I don't think there'd be much hope. But in all honesty, I've never had to deal with that before. Perhaps slight freezing (as far as not all of it, or, only for short periods of time) is something they could survive, but I have my doubts. For many who attempt to raise Monarchs, they decidedly do not intervene after a certain date. Different depending upon latitude, but for me, I know I wouldn't take in any after mid September if I found them. Monarch moms don't have knowledge of the future, just the instinct to lay. So, if they are laying eggs late in the season, she still has that instinct despite the overwhelming majority (or even all) not making it. If you are experiencing freezing temperatures, likely the adults that could come out of those chrysalides would have even worse temperatures to deal with. When it's late in the season, many don't intervene because even if they help them to adulthood, nature is still likely to take her toll on them. It's a personal decision. If your goal, though, is to raise them to adults and then release, yes, I'd take them inside if you're able to. And despite knowing they have very little chance of making it to Mexico, I'd still promptly release them once adults and still give them that small chance they have.
AMEN to this video!! I just released a little girl today that I didn’t think it would make it from chrysalis. When I was removing it from the top of the container (just like yours in the video) I tugged a bit too hard causing a tiny tear in the chrysalis near the cream master and only a nub if a cream master at that. I could not get it to hang. Fortunately it was mostly hardened so I just propped it near the mesh of the hatching cage (a food tent repurposed) and voila!!! Beautiful girl that flew away this morning !! Give them a chance!
Now there's some great testimony! It can cause some days of worry, but, these guys/gals are tough sometimes, and they're capable of carrying on. As Ian Malcolm once taught us: "Life finds a way..."
Just like Dr. Beaumont and his study of the human digestive system! cool!
For my school project I had one of my chrysalides opened 2 days early while still black. Also had fallen so wasn’t very hopeful. None of what’s inside came out so I very gently raised it to the top. The following evening I came to look and instead of a dead chrysalis I saw a live butterfly….. however it was very weak, kinda pale in color, however its wings looked ok. So I took it out and fed it flowers and all sorts of sweet nectar. It took a day or so to get oriented but found the strength to fly away that evening.
Thank you
You're very welcome!
While i haven't raised monarchs i have discovered a cabbage white caterpilar already in its pre pupal stage in my sink it seems to have dislodged from the bok choy when being washed by my father , i decided it take it in and trying to re-create the natural pupal hanging position but it fell but not dropped when it entered pupation the following morning. normally i would have not intervened until the crysalis hardened but the Caterpillar skin ws still stuck to the abdomen tip, i removed it safetly. I accidentally dropped the pupa when trying to put it back into its container, it bled a little bit but seemed to have stopped, other than a slightly darker top half the pupa seemed alive and normal. This lil guy is such a trooper and i hope it makes it through metamorphosis. Orginally my dad wanted me to just get rid of it as it might not have been worth saving, but every life is precious, even bugs.
Hi Rich I live in Central Illinois and this is my first year for raising Monarchs and I just stumbled on this hobby. As I was out by my pond cutting weeds and just happened to see a caterpillar on a milkweed leaf. He was so tiny I'm not sure how I even saw it. But I did and I knew right away what it was. Last summer I saw 2 very large caterpillars and didn't know what they were until I took a pic and did a google search. So I knew right away what this tiny little dude was that I was seeing on my milkweed plant.
So started my Monarch raising adventure!!!!
Anyway so far this summer I have released 15 adult Monarchs and had to put done 2 due to deformities. I have 9 still in the Chrysalis stage and 6 caterpillars still growing. I was wondering how late in the summer do they start to migrate? Is it like the hummingbirds whereas we should stop feeding them around the first week of September so they will start their migratory path? Not that I will stop feeding the butterflies, but When is it too late to release the Monarchs? I have one egg still waiting to hatch as well. Is he doomed before his life gets started?
Thanks for all your help.
The migration is something that doesn't have an official start date, of course, but current science concludes that there's environmental cues that cause some Monarchs to begin. Some begin it earlier than others. What those cues are, we don't have 100% nailed down yet, but many lead towards the idea of daylight hours being significant. There's also a healthy fraction of those who study this that would put multiple cues as the causing signal to them, so, not only daylight hours, but lowering temperatures too. That multiple things have to start happening for them to "get the hint". Lack of food might be one of them. The pheromones of others already starting the migration might lead into this, but, can't be the only thing, as what would tell the first ones to start? There's many factors in play to be studied. And the tagging programs help collect data that can help shed light on this, but it takes a LOT of data to begin to draw connections.
I don't believe that Monarchs are like hummingbirds, and that us supplying them with honey water or other such feeding solutions will override their instincts. But, I don't know that for certain. Still, I wouldn't be concerned with you delaying them on their path, and if they're hungry, I'd let them feed.
But as for how late is too late to release? I'd be firmly of the opinion, never, provided it's a naturally found egg/caterpillar. None of these videos are about Monarch breeding, and those breeding Monarchs, if they were to release many off season, that could cause problems with the migration, some entomologists warn. That since we don't understand all factors involved, could having a large release during a time when they should be migrating disrupt something? We don't fully know, but that means, it could. If say, a large batch of Monarchs are released in an area along the migratory path, and those freshly released Monarchs haven't gotten the hint to migrate, could their presence there lead to migratory Monarchs staying within that area? Could the freshly released Monarchs be sending mating pheromones out, that cause migratory Monarchs to decide finding another mate is more important than migrating? Again, we don't know. But off season releases from breeders are pretty frowned upon.
That said, if you have found the egg or caterpillar out in nature, then that mom who laid the egg already decided for us that it's not too late, and that she wants that offspring to have a chance to make it to adulthood and start the migration. For that reason, I don't feel it's our decision, but hers, and she already made it. So, even if it feels chilly, give them a full belly and send them on their way.
Hi Rich, thank you for sharing your expertise raising monarchs. It’s inspired me and you’ve taught so much. Thank you, I’ve encountered a situation where a caterpillar is ready to spin it’s silk but got stuck in a straight position instead of a “J”. Looks like it’s front legs got stuck in the silk. I’m afraid to move it Can they reset? Urgent hello needed!
Thank you! I found a cat hanging in a j on a milkweed leaf with a smaller caterpillar eating the leaf it was on! so now im raising 2 more monarch caterpillers and have the chrysilis on a stick with the leaf taped...currently hanging out with a monach i found with a curve to its wings. its resting a flower in my garden not sure if it can fly very far. Ive raised 10 so far this past month and they all looked healthy!
Sounds like you're in the trenches with us. Thank you for doing what you can to help them out!
Love your videos- I started last year with 2 chrysalis- this year I have 30- I used your videos as my guidance- what is the most caterpillars you should have in a container at one time? Thank you so much - I live in Winnipeg which is at the 49th -when is the latest I can set free Monarchs - what do we do with the others ? When to stop?
Greetings Debbie! From 2 to 30? Very cool! Sounds like that first year gave you much confidence, which is cool to see.
As for the most caterpillars in a container, that depends on a few things. First, what size of a container are we talking about? Also, what stage the caterpillars are in matters. When it comes to crowding, the things of concern are 1) amount of waste building up and 2) amount of oxygen. If the container is well ventilated (many holes) oxygen isn't too much of a problem, but, waste can still be. If there's ever enough caterpillars in there to create waste that builds up enough for caterpillars to be walking all over it, or for it to be laying on leaves that caterpillars will eat, that can cause issues of bacterial infection. Next, with oxygen in the containers, there's usually plenty. Still, if many caterpillars share the same space, oxygen can start to run low. The younger, smaller caterpillars use much less than the larger ones, so that's also a variable.
For me, with my smaller "to go" food containers, I don't want more than 10 caterpillars in them. I try to stick to 8, but am willing to go to 10 when they are young (1st and 2nd instar). Once they are at 3rd instar, I try to keep it to 6 - 8 caterpillars in those containers. Once they are ready for the larger container where they will make their chrysalis (4th and 5th instar) then I locate them there, and try to keep that no more than 20 caterpillars at a time. I don't like it getting to 20, and try to keep it lower than that, but am willing to go to 20.
As for the latest time to set Monarchs free, I don't know how to answer that. What I mean to say, is, since we are taking in eggs from nature, the Monarch female that laid that egg is decided when the latest is we can release them. The mission is to take in eggs from nature, and help them get to adulthood, and then release them pretty much the day they are out of the chrysalis, or the next day, weather permitting. So, if the female laid that egg in nature, she is saying that it's not too late for that egg to develop, become an adult, and then be released. I can't think of a time when a naturally acquired egg that has made it to adulthood shouldn't be released. The only scenario where this is a possibility is if someone was breeding Monarchs out of season, which I'm not an advocate of. Releasing Monarchs out of season, some entomologists suspect, can disrupt normal breeding patterns and migratory cycles.
Does that answer your questions?
During my little kitten incident I had three losses, I did wait for them to see if they would make it but one still soft got crushed and badly dented and was bleeding big time, another was still a caterpillar but some skin got ripped off and you could see the pupae but he couldn’t get the skin off and he too was bleeding badly, the third looked fine but the next day it was all black and shriveled. The two on the bottom I let pupate on the bottom and they were fine. I hung them up later on. All the other pupae in the container were fine and they two caterpillars just became chrysalises just now with no noticeable injuries. Infant one two butterflies came out. The first one wings all fine but they were a tiny bit miss aligned when closed, could still fly just fine. And the second one is perfectly fine.
(Also off topic a little I wonder if you also get milkweed tussock moth caterpillars on your milkweed. Living in Minnesota I see a few but not a whole lot)
Also sorry if in my last comment I was kind of rude or like, demanding or whatever, I was panicking I guess. Out of my years of raising monarchs yes I had losses from (possibly) NPV, OE and them just not making it, but I never had losses like what just happened
Good to hear that two of them came out good to go. Also, in no way did I find your comment rude. Not at all. In fact, when you said what you said there at the end of this one, I was a little confused. Not even sure what from your comment would have been taken as rude. I'm a pretty literal guy when it comes to the internet. Whatever words people type, I take them at face value, and since I don't get to see facial expressions or hear intonation, I don't assume any. And even if something ever could be taken as rude, I always give people the benefit of the doubt. That's the best way to communicate online, I think. But yeah, either way, I never detected a hint of rudeness. Plus, since you're willing to raise Monarchs, you already score a bunch of points with me, so really, you could be rude a few times before it'd ever become a problem. (That last sentence was meant to be humorous.)
As for Tussock Moths...guess what! I found some this year, and am currently raising an entire batch of them! I have around 30 or 40. Too many to easily count. Man...you think Monarch caterpillars poop a lot? Tussocks go twice as hard! I'm likely to do a quick video on them too. Not tons of detail as to how to raise them (as it's not that different) but let people see how these guys look. With their mohawk hairdos, they look like the punk rock of the caterpillar world to me!
Raising 30-40 tussock moths and monarchs must deplete your milkweed pretty fast, but as you said you have enough for all of them. I’d like to see a vid on them since there really aren’t much around but only if you think it’s worth making a vid on, like monarchs and milkweed beetles they also need milkweed to live
Yeah, I've already started shooting some of that video as they go through the life cycle. It will include them making the cocoon (as it's a moth, and thus, not a chrysalis) and eventually emerging. Thing is, they don't emerge until Spring, so the video will be a ways out. But yep...expect a Spring release of it.
Love your videos....very informative. In this video you said not to give up on the chrysalis...what about the 1st instar? I'm at a loss. Granted this is my first year raising them...the first 4 eggs gathered appear to have grown normally and are now in chrysalis stage. The eggs of gathered since then, all from the same place, the eggs are hatching but the 1st instars are dying. They barely eat and then just stop moving all together. So I'm wondering what's going on and how long to wait before removing them from the "mix?"
I'm not sure either, as to why there are some that just don't eat, but I can say, I've encountered it before. In some of those cases, they seem to fast for a day, or even two, but eventually start eating. In other cases, they continue the fast, and eventually die. As long as they are still alive, still moving, then just like with any animal, I'd continue to offer food and hope for the best. Sorry that this is happening. Your comment was from yesterday, so I hope they have already started eating by now.
I had one that had a crack in it and he enclosed perfectly but his antennae were a little jagged
Hi there :) I'm so glad I came across your video. I'm really crossing my fingers that you will see this message because I could truly appreciate your help. One of my caterpillars formed a chrysalis overnight and this morning when I checked on it I observed that it had fallen. I have no idea how fresh it was but my guess is about 8 hours. I immediately (gently) rolled it to my palm and very carefully pinned it to a mesh cage. When I held it I saw a super light amount of liquid and there was some also where it had fallen, not a whole lot. The shape looked good despite a tiny bit flatness where it fell. Hours since I pinned it, I noticed two thin lines oozing from the outside and a small brown patch. Should I be concerned or keep waiting to see what happens? Thanks so much for your time and help 🐛🦋
Hey Mr. Lund!! So, I had a caterpillar recently make its cocoon and it looks to me that the outer shell membrane was gone. Only a little of it though. But when I softly touched it, it was squishy. I don’t know why and I can see like clear green jelly in the chrysalis through where the hole is. I hope this made sense lol. I don’t know if the butterfly is alive or dead. I might give it a chance. But it’s kinda discolored like there is gold lines on the chrysalis. Like a lot. Idk tell me what’s wrong with it or what to do! Thank you!!
Thanks so much for your videos. Always very informstive. I had one with a transparent spot that turned out fine as well. I could be wrong but I think it was related to the crammed space it had in the terrarium. I had another one form on the wall of the terrarium and was consequently misshapen...and it was also completely fine. Now I have one that was chewed on by another caterpillar and has a dark spot spot on it...we'll see what happens with that one. Last year a bunch of my chrysalides just dissolved into black juice. Npv?
Black juice certainly sounds like NPV. I made an NPV prevention video, where I show how to bleach treat the leaves. I had suffered many caterpillar losses and sorta freaked out. I was so bummed that such a breakout could happen. Still, the more I learned at that time about NPV, the more I started to realize that my Monarchs that had an outbreak probably weren't having NPV, but a bacterial infection. To this day, I don't think I've ever actually had any Monarchs with NPV. From what I know (and thus, not firsthand knowledge) the smoking gun of NPV is caterpillars turning black shortly after dying. But, that black fluid, I've heard of that before from NPV too. For a more definitive answer to that one, I suppose I'd seek out message boards and see what others have had to say about it. Cool to hear, though, that when you had some strange looking chrysalides that you stayed the course and they came out fine!
Last year I had a caterpillar that just wasn't looking right and when it turned into a chrysalis, it was clearly discolored and weird. It never hatched, it just rotted. It sucks but that's how it goes sometimes.
I’ve learned so much from you
Happy to have helped. Great Monarch cosmetic experiment on your channel! Quite chic!
I started watching your videos this summer, but I have been rescuing monarchs in caterpillar stage for the last four years. This year I learned from you how to find eggs and some of the things that might have been wrong with some of my past butterflies :-( but at least now I know I wasn't doing anything wrong :-). Thank you for that first and foremost. I do also live in Michigan in the Freeland area, and so I use the same species of milkweed as you. And last year I planted a patch in my backyard. ( in my trailer park so it's not very big). But this year... I found my first tiny caterpillar on the underside of one of the new Sprouts in my patch! I was practically singing and dancing in my house from happiness LOL and I have 5 eggs! four of which have black tipped. I don't know exactly the issue with my old caterpillars but I'm pretty sure it was pesticides from the places I rescued them, maybe you would know. Their probiscus wouldn't fuse, and they had issues flying. If you see this maybe comment back or drop me a line on Facebook. I'd welcome any advice you send my way thanks again.
We had a chrysalis that was similar to the first deformity shown but it was bigger and she ended up with a very small wing.
Sadly, it does happen. And it's just extra frustrating that there isn't much to go on as to the cause when this does happen.
Thank you, I’ve had a green crystals hanging outside now for 3 weeks. Not sure what to do.
Awesome thank you I was worried they would not survive if they were not hanging I now have them in a safe location and I’m preying they all survive the crystals do look perfect so I’m hopeful they will all be fine.
A super-small chrysalis in my project just eclosed. The chrysalis slightly bled after forming, leaving some black steaks along a side. But things look good at the moment and as expected it's a super small monarch! A mini-monarch! Will release in a few hours, fingers crossed!
I've had two cats that were about half the mass of a proper 5 instar when they pupated. The first chrysalis didn't form properly and died. The second was this one that just eclosed successfully and it was just as small as the one that died, and this one had slight issues with the quality of the chrysalis. But fingers crossed that this micro-monarch flies off to Mexico!
I had an incredibly small one this year as well. Was about half the size as the larger ones from the same time period.
Alas, this wasn't a happy ending, the poor guy came out with deformed forewing, leg, antennae and proboscis. Despite the latter I seem to be able to feed him sugar/honey water with a dropper. His proboscis so tiny he can't feed otherwise. He can't make it to Mexico, much less a few feet in a straight line. :'-(
Today I tested him for OE and in so doing did my first OE test, and... *He looks clean as a whistle!* : )
I used the inexpensive yet amazingly good Carson MM-30:
iangoddard.com/MiniMon_OE-Test_01.JPG
iangoddard.com/MiniMon_OE-Test_02.JPG
With the naked eye the view is far superior, indeed I can't believe how sharp and clear the scales look. But it's impossible to get a camera shot through the lens anywhere near as clear as the naked-eye view. It took me many tries get those semi-descent shots. I had kept my micro-monarch separate from the rearing area just in case he had OE. But his scales look clean as could be!
Oh ya, almost forgot, here he is, beautiful and adorable in his own right...
th-cam.com/video/dZskkU1Mz5g/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/Mo5J9GZnr-0/w-d-xo.html
Testing him for OE was absolutely no fun, just as I feared! He clung tight to a paper-towel and I couldn't get him to release from it. Me pulling, him clinging, we're fighting each other. Argh! So I released him and he was in a panic, his big buddy who feeds him was suddenly being a mean bully. Poor lil guy! On top of his crippled life. Felt just awful! :-(
Me when i see a monarch "i just saw a monarch lay eggs"
It never gets old!
I have 2 hanging on my front porch, didn't notice them until the gold crown caught my eye, the pods are perfect, little late this August, so im sure thier gonna head to Mexico after they mature
Sounds likely. Any that aren't adults now are quite likely to be migratory. Those that are adults now? More in the "maybe" category, and likely depends upon latitude.
Great work. You can tug those snagged wings down. If you get them at birth they’ll inflate ok. If they’re still damp you can stretch them gently into shape gently slowly but firmly. Keep up the great work. Thank you.
Thank you for your great videos Mr. Lund. I have a question about a chrysalis that seemed perfectly normal during development. The butterfly appeared to be ready to emerge yesterday afternoon (chrysalis Is translucent and beginning to expand) but 24 hours later, it still has not emerged. Is there anything that can be done for a butterfly that won’t/can’t emerge? (The weather is warm and sunny, in case that matters.)
Another nice shirt!! I had 2 other chrysalides fall after that first catastrophe I had a while back and both eclosed without hanging perfectly! The last one not only fell but was probably the smallest chrysalis I've ever seen it was so tiny and it was a little flat on one side. But she just emerged today and shes 100% okay and also 100% free of OE. I've had 2 males that eclosed and appeared to be perfectly formed in every way but for some reason neither of them had any real use of their legs and the 1st could not use his wings properly and the 2nd after he had dried his wings he opened them and never closed them again. They both were clear of OE and had no contact with pesticides or anything like that and all my other butterflies have been fine so I have no idea what happened with those 2. I even tried for several days to feed them and maybe help with their weakness but no luck. I guess sometimes it's just not meant to work out. I also had one that got stuck inside its chrysalis today I was eventually able to help her out of it but she had very small wings that were very out of proportion to her body and some odd yellow discoloration on one wing and one antenna and was never able to really pump fluid to the wings at all. The day before the chrysalis had a long black line going down it vertically. But I also had another that had funny coloring yesterday and that one came out just fine. today I also had 10 healthy monarchs eclose and I released 5 more yesterday. So things are still pretty good despite the couple oddball weird stuff that I've had happen. It's been a really eventful season for me this year but I have learned a lot. And as always I'm so glad you make these videos. You're time spent making them is very much appreciated.
Hey, thanks for the update. And as you notice my shirt, understand, I'm a Port Huron, Michigan boy who still easily sides with Tesla. And Port Huron is relevant because that is where Thomas Edison grew up. We have a Thomas Edison museum and everything. (I'll admit, he does have some cool stories about him...but man, he was a scoundrel!)
Sounds like you've been busy. Yeah, for the chrysalides that I showed in this video that had problems, I have no clue as to what could have caused them. These are from caterpillars that were reared in containers with others that turned out fine. All variables kept the same. For some, it seems, it just wasn't meant to be. And with a female being able to lay close to or even past 500 eggs, we'd have to assume these things will happen some of the time. I just hope it doesn't happen when someone is trying their first 2 or 3 ever, as it can be a discouraging situation.
MrLundScience Haha You have some really awesome shirts. I had a friend that recently went to that museum and said it was pretty cool! I love stuff like that so I'd like to see it. But I 100% agree he was a scoundrel for sure. I'm also team Tesla lol. Yeah I have been very busy the last few days/weeks. Feel like I've been up to my eyeballs in caterpillars and butterflies. And I dont have close to what you have released in some seasons I dont know how you keep up! And mine were all kept in the exact same environment too and I've had several from the same containers come out fine as well so I dont know what really happened with some either. Though the one chrysalis you had with that crazy spot on it was pretty cool to see and that it came out perfect! I was actually going to ask you if you had ever had any that came out with problems for no obvious reasons so I'm glad you put this video out today it was excellent timing! And those 2 I had with weak legs and wings were my 2nd and 3rd of this season and since I had no problems last year it was kind of a huge blow to me when I had to euthanize them because they were doing so poorly. And even though it's my 2nd year it was extremely discouraging and sad for me so yeah I definitely hope this doesnt happen to anyone right off the bat either. But if it does I really hope they find this and all your other videos. You said a lot of the same stuff to me when i first asked you about that busted chrysalis and it helped me a lot in that situation and later on. Btw I loved your surprise herp quest with that tree frog! He was so adorable. Theres a creek I love to walk around in the summer and just last month I found the tiniest baby snapping turtle there as well as several frogs and toads, a crawdad and a butt load of spiders and even a mantis. It would be a perfect place for a herp quest video. Unfortunately it's also a great place for a mosquito quest too lol that's the only downside.
Sometimes, it seems those raising Monarchs are ripe for a certain video. Last year, sooo many comments were asking about pests on milkweed and what do do about them. It was the "hot topic" of last year from my perspective. Thus, I made the Pests & Predators video. This year, sooo many were asking about deformed or just strange looking chrysalides. When it comes to topics, I like to try to be responsive to what people are asking for. If the question is coming up often, I know it's something I either haven't touched on, or haven't touched on enough. I never want to waste anyone's time. I think it'd be rude to put out a Raising Monarchs video that isn't worth while to a significant number of those doing this. Getting out what people are asking for is something I strive to do, and I can only hope it's somewhat effective. The support is appreciated.
And thanks for checking out those Herp Quest videos. It's something I've wanted to do for a long time, and finally got going on it. Everything in the animal kingdom is a natural teacher. We get to be the students, and they have many lessons for us.
MrLundScience well I think you do a great job giving everyone what they need in your videos. I know it always seems like they pop up just when I need them to lol I was also going to ask you if you've ever had a butterfly that couldnt knit up its proboscis? I had one that took over 24 hours to do it. in the end he got it but I was pretty worried for a while. Just curious if you've seen that before at all. Yeah I really love the herp quest videos and I enjoy the indy labs too! Especially the spider indy labs. Spiders are the best! I really look forward to all your future herp quests!
I had one that took longer than most to fuse their proboscis, but after 2 hours, it did it. Then, had another once that never was able to do it. From what I had formerly understood, if it didn't happen in the first 2 or 3 hours, it just wasn't going to happen, so it's really cool that yours was still able to get the job done after 24 hours. (I have to ask, just to make sure my info is correct: You're 100% certain it was the same one, right? Just want to make sure in case in the future I'm telling others I know of someone who had a proboscis fuse after a full day of it not being fused.) Another Herp Quest has been shot, but it's on hold for editing. We're in the heat of Monarch season, and so those videos should get top priority first. But yes, at least one more on the way. Going out on one more quest to see what I find before August is over, too.
Is there any way I can send you a picture of an oe test and a pitiful butterfly whose wings won’t pump up. She fell as she was coming out but I got her up immediately. I don’t know if I’m not recognizing the oe, if there is no oe or if my magnification isn’t enough... either way, thank you for your wonderful videos. Your students are no doubt getting a fabulous education!
One of my caterpillars tried to form its chrysalis on the edge of the pop-up mesh hamper I'm using as an enclosure. My friend told me to leave it but I was really concerned, and found info telling me it could be deformed if it was flat on one side. I should have left it alone. I saw the video about moving J-hanging caterpillars and tried to, but the silk didn't come off with the caterpillar. I tried to coax it to grab onto the roof of the enclosure and reform its silk button, but it hooked on somehow, so I left it. I was afraid it would fall when it tried to wiggle off its skin, so I spent a couple hours watching it as it wiggled and looked like it was about to shed its skin. I caught it with a washcloth and I, stupidly in a panic, picked it up with my hands to try to save it. I tried to clip it to the roof with a bag clip and hold it there with tape, but nothing held it. I finally got it secured with a pair of tweezers held shut around the chrysalis's little foot, put in a glass so that it was held upside down over the edge, hanging. After all the handling, it has still been wiggling and is alive, and the chrysalis is starting to assume a more normal shape, although there are parts of it that appear wrinkly and wonky. I came here because I was very concerned I had done it in in my rush to help. This video, however, reassured me that it may still have a chance! Thank you for that.
My crysallis dry but the hole abdomen section stretches out and they are 3 times as long and thin as normal crysallis, and always die. But not all of them.
Your an angel.. my kids love watching. We just released our 1st 2 monarchs. One Male one female :) 4 more about to emerge today. Do u know if there is a tracking system in Ontario Canada??
To my knowledge, tagging programs are essentially without borders. You can order tags from Monarch Watch dot org, and they'll send them to you. They're pretty quick about it, as well, so it's not too late!
I had a caterpillar chrysalis with very small "cracks" and the skin did not finish shedding off the chrysalis at the top but before it was normally finished. (I tried to see if it was loose enough to pull off but it was on tight so I left it) I have had the virus cause them to be unable to make a chrysalis but this one was further along and looked almost done. What is the longest time we should leave it alone before we give up? Two weeks? It did not turn dark. I had another caterpillar form a chrysalis after this one and when it emerged I gave up on the other. Did I wait long enough? Love your videos!
Hi Mr. Lund - i was hoping to send you a message with a picture hoping to get your advice on a monarch chrysalis I have that failed to completely shed it's skin - it only got about half of the way there and then stopped. About 12 hours after pupation I carefully performed "surgery" and have removed the stuck skin without damaging the chrysalis, however it looks quite malformed, but otherwise green and healthy. I wish I had thought to do this immediately after noticing it struggling to shed its skin, it may have still had a chance to form properly, but I was nervous about damaging it. I am following your advice in this video and giving the chrysalis a chance, but I fear it coming out severely deformed if it does make it and I am unsure what I should do at that point. I have only successfully gotten one monarch to eclose before and am still learning.
how do you make the honey nectar fluid? is that only for the ones that have issues with fluid in wings?
Hey one of my caterpillars formed its chrysalis but the final molt got stuck to it. Is that bad for it? Should I try to remove it or leave it alone?
What nectar solution do you use? She liked it! I want to give it to mine. I just released 10 and one is stuck so I gave it w few drops of water to see if that helps.
6:20 I think the one you show laying down there was not chrysalis A, but the other one that had deformed wings (3:33), then the clip after that showing it already eclosed was chrysalis A. When the wing is deformed that badly, they should not turn out normal, but if it is just the abdomen that is deformed, it will usually turn out fine. I once had a chrysalis that looked similar to the one you showed at 3:33, but it had rolled around when hardening and so it became flat/misshapen on both sides, this resulted in the deformity being balanced enough for the butterfly to fly just fine!
Hello fellow Michigander! I am completely new to raising Monarch butterflies, but we found a caterpillar and I thought it would be a fantastic experience for my two boys (age 4 and 7). They have been completely engrossed with our new family member, and I really want to make sure it has the best chance of survival. It is currently in a chrysalis, but decided to do this on the floor of the enclosure...I thought our little hungry caterpillar was dead earlier today (or molting), but turns out he was getting ready for his next stage. I was reading that we shouldn't touch the chrysalis until it's dry, but I'm terrified of a deformity or forming a flat side...should I try your glue method (so I don't actually touch it) and hang it, or should I let it be?? I know from this video they can still turn out ok, but what would you do?? How much room should it have once it comes out (fingers crossed it survives) to dry its wings and fly? I don't want it to get hurt. I've been scouring the internet and have been watching your videos, they are so so helpful!!! I may have missed a video containing the answers to my questions, so I truly appreciate your time and help!!!
What's the nectar mixture pls? I have 5 chrysalis of the Lime butterfly. Shall I feed them when they emerge and before I release them? Amazing creatures.
Thank you for the video and for saving many butterflies
Greetings Tia! The solution set up and how to mix it is shown here: th-cam.com/video/CAks8lJ9SDY/w-d-xo.html
That also shows a toothpick maneuver for encouraging the feeding to take place. Good luck!
MrLundScience thank you 🙏
What did you have in the bottle cap to feed the butterfly
So i have 7 and 6 are turning into their chrysalis but theyre not in them yet. One has already formed its chrysalis but it's not completely inside of it since it's still forming but it fell. I'm afraid to remove the lid from the cup because the others have started forming and i'm not sure if they're still using the webbing. I don't want to disturb or hurt the other 6 trying to help the 7th who fell and i'm not quite sure what to do.
So my chrysalis fell yesterday, the caterpillar made it on a leaf but it fell luckily it landed on the grass so I carefully hung it back up. It's almost all black but we don't know if it's bleeding since it fell on the floor again after the wind knock it down. So now we're just waiting and see if it hatch.
Hi! We have a monarch that's still hanging and not deformed looking and has started to turn dark and clearer where we can see the coloration but it's been in the chrysalis for about 3 or 4 weeks. Is there chance it will still come out? I read they come out 10-14 days. This seems like an extra long time. It's been outside in a screened in porch. It has been cold at nights. I brought it inside today hoping there's still life inside. My 8 yr old is really hoping! What do you think?
I have several overwintering in my fridge and they look different from when I first put them in the fridge. It’s been about 2 months and they were very healthy when I watched them change and first put them in the fridge. Now they look different not see through like they look before popping out but see through in a different way. Can you tell me if they are ok? I can’t find anything anywhere to help me out
Do you ever transplant wings? Or trim to match to allow for better chance at flight?
Hi, as always thanks for being there for us! Question: chrysalis that falls just 2", (no damage & were 3 days dried and formed well before the fall), leaving good amount of silk behind wondering if I may be able to simply do something using the original silk to then pin or clip the chrysalis? I believe that I have seen info here about re-spinning by twisting the silk around the "stem" which is intact....can I trust that it will stay attached 'til he/she ecloses? Thanks! I have a great screened cage for her ready to go w/ sisters & brothers.
I know if the silk already had broken, I wouldn't trust its structural integrity. The easiest solution is to not hang it at all. The Monarch can form in the chrysalis without hanging. In other words, it's not gravity dependent. I've done it a few times now, and they come out just fine and normal. What needs to be done, though, is giving them a way to eclose. They can come out on their side, but then need to immediately climb somewhere that allows for their wings to dry. This video shows one method: th-cam.com/video/kxCzr89Ck3E/w-d-xo.html
Another option, if you have a reason that it needs to hang, would be to use some expanding glue. This video shows how I performed this before trying to have a chrysalis develop on its side: th-cam.com/video/mKFq5lYgT5Q/w-d-xo.html
I hope these help!
MrLundScience, thanks! It's all good news! After I wrote you I read and saw information guiding me away from attempting to do anything like reattaching the chrysalis to it's original silk though it at first seemed like one viable solution to the problem, which it is now clearly not. I revisited this video and the one by Mona Miller so all went perfectly well with two chrysalides eclosing after being placed on the floor of the net cage. Also I did use your technique successfully having the gals lie atop paper toweling within their plastic open container and having a little bit of a "ramp" to the net sides! So far 5 of the original six Monarchs I have wild-raised from eggs took flight, one is still waiting to eclose and praying she/he will be ok. Also there are now five in chrysalis forms yet to come, cats found the week after finding the eggs, one or two maybe sooner than the last three hanging! Everyone except one is attached in the cages by their own created silk while I hang one, as I have done with another before now, to the ceiling. Once again, following you on every question I have had and 99.9% are actually answered on one of the episodes created. Thanks again for your answers, it's amazing and without advice like this it would be confusing out there for a lot of people.
One of my chrysalis is very dark and has been in the state for awhile. I touched it and it didnt move. I removed it from the enclosure i made and hung re hung it just incase. Did i do the wrong thing
I just dropped one today when trying to move it and it is cracked should I still hang it back up?