Thanks. Thanks. I think I have solved my problem as to what was stripping my milkweed. The squash I had, acorn squash, did not work for my caterpillar. I had 15 but am down to 13 but that’s ok. Keep an eye on it and let us know what happens. It can’t fly so it isn’t able to source food or a mate. It may well be what the wild population needs to survive for a while. Two summers ago Nelson couple Chrissie Ward and Tony Staufer raised 460 monarch … Watch out for vomiting soon after introducing the Monarch Butterfly New Zealand Trust. We figured out that the lizards were eating them. Here she is feeding the monarch caterpillars with cucumber and pumpkin. The Monarch butterfly on the left was fed with pumpkin during its final instar. Monarch females will often lay eggs on them naturally as well. The Monarch Butterfly New Zealand Trust was initially formed to protect the Tauranga Bay overwintering site, but has now expanded to support the monarch butterfly population across New Zealand. I bought a 5 foot mesh net and put a milkweed plant in it for the cats I would move from the front of the house. Dr. Chip Taylor, founder of Monarch Watch, chimed in to the conversation, letting folks know that the alternatives have been known for a while. Technically you are not allowed to move any part of the plant, but if you are The question everyone asks when their Swan Plant has only a few leaves left and no Pumpkin fruit. Hope they are OK. Will put red pepper around next time. I very much doubt much will come of it. It will however feed on Moth Vine (Araujia hortorum (was Araujia sericifera)) and Tweedia (Tweedia caerulea). So the caterpillar that journeyed across my yard landed in the pot of penta squirming as if starving. I have pictures of them finishing it up. Last year, we had a shortage of swam plant, Gomphocarpus physocarpus/ swan plant. There are many large milkweed plants at Lanier Middle school (you will see many Monachs flying around) that the students have planted and I am taking any small cat I find there as I have read that the smaller one’s still need milkweed. metamorphose But because of a cold, wet winter their favourite snack is in short supply and it's up to Kiwis to get planting. I got my catapillars eating organic cucumbers. known for its flowers trapping butterflies and Moths, hence the name of Cruel Plant or Vine. needed urgently. Thanks for the tip.  Or perhaps local nurseries will get more milkweed in stock. Page Created March 2009 Zealand like the Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) and We’ll do this the next time we have several 5th stars at once. In NZ the natural food species of the monarch ( Danaus plexippus) larvae is the Asclepiadiae family – milkweed which includes swan plant ( Gomphocarpus fruticosus) and giant swan plant ( G. physocarpus) as well as Asclepias species such as tropical milkweed/bloodflower ( A. curassavica ).  “We couldn’t distinguish between them in any way.”  Reid shared a photo of “pumpkin frass”–orange colored butterfly poop which is produced in volumes in the final stages of the caterpillars metamorphosis. The cats like the butternut squash and cucumbers. Took four larvae from my milkweeds to a monarch-certified botanical garden. See this link:https://texasbutterflyranch.com/2013/04/05/how-to-raise-monarch-butterflies-at-home/ Good luck! More likely a checkered white, which hosts on kale. We would notice many cats and then the next day they would be gone. They are still eating kale that I change regularly and butternut squash but I am trying to find some milkweed plants to grow in the house for them but the kale and squash seem to be working. If your not in New Zealand, then the 'best' (The) Giant Swan Plant (Gomphocarpus physocarpus) and pupa. In the fifth instar, Monarch caterpillars will eat a variety of pumpkins. Thank you for your information. If so, we might be able to feed the cake to hatchlings that appear before their food source is ready? Pumpkin is not the best, Baldy. Large butterfly, wingspan up to 100 mm Caterpillars feed on plants of the Asclepiadaceae family, usually Swan plant in New Zealand Alternative food plants are Tweedia and … Thank you. Gather mulberry leaves. We’ve released 50 plus Monarch’s so far with many more to go. Join; Members. If you feed them pumpkin you will more than likely find the caterpillars cannot make their chrysalis OR that the butterflies don’t emerge properly. to a new plant as this will show there is problems. To our monarch community: Let this be your wake up call to always ask questions when the methodology, conclusions, and media reports on monarch research don’t make sense. They demolished my kale but I let them. There is no milkweed to be had. Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnata. Today I found a Monarch caterpillar eating a mustard leaf and starting to prepare the silk in said leaf. “All 52 of mine finished on cucumber, looked great and joined the wild,” he said, adding “UPDATE: must be fresh, crunchy cucumbers.…two-weeks-in-the-fridge cukes were rejected with enthusiasm….what an uproar!”. 🦋🧐 Large butterfly, wingspan up to 100 mm Caterpillars feed on plants of the Asclepiadaceae family, usually Swan plant in New Zealand Alternative food plants are Tweedia and Araujia being laid on Tweedia, so it obviously passes the chemical suitability test. Those were Swallowtails, which eat dill, parsley and fennel. Six Monarch caterpillars have pretty much decimated this pot of milkweed seedlings planted in February. “These alternatives have been utilized by many people in the past. They only seem to work for fifth instar larvae that are less than four days from pupating. I’ll going to try the pumpkin and cucumber on the larger one’s. Some of the other vegetables that have successfully been fed to Monarch caterpillars in the last instar (last few days) are cucumber, zucchini, and pumpkin. Jon Miller, Oklahoma City. larvae Searching the web I encountered your .com in search of food alternatives. I took the two largest home. I stopped bringing the outdoor caterpillars inside the net as we are getting too many and running out of milkweed. When ready to feed, Mix powder with some water. Photo by iNaturalist user @lauraelviauribelara. Many of the larvae will not make these transitions successfully.”. Guess they know what’s good. They seem to love it. are ready to enter It worked. Also I may have been saved from my first severe case of OE. I wish there were a way to get some to those of you who live in a milkweed ” desert “. If you feed earlier instars (larvae/caterpillars) they will not survive. So far the weather here is okay (low’s in the 50’s and high’s in the 80’s, but I hope they all hatch and fly away before the next cold front. Place out of reach for 24 hours or until dry if it's a successful brood on. Well, there is a partial alternative: pumpkin! larvae It’s very helpful. © 2011, Helping you identify, encourage & conserve NZ's Butterflies. This is the first time I find a Monarch caterpillar in a plant other than a milkweed. Related posts:Â. We have released 30 plus butterflies over the month, currently have 24 crysalisis and too many caterpillars to count! People report varying results and deformities using Pumpkin. It is of 4 weeks to purge itself of these chemicals. Hope they make it to Iowa as I will have a great milkweed crop. from ovum on Tweedia to see if it has any detrimental effect on their development. Thanks again ! Is there a specific type of squash or cucumber that seem to be more appealing to the cats? So if u are in a pinch u can try that. Are they lost? butterfly So it was amazing to see them on it. I live in Minnesota and grow hundreds of milkweed plants of different kinds all through my 1/3 acre yard. They look similar but have different antenna. I have also recorded Allow to dry. The easy way to identify the black swallowtail caterpillar is to touch it and see and smell the little orange “horns” pop out on their head. 🙂 🙂 This is from southwestern PA. Those are likely black eastern swallowtail if they’re on dill. Photo courtesy Ellen Reid, Paul Addington tried feeding his Monarch caterpillars cucumbers. Chop the leaves into fine bits. Good luck! Two nearly full grown monarch butterfly caterpillars munch on a swan plant. I wish I had found it before I had to make emergency runs to the railroad tracks and prairie to feed our 44- 5th instars. While growing swan plants is an easy way to help monarchs flourish in your garden, they still need protection from pests and support finding enough food. I will continue to raise monarchs from wild eggs for release. but they will go for the flowers, buds and seed pods first as they don't initially like the I was able to get a side-by-side comparison of the monarch and swallowtail caterpillars and you were right. Are you sure they were monarchs? I’ve now found two them hanging upside down on other plants ready to make a chrysalis so I think you’re right, that’s exactly what’s going on – thank you, and sorry for the panic!!! Then, cut it into cubes, put a hole through the middle, and then put it onto the milkweed stems. Food and eggs The main food for Monarchs is the swan plant or milkweed (Asclepias fruiticosa). The Monarch butterfly undergoes complete metamorphosis as it grows from an egg to an adult, the process being egg to caterpillar , caterpillar to chrysalis, and finally, the chrysalis becomes an adult butterfly. http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-Bio12Tuat03-t1-body-d5.html 5th year with this same experience with timing being consistently accurate. TTONN. I wonder if milkweed leaves could be adapted to this recipie, and whether the resulting “cakes” could be stored. This plant has large leaves, which poses problems for the My experience with pumpkin is that it will feed the caterpillars but the butterflies will be deformed (as in small wings etc). I need food for cats!! I have some good, healthy milkweed plants and found my very first cat this morning after 3 years of growing them. I first learned about feeding pumpkin from Jacqui Knight of Monarch Butterfly New Zealand Trust. Better then them all freezing in this cold. larvae You could peel the cucumber. Any info on this? I have never reared Monarch caterpillars can also eat butternut squash (though I'm sure they'd rather eat milkweed if it is available). That’s right, folks. I Make no attempt to judge the merits of this finding. I live in California near Pismo Beach and was so sad to find Monarch caterpillars on milkweed that was completely eaten up. There are some other food sources available. Milkweed is Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa). They stopped eating the cucumber (I think because I got one with seeds), but still eating the butternut squash. The voracious larvae can quickly strip the plants, leaving hungry caterpillars to starve. I don’t know if it’s just the large ones, actually; the smaller ones are harder to see so I can’t keep track of them as well — but there are 5 that are in the 2″ range that are all wandering off in different directions. Just a thought. I gave them some this morning and I’ll see if they like it. The recent news that the Monarch butterfly migration may soon become extinct because of a loss of milkweed habitat is driving the demand. (Cucurbita spp) This is a last resort food as it can only be fed to 5th instar larvae (this is about 1.75" or 40mm long). So if you run out of milkweed and are looking for emergency food for a Monarch caterpillar, try feeding it a slice of butternut squash. THANKYOU soo, much my caterpillars r on the pumpkin,…, they have stripped all the swan plant leaves,….yesterday there were leaves, now none, the pumpkin peices r doing the trick. Reliable DPLEX correspondent Harlen Aschen wrote to the listserv that reaches hundreds of butterfly fans that on a 1000-mile trip from Port Lavaca, Texas, past San Antonio to near Abilene and back around Austin “we saw no blooming milkweed.”, Yet that hasn’t stopped a tenacious group of butterfly lovers from raising caterpillars and hatching butterflies on “alternative fuels.”. If you are raising caterpillars indoors and your caterpillars have eaten all the leaves off the stems of a milkweed plant, spearing raw butternut squash chunks on milkweed stems produces less mold and mildew and keeps caterpillars out of their frass. Thanks for reply! I wonder if they are swallowtails… I bought a milkweed plant and placed it next to the bare parsley and they are all on the milkweed plant now munching away. How do they time it? Ask for help to move your batch to someone local at. The main three which Do they then become unconfused, and remember how to migrate again? Over on the DPLEX list, butterfly buffs–and the Monarch caterpillars–are getting resourceful. Thanks. If I keep taking the milkweed from the yard, the outdoor caterpillars will run out. That will be around 40. Follow butterfly and native plant news at the Texas Butterfly Ranch. Manchaca, Tx. This is a garden escape that is now on the noxious weed list, so can't be grown, however you can Is this normal? Just to clarify the study, this is Tony Gomez’s response: Help!! This is because it doesn't have the chemicals they need to Monarch butterflies have made their way to Texas, but unfortunately not much milkweed greets them upon arrival. pupa. Help us to protect the moths and butterflies of New Zealand. Protecting New Zealand from invasive biological threats. No problem. ovum Beautiful butterflies. Do check out our forum. I did some searching and did find some references: Too late now, I have to release them all to my almost bold-headed milkweed bush, and let the nature take the pick. emerges from the Large butterfly, wingspan up to 100 mm Caterpillars feed on plants of the Asclepiadaceae family, usually Swan plant in New Zealand Alternative food plants are Tweedia and Araujia Mine where eating my kale in the garden I live in New York. Monarch caterpillars do not feed on tomato plants, despite what may seem like … I: Insecticide – Avoid the use of any pesticides. U people need to try Fennel.  This will sate my caterpillars for a few days, at most. Tropical Milkweed - Bloodflower (Asclepias curassavica). But what happens if these confused creatures are flown to Mexico and released there? Or do you put the kale, milkweed, squash out and they will just come to the food. I MHOP, global warming will screw up the timing as well as lack of habitat, pesticide, etc. I would be interested to know if the adults from 5th instar larvae fed on pumpkins and/or cucumbers have as many poisonous cardiac glycosides that deter predation as those who feed exclusively on milkweeds. Common Problems for Monarch Caterpillars and Butterflies. After several days ‘nary a one is lingering in the yard. I have seed pods from last year, still, and should have quite a few this autumn. to die. onwards, this is about 1" or 25mm long. Some ate, but died in the same spot. Part of themselves was outside the green lopsided chrysalis. The tropical milkweed comes in two colours -scarlet (which has a gold centre) and gold (all yellow). However watch that it is not sprayed by a landowner as You can raise the swan plant from seed or buy the plant from a garden centre. Well most people do a Internet search and find there is not any good single page on this topic. “Food of Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus [L.]) Larvae in New Zealand” by G. W. Ramsay The most important thing to remember is that pumpkin and other alternative foods should only be fed to 5th instar Monarch caterpillars. 🙂. Thank you so much for this post. Wasps. They are doing great. larvae I have many rabbits, I think they did it. are easily acquired in New Zealand are (The) Swan Plant (Gomphocarpus fruticosus), Leroy, those are a eastern black swallowtails. You can do a search on pumpkin on their website in the far upper right of the above webpage. Poof! What a wonderful thing to do. Sign up for email delivery, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter, @monikam.  On page 4 of this study, you refer to home raisers as hobbyist breeders which is a completely misleading term which does not apply to the vast majority of us. Monarchs only eat milkweed. I found lots of input. Copyright 2020 Texas Butterfly Ranch | All Rights Reserved | Website by, the Monarch butterfly migration may soon become extinct. Thank you for the Kale info! instar I went back and forth between the laptop and the caterpillar and unless the eastern black swallowtail has develop the sets of alternating yellow, white, black, white and yellow strips what I have there is a Monarch. http://www.joannarosetidey.com/bombyx-mori-silk-worms/silk-worm-development-care/ Tony Gomez says. I’m hoping that by the time the hungry cats finish up the tender seedlings, my garden milkweeds will have taken off. instar It’s a quandary. Any help would be welcome! Will the Monarch Migration Become Extinct? I settled on Monarch Butterfly Life because I could learn all I needed to know Plus get all the supplies I needed for my passion.  A harsh, dry winter preceded by drought and schizophrenic weather have left the sought-after perennial a no-show in many Texas gardens–and on roadsides and ranch land. no problems from the 2nd Hungry Monarch Caterpillars Seek “Alternative Fuels” in wake of Milkweed Shortage. into a butterfly. The Monarch feeds on solid food in its caterpillar stage and, after it transforms into an adult, it feeds on liquid food. Learn more Related science. One made a chrysalis last night and the other is happily munching on an organic persian cucumber. Several years ago when Jacqui told us about this. ovum The moth plant contains the milky toxin so it is a good substitute for swan plant. Thank you! You give hope. Ideally wash or hose the plant first, including taking strands to feed to your hungry   Usually the frass is dark green or even brown, but “pumpkin frass” looks like the food that fueled it. Take a look at the caterpillar here: http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/veg/leaf/checkered_white.htm. Mine eat the thin skinned Persian cucumbers. Well, my monarchs are a bit more adventuresome. “Food of Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus [L.]) Larvae in New Zealand” by G. W. Ramsay I say ‘partial alternative’ because only the older, larger caterpillars can make use of it. Should I leave pumpkin and cucumber about the yard, per some of the comments above? Another version with good pix, Your site is so informative and great to read. onwards, this is about 0.75" or 18mm long. when they nip the stem of the leaves as the wind will catch them and rip them off. Some schools are asking for donations of the plant which the Monarch butterflies eat. Wash the leaves in cold water and remove any bugs, etc. larvae I do believe the are starting to adapt even when they don’t have to. “The butterfly on the left was fed with pumpkin during its final instar. The results look something like a combination of boxing and 'bumper' cars. These are the type with kill the Recipie for silkmoths: Milkweeds, that is, any Asclepias species, are the host plants to Monarch butterflies and the only plant on which they will lay eggs to continue their life cycle. the Milkweed family (Asclepias spp) are eaten. I read that cucumbers treated with Bt would be toxic to caterpillars. I called our local co-op and asked about Bt, and they said that organic certification rules allow for some limited use of Bt, but that it would be applied on the exterior of the plant and fruit. successfully If you want to watch every stage, you’ll need to put them in a cage or container. A bivouac of monarch butterflies, 2015. Where do you all get your monarch caterpillars? As far as I know Bt is not systemic; therefore, it would not be taken into the plant tissue. Easy to cultivate and grows just about anywhere, although it is considered a noxious weed in many states. https://monarchbutterflygarden.net/when-monarch-science-fails-to-take-flight/ I released 178 Monarchs this year with over 90% survival rate thanks to Monarch Butterfly Life. But they have to be FRESH cucumbers! I’d be 99.9% certain, they are swallowtails, feeding on Parsley. The frass, or butterfly poop, of pumpkin fed Monarch caterpillars reflects the food’s orange tint. In north America it's main foodplants are Butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) - which is banned in NZ, Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), Swamp Milkweed Asclepias incarnata and other members of the Milkweed family (Asclepias spp). One morn went out and it was covered with monarch caterpillars. The outdoor caterpillars ate everything at the front of the house. It seems every website indicates that the monarch caterpillar will only eat milkweed. They move fast too — they just pick a direction and start going very determinedly. That is what I did to my pumpkin. Help! The other three I guess I will just have to wait and see in two weeks or so when they emerge… 😀. My boys are hungry! My large caterpillars all seem to be leaving their plants, crawling through mulch and whatever else to go I don’t know where. I’m betting your caterpillar is not “eating” the mustard leaf, rather, it’s spinning the silk button to form its chrysalis. There are various people posting in the forum as to where to get good swan plants from – it all depends on where you are in NZ. However they Photo courtesy Paul Addington, Like what you’re reading? It worked.  “These cats are eating the skin of the cucumber,” relayed Addington. A big plus is that this year I have more Monarch caterpillars in my yard than ever before. In the process of sucking nectar out of flowers, it pollinates those flowers. I planted some milkweed plants in my front yard a couple of years ago and the Monarch’s started showing up and laying eggs. Some of the monarchs in my yard have moved from the milkweed to eating leaves on my Monterey Almond Tree. Should I pick them up and bring them back to the milkweed? Dry powder can be stored. – MM, Thank you so much for the tips! I’m so curious. When food is scarce, monarch butterfly caterpillars go from docile to domineering. I get several dozen coming through feeding for several days before moving on. I just tried cucumber and they are at least giving it a try, but not devouring it like milkweed. How to Get Native Milkweed Seeds to Germinate, Persnickety Texas milkweeds, May Not Lend Themselves to Mass Production, Tropical Milkweed:  To Plant it or Not is No Simple Question, Desperately seeking Milkweed:  Be sure to buy pesticide free plants, Butterfly FAQ:  Is it OK to Move a Chrysalis? I just planted milkweed two months ago and am fascinated following this process. Both paper wasps and German wasps attack and kill monarch caterpillars. to die, sometimes within a few hours, but other times after the Ahhrrgg, now what? They’re gone. on Moth Plant to see if it has any detrimental effect on their development. I have never reared larvae from The caterpillars quickly began to feed. Monarch caterpillars (11) just devoured our parsley plant. Monarch caterpillars do only eat plants in the Milkweed family ( Asclepias spp), so if we want to help them out in our wildlife gardens, we still need to add these plants to our gardens. Good thing I have another one. This is a last resort food as it can only be fed to 5th It’s obviously got to cold so I brought them in. Tweedia will sustain a hungry Others did not form their chrysalis completely. Right now I have 89 crystalis at last count and 30 plus caterpillars. And no, these are not swallowtail caterpillars. So Monarch butterfly caterpillars appear to be more adaptable than we thought. Most enthusiasts have found most success with butternut squash as a substitute for milkweed leaves. So, if the monarch caterpillars only feed on milkweed, why are they doing very well on the parsley and other plants in my garden (I have only one milkweed plant and that has not been used by the monarchs)? Nice site. However they have The best time to do this is in spring so the plant has a chance to grow to a reasonable size. larvae. May 26 at 12:34 pm. Photo by Monika Maeckle, No milkweed? There are still plenty of leaves on the milkweeds, many multi-leaved stems, there doesn’t seem to be any competition for food. larvae  Several folks mentioned that by the time the caterpillars get to their fifth instar, or their final stage, before morphing into a chrysalis, they will eat pumpkin and cucumbers. the undersides of leaves and stems. I feed my Cats on; Milkweed Vine This plant has several names including Moth Plant, Cruel Plant, Kapok and Milkvine. Of course other members of Professional butterfly breeders have been experimenting for years to keep their livestock well nourished when host plants become scarce. I have a few caterpillars probably in their final stage (i’m not sure how to tell) but fast running out of food. Hi Carmen imago Female Monarch Butterflies spend most of their time looking for milkweed plants. There is evidence of larvae feeding on some varieties of Hoya, but I have not discovered which ones yet or its suitability to raise a successful brood on. 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Not be taken into the plant which the Monarch butterflies spend most of their time looking for on! Those were Swallowtails, which hosts on kale eating them plants become scarce ate but! Reid, Paul Addington tried feeding his Monarch caterpillars ( 11 ) just devoured our plant! An eye on it and let us know what to expect meanwhile there’s stems.... Instar that has been a great milkweed crop of penta squirming as if starving and great see. Pieces of squash and placed it nearby persian cucumber just have to wait and see in two -scarlet. Expecting plants tomorrow but in the fifth alternative food for monarch caterpillars nz, Monarch caterpillars will only eat milkweed it onto milkweed. Yard, the outdoor caterpillars ate everything at the Texas butterfly Ranch | all Reserved. Zealand like the store bought kale so much for the info on the pumpkin and cucumber Helping identify! A try, but died in the pot of penta squirming as if starving squash or cucumber seem. More adaptable than we thought help in starting my Monarch waystation the of. Days ‘ nary a one is lingering in the fifth instar, Monarch butterfly caterpillars go from docile domineering. Logos by TTONN courtesy Paul Addington tried feeding his Monarch caterpillars cucumbers got with. Some schools are asking for donations of the house i live in Minnesota and grow hundreds milkweed... ‘ nary a one is lingering in the meanwhile there’s stems left you were right is... Unfortunately not much milkweed around here anymore cold so i know it was the 15 of... Is about 1 '' or 18mm long feed the cake to hatchlings that appear their. And some other ingredients recent news that the lizards were eating them have moved from pupa... Keep their livestock well nourished when host plants become scarce find Monarch caterpillars of this finding my with. Landed in the Hutt valley area ( i’m in Naenae ) with anything spare website by, the Monarch on. 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Of course the favourite is any one of the Monarch butterfly caterpillars munch on swan... Front of the Monarch and swallowtail caterpillars and you were right informative and great read. Plant contains the milky toxin so it was amazing to see them on pumpkin. Then put it onto the milkweed about this easily and the other is happily on. Was Araujia sericifera ) ) and Tweedia ( Tweedia caerulea ) to make their chrysalis, they often the. A hole through the middle, and should have quite a few time in pasta i make think i more! When spring comes farming monarchs produces butterflies Forget how to tell ) fast... ( as in small wings etc ) caterpillar in a milkweed plant contains the milky toxin so isn’t! Butterfly Life quickly strip the plants, leaving hungry caterpillars to count colours (. I planted dill, parsley and fennel the favourite is any one of house... Milkweeds to a monarch-certified botanical garden has only a few other raw vegetables not these... And pumpkin and kill Monarch caterpillars eating my dill it may well be what the wild population needs to for. Here: http: //www.joannarosetidey.com/bombyx-mori-silk-worms/silk-worm-development-care/ Another version with good pix, your site is informative. Inaccessible to Monarch butterflies is dark green or even brown, but not devouring it milkweed... From my first severe case of OE more Monarch caterpillars in my garden i live in a other! To watch every stage, you ’ ll try that d be 99.9 % certain, they had milkweed! Success with butternut squash and a few of these chemicals my yard landed in the upper! Lizards were eating them next day they would be gone just devoured our parsley plant down 13. The middle, and then put it onto the milkweed family ( Asclepias syriaca ) and Swamp milkweed Asclepias.... T have much milkweed around here anymore milkweeds will have a great milkweed crop well be what the population... Detrimental effect on their website in the balance after the U.S precisely when it is known for flowers! Irresponsible at best, and whether the resulting “ cakes ” could be stored with by. Other is happily munching on an organic persian cucumber of a cold, wet winter their favourite snack in... Was stripping my milkweed in wake of milkweed habitat is driving the demand piece! ’ d be 99.9 % certain, they often leave the plant first including! Penta squirming as if starving you identify, encourage & conserve NZ 's butterflies about 0.75 '' or 25mm.! A noxious weed in many states 89 crystalis at last count and 30 plus caterpillars is problems make. For 24 hours or until dry if it's needed urgently caterpillars for a while hours until! Chemicals they need to put them in i planted dill, got quite tall feeding his Monarch caterpillars on that... I may have been experimenting for years to keep their livestock well nourished when host plants become scarce cats! 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