Posts

First Egg of the Season

 Our milkweed plants are barely sprouts at the moment, but there is one single egg on them already.  I have some extra milkweed seeds that I think I will also start planting in case I need more leaves than our plants will produce.  I have not had the chance to set up a proper sanctuary, and probably won't be able to this year.  I still haven't had any monarch sightings yet, but if this egg did come from one of my babies, it would have been Humphrey, who was my first release last year. And, yes, she was a female despite the traditionally male name. This year I may not be naming very many of my cats, but this first one should definitely have a name.  I will update you on what name that is once I have more updates to share.  Right now, the paper wasps are pretty well under control, and may not be as much of a threat this year.  However, we have carpenter bees under our deck.  They've nested their fat little butts right next to my dogwood tree, which is where I hung my chrysali
Post a Comment
Read more

Freeing Elce

Image
Our short frost is over and it is finally warm enough outside to let Elce, my Eastern Tiger Swallowtail free again.  It seems that he is extremely dumb, or perhaps he's just sick because, just as he did on the day I caught him, he chose to land on the grass and sit there.  So I picked him back up again and put him on our Weeping Cherry tree because pink and purple are the preferred flower color for the ETS Butterfly. He is just sitting on the tree branch amongst the Bumble Bees, but I feel that is at least a little safer than sitting on the ground.   Here is the video of his release ,  and here is the video of his relocation.
Post a Comment
Read more

Tis the season!

 It's the very start of insect season here in Michigan! Here and there I have seen the common white butterflies, but I finally came across an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail! Generally, they are pretty fast, and always got away from me when I was little, but I got ahold of this one today!  He's a male, and I've named him Elce, after a character I made.  I have him set up in my butterfly house with some flowers and sugar water, he seems pretty stressed and hasn't eaten anything yet.  Interestingly, going back to my thoughts on domesticating butterflies, Elce seems very fearful of, and stressed around me compared to my monarchs that I have raised since eggs.  Could butterflies remember faces and learn to trust people?  Or does it come down the difference in species?  Assuming that some of the Monarchs that I raised return to their home plants this year, there could be a difference in their behavior around me.  Does this beautiful and mysterious insect have a unique long-term me
Post a Comment
Read more

Day 4- Domestic

Image
            Today I let Lucy outside for the first time to stretch her wings and get some well needed enrichment.  She is still a weak flyer, but she can glide in circles very well.  She just cannot fly upwards.  The most fascinating thing happened while we were out there, however.  If I held my hands out to Lucy, she would land in them.  That means there is something significant going on.  She has the intelligence to recognize her momma, whether its because I am a food source or because she knows I am not a threat.                                                                                  I cleaned her cage today as it was starting to smell strongly like butterfly.  I would assume from her waste.  She gets some fresh cut flowers today as her food source and I plan on giving her some orange slices (though I'm not looking forward to my room smelling of slowly rotting oranges which are sure to summon fruit flies).  I think I'll save the oranges for tomorrow.           I loo
Post a Comment
Read more

Day 2- Trapped

      Day 2 has been nuts.  Last night I decided to name my sick butterfly Lucy.  She still has trouble eating, but she's getting better at it.  I have her perched on my window screen for fresh air.  She really seems to like it.        I have been out the past 3 hours getting a Covid Test.  Currently I'm confined to my room, and the results will be back to me in 2-3 days. But for now Lucy and I are sick buddies.  She will be my constant companion and I hope we both make it. For the rest of today, I will be trying to get the rest of my homework done as it is due today.  I'm just happy I don't have to wake up early for work until I get a neg test result.  Thats fine because I was on for two weeks straight.  I'm getting some well needed rest.  She's hungry again and, I'm gonna feed her. See you tomorrow!
Post a Comment
Read more

Day 1- introduction

Image
 Day 1.      I have been dabbling in raising monarchs since the age of 5, maybe raising one or two each summer.  This year I have decided to get serious about it. I have successfully raised about 20 adult butterflies this summer. Not bad.  I have learned a lot and still have so many questions about these beautiful insects!  I'm super thankful to r/MonarchButterfly  on Reddit as they are always there to answer questions, offer support and share progress.       One of my most recent Butterflies to emerge from her chrysalis is mildly deformed and most likely has OE ( Ophryocystis elektroscirrha), which spreads via spores.  I have no doubt she  wasn't  the only one to contract the  disease, but she is severely effected by it and fell twice after emerging.  She doesn't fly and is struggling to eat from what I can tell.  I plan to keep her alive as best as I can for now as this is a great opportunity to closely study monarchs.       I am starting this blog to keep up with the thi
Post a Comment
Location: Michigan, USA
Read more