Monarch migration

[Grizzerbear]

Right after lunch today at work me and a few co workers were fixing to head back to work as we noticed a unusual number of butterflies coming from the northeast over the shop and heading southwesterly. I have never witnessed it before.....that or I just never recognized the significance of what I was seeing if I had. It was pretty awesome to see so many monarchs especially as they are threatened with extinction. I wish I could have gotten a better picture. The cell phone didn't do justice. We must have seen them for a hour. At least 200 total would be a fair guess. They just kept coming like the pic suggests.....3 to 5 at a time. Anyone else ever witnessed this.

 

[EbS-P]

In high school we would catch and tag them in central Kansas. I probably tagged 50-100 over a few years. One of mine was sighted in Mexico at their wintering grounds . I think I was the only one ever in my science teachers 40 years of being part of the tagging program.

 

[begreen]

That's a special experience. The swarms are so large at times that they show up on airport radars!

 

[ABMax24]

I remember seeing lots of them in the summers as a kid, they were everywhere up here, come to think of it I can't remember the last time I seen one, definitely not near as many around anymore.

 

[tlc1976]

I get a ton of milkweeds along the side of my house. I used to rip them out several times a year because they were ugly and would suck all the nutrients for the flowers. But my mom said leave them and the monarchs will come. And they do, I get lots of them in summer. I even had one in my garage last week.

 

[Grizzerbear]

I get a ton of milkweeds along the side of my house. I used to rip them out several times a year because they were ugly and would suck all the nutrients for the flowers. But my mom said leave them and the monarchs will come. And they do, I get lots of them in summer. I even had one in my garage last week.

My daughter is wanting to plant a little flower bed of her own in the yard. I was thinking milkweed as well for the monarchs. Probably try to do all natives.

 

[Grizzerbear]

In high school we would catch and tag them in central Kansas. I probably tagged 50-100 over a few years. One of mine was sighted in Mexico at their wintering grounds . I think I was the only one ever in my science teachers 40 years of being part of the tagging program.

I watched a pbs special on the monarch migration and their over wintering in mexico. They showed trees absolutely covered with monarchs. That would be a sight to see.

 

[Fingerlakes Fireplace]

I watched a pbs special on the monarch migration and their over wintering in mexico. They showed trees absolutely covered with monarchs. That would be a sight to see

We have a lot of milkweed around here, and my children like to scout it for monarch caterpillars.
They then put them in a jar with fresh milkweed. They give them fresh stuff, when needed. After a while the caterpillar will pupate into a cocoon. After being in the cocoon for, a certain amount of time, it will hatch into a beautiful monarch. We probably hatch about 15-20 a year. We have also sold some in the cocoon stage, for people to watch hatching. For someone that has never seen it before, it is quite the process!

 

[Sawset]

Their forming a chrysalis is one of the more bizarre things to witness. My daughter also made me aware - so I did the kid thing and collected a few just to watch the process.
You can call me J. Then voila.

 

[Fingerlakes Fireplace]

I have heard that the ones that go through metamorphosis here, will return to South America, and go to the same tree where the previous generation came from. That tells me that basically, they have that GPS concordance is integrated in they're DNA.
A marvel of Creation....

 

[Grizzerbear]

I have read they go through 4 generations in a year and the last generation that migrates south can live around 8 months while the first three only live around 6 weeks. That's pretty interesting I think. It amazes me a butterfly can make such a long journey also.

 

[Fingerlakes Fireplace]

Very much like the honey bee. The summer bees wear out in 3-4 weeks. The winter bees last a few months.

 

[DuaeGuttae]

We live near some Monarch pathways in south central Texas, and we often see them flying about in smaller numbers.

I have some pictures of some caterpillars we have raised on an old thread here. I need to update that one as I just noticed that I left it hanging with my overwintering chrysalides, but I thought some here might enjoy some of the photos.

Antelope Horns and Monarchs

Our family moved last September to a home in Texas Hill Country. It's been an adventure in many ways, not least of which has been learning new flora and fauna. The property we have was overgrazed to the point that neighbors referred to it as "the moonscape" at the time we bought it. We've...

www.hearth.com

 

[semipro]

Some state highway departments have been growing milkweed in their right of ways to help the Monarchs.