How to care for Monarch Butterfly Caterpillars at home.
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- čas přidán 2. 08. 2024
- Follow-up to earlier episodes on identifying and finding Milkweed and finding eggs and caterpillars. Now you have a caterpillar! Now what? How do you care for it? In this video I show you different ways you can rear caterpillars in different kinds of containers, on leaves or on plants with full stems. I discuss the importance of keeping caterpillars in well-ventilated containers. I explain how best to cut milkweed stems to keep them in a container with water. I explain how you can keep milkweed leaves in a refrigerator. I explain how to use a paper towel on bottom of containers to help keep containers clean. I show how much caterpillars eat and consequently poop! Caterpillars eat a great deal of leaves as they mature. I show close-ups of caterpillars eating. I show you different ways to move caterpillars from old leaves to fresh leaves. I stress the importance of providing caterpillars fresh leaves and keeping cages clean. Cages are best kept outdoors in natural light but must always be sheltered from direct sun. In future episodes I will show you how to make critter cages from plastic jars. In the next episode I will discuss, molting, instars, and diseases. I encourage viewers to get a tagging kit from www.monarchwatch.org.
This activity has enriched my life so much. It even brought me closer to my parents, because we spend time in their garden so much more and always get to show each other the new developments. We care for them but try not to intervene with nature too much; just enough to help them along when we find them (or when they come back to lay an egg on our plants!).
We've had Wrinkles, Wingy, so far. Boots is in a chrysalis. Houdini getting ready to molt into late instar. You get really attached to them. They're so peaceful and focused, yet so vulnerable. Really makes you think.
Lol! Thanks for your beautiful share! Enjoy!
A good teacher is a teacher till the end 😊of the
Ha! Thank you. Yes. I am surely I life long teacher!
I can tell you have a strong teacher spirit. “Learn learn learn”. Thank you for sharing your passion.
I appreciate that! You are welcome! Glad you found my channel!
😀😀😊 this is so beautiful the reason I chose you Frank is the topic of this video is about nature at your door I had a rocking baby chair which I take a picture with my parents when I was a baby there is a caterpillar resting on the foot of the chair in my house right at the entrance of my door way I felt so excited and happy to see this beautiful creature this a beautiful sign it's already in a cacoon don't know how long it's there for thank God it's a blessing 🙏🏾😇
Wonderful!
😊😊🇯🇲 thank so much blessings 🙏🏾
Amazing video! I've been doing this for about 5 years. Raised over 800. Today I got a surprise, one of the milkweed seedlings I have, has an egg on it! Out of all my big milkweeds, the monarch decides to plop the egg down on the smallest plant she can find. Lol.
And the most tender for her baby!
What a great service you are doing for the beautiful monarchs And your subscribers that are helping the plight of the beautiful monarch
Working on bring them more attention! Thanks for watching and learning more!
I live in VA, planted native swamp milkweed. Have two caterpillars, figuring out how to protect them...Watched your video, and your 5-star habitat looked a lot like my son's old hermit crab cage. Just converted it into a butterfly habitat. Thanks for the Velcro tip, great idea! We got a lot of seeds this year, so hopefully we'll plant a lot more next spring. I hope our two friends (we named them Eric and Carle) make it to Mexico
That is awesome! Keep me posted!
Love all the information you shared! I live in Texas and I have been raising Monarchs and Swallow Tails for about 3 years, and I just love them!
Glad it was helpful! And that's awesome!
Great, I just started caring for monarch caterpillars 3days ago. I brought them inside in a container because wasps are getting them. Thank you for making this Sir.
You are welcome Olive B! Always glad to know I am creating useful and interesting content! Keep me posted on your rearing success!
@@natureatyourdoor Thank you, I was able to save and grow 8 fully grown beautiful butterflies out of 11 caterpillars. I released them after a few days in my yard.
What do the wasps do to them? I've noticed a few wasps around my backyard, which I assume they're there because of the hummingbird/bat feeders full of sugar water but I noticed a few dead caterpillars but it was very odd, like they were hanging from the middle, almost as if they were folded in half... Does this sound like wasps or something else? 🐛🦋
@@annienoneya9205 there are some parasitic wasps that lay eggs inside caterpillars. Not sure if there is a connection between the wasps you are seeing and the dead caterpillars. Lots of bacteria fungi protozoan parasites in addition to vertebrate predators
Hi Frank. An awesome video. I've never reared a catapiller. But we have planted our herbacious openings with native wildflowers. And watching it grow. There is a lot of different milk weed types. And my backyard wildflowers have some milkweed growing. Yesterday cooking supper with my doggies. I saw a Coopers hawk take a grackle. And I have a bunch of humming birds. God bless. Frank your channel is awsome. Your student from Pennsylvania Jeff. 😊😊
Hi Frank. This is one awsome video. I do not hand rear caterpillars, but working for the Pennsylvania game commission. I have planted several hundred acres of wildflowers.and differnt types of wildweed is part of the seed mix. The herbacious areas are doing very well. ,but we always have problems with invasive plants. The ammount of wildlife in these areas is amazing. My crew hase 5 gamelands severl thousand acres. . All for the critters and hunting and trapping. God bless teacher😊😊
Awesome to have several thousand acres of habitat!
The Pennsylvania game commission is in charge of 1.6 million acres across the state and is always buying more. . And that is not counting the 2.6 million acres of state forest . DCNR is in charge of that land. And the Allegany national forest is huge also. That's federal. . Almost all of this land is open to public for hunting and recreation. Pennsylvania sells a bunch of hunting licenses. It's our culture. And tradition. . God bless Frank.
Thank you for making this video and sharing about the tagging program. Going to watch your other monarch videos as this year I am raising them from eggs.
Glad it was helpful! If you have any questions that I can answer, let me know! I would love to help you and encourage you on this endeavor!
@@natureatyourdoor Thankyou! Sadly i found out that i cannot be part of the Monarch watch program in CA :(
That’s amazing how they travel to Mexico when I travel to Mexico vacation and the plane is like six hours and that in a 😊plane is moving how these butterflies do it it’s amazing
Yeah. When you think about it and compare it that way..I really incredible thing...and then the same ones come back in the spring!
So so informative! I cannot wait to plant some milkweed and hopefully hatch my own butterfly! This is such an amazing process.
Thank you! Keep me posted!
So enjoying these, but will have to finish the rest tomorrow :) Thank you for all that you are sharing... knowledge, and beautiful enthusiasm!!
Thanks again Michi ! It's comments like yours that fuel my enthusiasm and energize me to bring it again to next video!
Excellent and very informative video thank you so much keep making them
Thank you. Excited to see how my caterpillars evolve!
Keep me posted! 👍🙂
Recently found your channel, how interesting.I love nature and foraging! Can't wait to watch all of them. Thank you for what you do...
Thanks for subbing!
So glad you discovered my channel!! Shoot me questions anytime!
Thanks for this great video! I've just started rearing swallowtail caterpillars (I have two chrysalises taking their *sweet* time to hatch and at least six more caterpillars munching away on parsley) and monarch caterpillars. Sadly, I lost three wee monarch cats but I suspect it could be because I didn't refresh their milkweed leaves soon enough and maybe they dehydrated or something like that. It was sad. I have a milkweed stalk in some water with one cat on it now. I appreciate all the detail you are supplying about habitats, moving caterpillars to fresh new leaves and such -- you're answering all the questions I've had even after reading numerous blogs about raising monarch caterpillars. Thanks again!
you are welcome. send me questions here any time!
Fantastic! I just started with monarchs.
That's great! Keep me posted! Let me know how it goes! And I am always here to answer questions!
Great video! Can't wait to see your other videos 😊❤
Thank you so much!! So glad you have discovered my channel, Gracie! And I am always available to answer questions!
What is eating my 🐛? I had about 10 on my plants. They got pretty big and then just disappeared.
@Gracie994 very well could be they moved away to pupate! In my classroom the 5th and final instar larva would leave the milkweed for the very first time to find somewhere to pupate!
@@natureatyourdoor I keep looking on the plants but, I don't see them. But they did leave alot of 🐛 poop. ?
@@Gracie994 sounds like they matured and went off to pupate privately!!
Love your videos
Thank you so much! That means so much to me!
Thanks ❤
You're welcome 😊
🙏 great video! Those leaves look Squizitzi! That’s Italian for yummy 😋 ciao🤓
Ha Squiziti...funny...by the way...back story...i enjoy your comments especially because I am fluent in Italian.(English as a second language)...my mother's native language is Italian and ALL my family on her side are in northern Italy ...southern switz! Ha! How 'bout that! (And my dad is from New Zealand!)
A lot of great info. One thing I read too is, it’s better to have them on a bigger container because they grow based on the size of where they are living. This helps them grow bigger and be able to defend themselves out in the wild
Hi Viviana! That is very interesting! I know that is true with fish and aquariums but had not heard of the correlation with caterpillar larva! We do know that there is a lot of variation in size in adult monarchs... thanks for sharing this variable.
My son and I love your videos! They are so helpful! We have collected eggs and have littles now. We also have 3 chrysalis. Thank you for all the info!
Thank you Krista Roll! That is awesome that you and your son are rearing monarchs! Comment hear any time if you have questions! Let me know how it goes!
@@natureatyourdoor Our first chrysalis hatched today while we were doing handwriting! My son and I were able to watch! What an amazing event. I'm headed to see if you have a video on care for monarchs after they appear!
@@kristaroll8011 that is awesome!! Congratulations! An incredible thing to witness...never gets old so glad you both witnessed it!
i have had 2 monarch eggs on the milk weed pod this time and both are doing good so far there about 1 day old and it was a little hard to get them off of pod but i used end of the leaf and they would climb up
Cool! Keep me posted on how they do this year!
@@natureatyourdoor I will
@@natureatyourdoor so I have a cocoon that the last instar didn't come off I will show a picture so what do I do
@@natureatyourdoor czcams.com/users/shortsXw_6jHDgcNA?feature=share
Thanks for the great video! I am raising Monarch caterpillars for the first time. Do I need to spray the milk weed leaves with water so they have a water source?
When you harvest milkweed..cut ends under water in a tub at home..then place in jar or vase of water !
Hi!! Thank you so much for such a helpful and informative video! One question- do they need water?? If so how do you give them water?
No they don't need water! They get everything they need from the plant leaves! Cool, huh? 😉
@@natureatyourdoor awesome
It's mid September and I found a caterpillar.I'm in Chicago.
Whoa! Late in the season! Go caterpillar go!
@@natureatyourdoor thanks for your videos. I was not prepared to be a caterpillar-step-mom!
@@natureatyourdoor he turned into a pupa over the weekend, so I hope he can make it out while the weather is still good. We've had a very mild summer, and the temperatures are likely to stay pretty mild until early October. Hoping for the best for this little cutie that has just brightened my week and week ahead!
@@natureatyourdoor today, we have a beautiful butterfly! It's October 4 and going to be in the 70s the next couple days. Cold at night but I am hoping he has a good chance to make it out of Chicago before its too late. I'm so honored to have been a part of the process and I couldn't have done it without your videos. Thanks, Frank!
I just discovered your videos and appreciate all the information.
I had two nice sized monarch caterpillars on my milkweed. I came back later in the day and they were both gone. The same thing happened last year. Is this common? I am in zone 9b in Orlando.
When they are ready to pupate they are notorious about leaving the milkweed and pupating in some secretive corner! Glad you discovered my channel! Shoot me questions anytime!
@@natureatyourdoor oh, so my milkweed is their drive thru spot. 😂
Is it OK to put the larger caterpillars in the same cage as smaller ones? Your videos are so informative and I have been learning a lot from you! This is all new to me so any info from you is valuable. Thanks!
Better to separate...when the hormones is releases to eat excised molt...it my trigger them to mistakenly eat caterpillar next to them!
@@natureatyourdoor OK, thank you! I will definitely keep them separate then.
@@carolmarshall3179 👍
Voracious.
Ha! Very V !
I have a small butterfly garden
Awesome! Let me know when monarchs arrive! What State are you in?
I have a lot of Queens, purple Mistflower and desert milkweed in my yard but have run into issues with Lacewings and flies, so I decided to bring one inside tonight, because one had died and another J'd up awfully small.. I'll look for more in the morning but for now I have the one in a very large plastic, pasta jar, with some soil, milkweed stems that have leaves and little flowers and I put a bunch of holes in the lid for now, until I can put together a better setup in the morning. What do you suggest I put there for him so when he's ready to J up, he'll have something sturdy
I would get some twigs and arrange them so he can climb up and hand upside down for wings to dry.
Had a whole bunch just randomly appear on my milkweed and I truly want to help them all grow because it wasn’t the big of a milkweed and they are already almost out of food.
Hi Cj! That is awesome you have so many. What state are you in. As they return from the winter roost in mexico they slowly spread north. Would love to know your location. Here in Virginia...milkweed has just started coming up but I have yet to see a caterpillar!! (or adult!)
@@natureatyourdoor Louisiana and unfortunately they have left us and went in search of another milkweed. 🙃🙃 it was 9 of them that looked like they were in stage 3-4
@@natureatyourdoor they tore thru our milkweed in lest than a day
@@CategoryGaming-ko2qi do you have more milkweed to bring to them or raise them on?
@@CategoryGaming-ko2qi ah! They can be pretty mobile as late instars! I hope they found their way to more milkweed!
I want to put soil and grass in my green caterpillar enclosure. Is that a good idea? Would it’s waste be as much of an issue if I used soil? 🙏🏽 This video has me excited!
I think that sounds like a good idea. Recycle nutrients into the soil sounds more natural. The only concern might be added humidity which can increase fungal risk to larva but if well aerated it should not be an issue! Keep me posted!
Can I put screen around the growing milkweed in my yard to protect from predators?
Good question
For sure!! 👍
Hi, i have been looking after two monarch caterpillars on my milkweed stalks for the past two weeks. They've grown from the 1st or second instar, to what appears to be, the 5th, but i realized that both have wandered away from the plant. They've probably wandered off to a secure spot to start their chrysalis stage. My milkweed is right next to my greenbean plants, so is it a possibility that they have ventured off in search of something else? I'm just afraid that they might not find their way back to the milkweed and could possibly starve. What can i do?
My high school biology students and I had an indoor breeding and flight cage and we raised hundreds of monarchs to tag and release. We just put milkweed stalks in containers with water and the caterpillars stayed on the milkweed. many pupate on the milkweed plant that they fed on ...but MANY others..wandered...typicall they will go somewhere else to pupate after feeding and when they are ready to form a chrysalis. We would find them all over the classroom!
@@natureatyourdoor I've searched all around the Milkweed and haven't found any indication of a chrysalis. Would you happen to know how far they would travel from their source of food to chrysalis?
Wondering if using a rooting hormone on Milkweed cuttings to start a plant would harm caterpillars the feed on them?
I am sure there would be no affect!
I had 2 milkweed plants this first year in my attempt to raise the monarch caterpillars. They ate every bit so ran out to every garden center to buy more! Had to buy butterfly weed….they don’t seem to be eating it as much so using cucumber. Help! Any tips?
My caterpillars love common milkweed..i haven't ever raised them on butterfly weed...they are great nectar producers but I don't know about food quality. Check out my video on,how to find and I'd common milkweed....it is likey growing in,a fence row or roadside near you now...you can harvest it and put them in buckets of water for your caterpillars to feast on.. Let me know how this progresses...
Depending on where you live, I have a lot of desert milkweed growing in my backyard and they sell it pretty cheap at most nursery's.. just watch for Lacewing eggs and flies
I accidentally found a caterpillar outside of our house and make a home. I hope I can take care of it until it becomes a butterfly.
You can! Keep me posted and comment here if you have any questions!
@@natureatyourdoor thnks. Why my caterpillar stops eating, doesn't move, hide in the leaf and have silky white in it?
Um hello, so today I found a big monarch caterpillar in my yard. We have very active cats that go outside sometimes and we have a lot of rodents in the area so I didn’t want it to get ate so I wanna keep it in the house safe until it turns into a butterfly. But I found 0 milkweed around. Will it die?
Possibly. It depends on whether it is fully developed. If you found it because it was looking for more milkweed it wont make it....if you found it wandering looking for a safe place to pupate it will be fine! Keep me posted!
I found the monarch butterfly caterpillars on my parsley we don't know what to do with them where to let them go
Nope! Not monarch caterpillars! Look again! They are swallowtail caterpillars!
Do you answer questions? I need help! I think I have one 2nd instar, one 4th instar and one 5th instar. Last night my 5th instar climbed off the milkweed and onto the wall of our enclosure. He’s upside down but not hanging and not j-hanging. He’s been there almost 24 hours and hasn’t moved but he’s still alive. His tentacles are still rigid and he’s shriveling up. He’s not as plump and big as he was. Now my 4th instar just did the same thing today. He went up on the wall, is upside down and barely moving. Also my 2nd instar is still on the plant but hasn’t eaten or moved all day. Are they all dying? What could be going on? I need help! They aren’t dead but also aren’t moving and left their plants. I also have 3 one day old hatchlings and I’m scared they’re going to die too if I don’t figure out what’s going on. 😢
Yes! I always answer questions and thus far I have replied to every comment! (despite reaching 2.4 million views)! There are many different parasites, bacteria, fungi and protozoans that can infect caterpillars. Some are not symptomatic till they hit that J larva stage...others after pupation. What have you observed now? (two days later) see www.monarchwatch.com and find their section on monarch diseases? Do the enclosures have adequate air flow? always my first question!
@@natureatyourdoor thanks so much for answering! Definitely adequate airflow. It’s weird cuz they each spent 24 hours up on the wall not moving and then came down and started eating again! I’m so happy! But they’ll eat just a little, then “sleep” for a long time then eat a little again. I expected them to be eating a lot by now but not so much. I hope this is just normal for caterpillars. They seem to be growing though so that’s good. I’ve never seen or heard of a cat doing that though. But they seem fine for the most part.
@@El_B I reared monarchs for years with my high school classes. Most often it was the 5th inStar that would wander to pupate somewhere privately and discretely. 😉
@@El_B here is link: www.monarchwatch.org/biology/pred3.htm
What size are the catapiller at first? I just found 3 very small catapillers on my milkweed..
Like 2 pin heads long!
Yeah!! I got catapillers!!
@@tinablum9089 hurray!!👍👏🍀
Keep me posted!
@@natureatyourdoor yay
hey i have been rasing monarch's for 3 years now each time i would raise about 1 each year but now i am raising more and ive notice a few thing's some of the egg's got parasictic and i am wondering what does that to them i know there is some bee's that do that. I am nature photographer. i have noticed you used a paint brush but there is a better way to pick them up is use a different milkweed leaf but use the end and it put next to the caterpillar and it will climb up on it.
Yes...sadly many parasites..did you see my monarch diseases video? Thanks for the moving caterpillars tip..I will have to try that!
@@natureatyourdoor not yet
@@natureatyourdoor which video is it
@@natureatyourdoor czcams.com/video/YjsjZ4FTpMM/video.html
this is what i found today it's august 6th 2023
Please help if someone sees this message. I live in So. Cal. Just discovered a dozen of caterpillars on my milk weeds. It's like 105 degrees now. Lots of birds, lizards, and insects. other predictors out. Im torn whether i should take them in and tried to raise them (i successfully some last year maybe 50%) or just let nature be. Im trying to do the right thing. Your advice is greatly appreciated.
Check out my monarch playlist ...given the extremes ...those caterpillars might have better chance to emerge as adults if you can provide proper care. See my monarch rearing instructions etc...and if you have more specific questions ..just ask.
@@natureatyourdoor thank you so much. I ll take them all in today. Wish me luck!
@tam8479 good luck and keep me posted!
@natureatyourdoor I took your advice and rescued them. Unfortunately, I only found 7 out of 12 from last night. Where did they go? Arggg, I don't want to think about it. Will do my best to take care of them by educating myself. Thank you again for your help. I will keep you posted. Who knows? You may have inspired me to be find a new passion. Namaste 🙏
@@tam8479 warning.... rearing monarchs can be highly addictive!
Is milkweed the only type that caterpillars can munch on?
Anything in the milkweed genus!
Thanks for this video. I have been raising Monarchs for the past 5 years. This summer I am presenting how to raise monarchs to elementary aged kids. Your video helped reinforce what I do. I love your full milkweed plant cage you made. I need to try that. Dave the Butterfly Guy:
czcams.com/channels/GOrf-cjCkOFvRVwcG-nmlg.html
Glad it was helpful! I am sure you will have a great presentation! Will ck out your link! Keep in touch!