How to find Monarch Butterfly eggs and caterpillars on Milkweed! Everything you need to know!
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- čas přidán 3. 06. 2024
- I take you directly to a patch of Common Milkweed and show you how to find monarch eggs and/or larvae. I explain and show what pin head size monarch eggs look-like and where they are located on Milkweed. I explain why there is rarely more than one egg on any milkweed plant and why the eggs are always on the underside. I show a video clip of a female Monarch Butterfly flitting from plant to plant and in a moment bending her abdomen under the leaf and placing a single egg. I show digital microscope close-ups of the egg and reveal its football-like shape and vertical striations. During the video I discover caterpillars as well and show actual video of my discovery. I explain that this is the second episodes in the series on the monarch butterfly migration phenomena. I explain why it such a great activity to rear or raise Monarchs from egg or caterpillar at home and witness the miracle of complete metamorphosis. I explain how complete metamorphosis includes 4 life stages including egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis) and Adult.
I encourage accessing www.monarchwatch.org. website in order to learn more and participate in a real-life research project. Viewers can order a tagging kit to tag their monarch butterflies from Monarch Watch. They can also order caterpillars if they can not find any locally. I explain how Monarch Butterflies migrate each fall to a fir forest in Mexico, traveling thousands of miles, and then returning in the spring. There is no insect migration event on the this scale anywhere in the world. I explain how in the next episode I will discuss and show how to rear caterpillars at home!
www.monarchwatch.org
I've always had a profound interest in nature study. In my youth, now over a half century ago, and living in the country, I learned to raise not only monarchs, but also black swallowtails (which fed on carrot leaves), hawk moths ( which ate tomato vines), and once even carried an American silk moth or caecropia through larval to adult stage. It was fascinating to watch the caecropia spin its cocoon.
So, of course at now 80-plus, I was delighted to discover your excellent series on the milkweed/monarch relationship. I hope some young people (and even adults) will be "turned on" to nature study by your excellent presentations.
P.s.: I also gathered praying mantis egg clusters, and released the nymphs into my flower garden.
Thank you! I enjoyed reading your share! Yes..I hope to engage more young people in connecting with nature like you did and still are!
First visit. Greetings from S.W. Ontario Canada🍁. My friend and her granddaughter just gifted me my first caterpillar🐛. I'm enjoying learning about this miracle💚 of nature.
Very cool! And welcome to my channel Ontario! Let me know how it goes!
I remember raising Monarch caterpillars...they demolished the whole milkweed plant, and my dad had to get some more. We had about sixty caterpillars total. Once they started becoming sluggish, I knew they would be leaving their host plant to find a place for their beautiful jade chrysalis!
Yes...amazing how much milkweed they can consume!
@@natureatyourdoor it really is!!! And more amazing is how beautiful their chrysalis is!! Jade with gold ornamentation!! And what goes on inside that chrysalis....one time I was with my dad on a furniture job he was doing...and underneath the overhang of the house were about 18 Mourning Cloak chrysalis'. We cut them from the silk they had spun and put them in a screened in box my dad had made that was about two feet wide and five feet tall. Each chrysalis was hanging from a chrysalis tree, and eventually they began to emerge and we let them go and watch them fly away. I used to love butterfly hunting with my dad on Saturdays, and one time while we were out hunting we came across a plant with buckeye caterpillars. We dug up the plant and replanted it at home and watched their life cycle. It's amazing and also how they knew when it's time to pupate, and leave their host plant. I do remember my aunt growing parsley which the Eastern Swallowtail caterpillars love, and sure enough, they started laying eggs. As you know, if disturbed, the swallowtail caterpillars will show false horns and emit a very offensive odor.
When I bought my house, 16 years ago, it was all lawn. Since them I transformed much of into a food forest, right now I have a few thousand milkweed plants in different stages of development. While preparing a bed for cabbages, I ran into three caterpillars within 2 feet of each other. First ones of this season. I have different types of milkweed plants depending on the time of the year. I live right in the middle of the old section of town surrounded by lawns. Got permission from the "city" in 2005 to convert my property. I live in Minnesota.
Carmen what you accomplished sounds really really amazing and inspiring. I need to put more effort in getting rid of tall rescue mainly over space created and cleared for my septic field! I would love to see photos! Can you share (photos and our video) with me and our learning community on my Nature at Your door Facebook page. Find the drop own menu ...visitor posts and you can share there! If you were closer I would come up to see you! I am very inspired by what you shared with me already! Kudo s and shout out to you!
(I'M NOT MONOPOLIZING PLEASE BE OPEN MINIDED I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU. ) Monarchs can get lost easily if there in a building pretty crazy huh plus if the monarch caterpillars eat Tropical Milkweed it would be a 100% percent chance that the butterfly won't get to Mexico or Canada with the other Monarchs butterflies. So please switch your tropical milkweed and grow the native milkweeds and like i said it before I'm trying to help you save the monarchs. And yes i have researched them for 8 years now.
Thank you for your video! Thanks to you I just went out and found 3 eggs on my milkweed plant! I did not realize they were so small. So now on to start watching them transform. Thank you!
Wonderful! Keep me posted!
Thanks for biology class, this was great! How I appreciate the lesson! This was such a fun refresh on monarch butterflies!
Thank you Jennifer! And thanks for taking the time to comment! I appreciate viewer comments very much and want this to be an "interactive" channel!
(I'M NOT MONOPOLIZING PLEASE BE OPEN MINIDED I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU. ) Monarchs can get lost easily if there in a building pretty crazy huh plus if the monarch caterpillars eat Tropical Milkweed it would be a 100% percent chance that the butterfly won't get to Mexico or Canada with the other Monarchs butterflies. So please switch your tropical milkweed and grow the native milkweeds and like i said it before I'm trying to help you save the monarchs. And yes i have researched them for 8 years now.
Thanks so much for this video! I saw a female laying eggs in a patch of milkweed and ran out to find eggs but I wasn't sure what I was looking for. I found your video, went back out and found 4 eggs! I can't wait to see them hatch with my kids and watch them turn into eating machines! I have a field full of milkweed!
it is especially fun to see the monarch female move from plant to plant like that and find the eggs. Glad it was helpful. ck out my monarch playlist and keep me posted!
All 4 caterpillars turned into chrysalises today - I caught one on video. So exciting! I was curious about something. At the 5th instar, when they were pudgy and strong, I noticed them ocassionally fighting. They had an entire new plant to devour every day but they would all crawl to the top and push, shove, and sometimes even lunge at each other. I was worried they would hurt each other with those powerful jaws. Any need to be concerned? Was it all posturing with aggressive antenna waving?
I have one chrysalis one caterpillar going into a chrysalis and six caterpillars in all different stages. Been doing it for four years. Love it love your video Howell Michigan.
That is awesome Joan! And great to hear from Michigan!
I'm excited. I just tagged my first Monarch Butterfly a few days ago!
Wonderful! Congrats! I am thrilled for you as well! Thanks for sharing with me!
@@natureatyourdoor thank you!
Thanks to your video. This morning I found two eggs on our campus plant. Now that I know what to look for. I’m close to having my first M butterfly soon. Praise Jah
That is great Derek!
Great video series! I really appreciate it and have learned a lot. It has inspired me to raise some Monarchs myself.
We had a monarch female lay a ton of eggs on one puny Narrow-leafed milkweed we had in our front yard (it was partly in shade, so didn't get big). I'm not sure why she laid all of them on one plant since we had tropical milkweed in the backyard area. I didn't even notice them until there were a ton of caterpillars covering the plant. Sadly, it was such a small plant that most of the caterpillars died due to lack of food. : ( It made me really sad, so I went out and bought a ton of native milkweed plants (Showy, Narrow-leafed, pine, common, etc) for our yard to prevent this from ever happening again. Now we have a butterfly garden full of native milkweed plants and butterfly-friendly flowers so there is plenty of food for them.
We live in the San Francisco bay area and the monarch population in California has declined by 99% here. It's awful. So I will do my part to help them out. : ) Monarchs are hanging out in our yard every day and there are already eggs and caterpillars all over the plants we bought, which makes me very happy.
Hi Peridot 180! Great to hear what you have accomplished building a monarch/milkweed garden. Sad to hear about the state of the western population. When I was still teaching high school biology...i got a grant and was able to fly out and photograph the winter roosts there in California at Monterey Bay! Fantastic experience and I was grateful to be able to witness it! Keep me posted on your observations of caterpillars and adults visiting your garden!
Get rid of the tropical milkweed. It is non-native, blooms late, and can confuse Monarchs into laying eggs too late in the year instead of migrating back to overwintering grounds.
@@yellowstonehiker1 Hi, I cut all of it back every year. It's not an issue if it's cut back in the fall. I have never had an issue with it and the butterflies do not stick around in my area, so I haven't seen it affect their migration. There is a LOT of debate surrounding this subject and I honestly don't want to get into it. Thanks.
@@peridot180 sounds like you're being responsible with it. I worry about those who aren't.
@@peridot180 too many people are lazy or aren't responsible with tropical it's best to just have everyone do fully native, there's 5 people in my neighborhood with tropical and I'm the only one who cuts mine down and I have told them to do so but they don't
i can't wait to go snoopin' around for these! Thanks Frank! : )
You are welcome..enjoy snooping!
I love your enthusiasm!
Thank you Diane! Love nature and teaching ...been teaching or ed for 40 years. I try to bring it in every episode!
Thankfully I found your milkweed guide in my reconmendations, this will be helpful for future reference!
Glad to hear it! Welcome to my channel...be sure to ck out my playlists!
I think i have traveled back to 1985 to biology class, what an amazing teacher you were then and now! I love sharing these with my kids. ~ Sarah (Templeman) Smith 🦋🦋🦋
Thanks for checking in Sarah! Thanks for kind words! Nothing means more to me, is more humbling then when I hear the children of my former students are learning From me too! ...and grand kids now too! Ha!
(I'M NOT MONOPOLIZING PLEASE BE OPEN MINIDED I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU. ) Monarchs can get lost easily if there in a building pretty crazy huh plus if the monarch caterpillars eat Tropical Milkweed it would be a 100% percent chance that the butterfly won't get to Mexico or Canada with the other Monarchs butterflies. So please switch your tropical milkweed and grow the native milkweeds and like i said it before I'm trying to help you save the monarchs. And yes i have researched them for 8 years now.
Ive been doing this for 3 years, and it is truly AWESOME! i plan to make a series on my channel (although that's not what my channel is for, lol) of raising my monarchs this year! i found 7 eggs earlier, and am going later (maybe) to get more! This is one of the best videos i have ever seen.
Wow! That's sounds great Fostoria productions! Love your enthusiasm and excitement. Thank you for kind words re my production. Sub ing you now to see what yours is about! I love trains too! Looking forward to following your monarch rearing this summer! Post regularly!
(I'M NOT MONOPOLIZING PLEASE BE OPEN MINIDED I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU. ) Monarchs can get lost easily if there in a building pretty crazy huh plus if the monarch caterpillars eat Tropical Milkweed it would be a 100% percent chance that the butterfly won't get to Mexico or Canada with the other Monarchs butterflies. So please switch your tropical milkweed and grow the native milkweeds and like i said it before I'm trying to help you save the monarchs. And yes i have researched them for 8 years now.
Monarch caterpillars have a unique MO for getting partially around the toxins in Milkweed by severing veins.
Early instars will cut a Crescent in the leaf, as it cuts all the veination around where it intends to eat. ( C is for caterpillar) Bigger cats will chew thru half the petiole or rachis and then go to town on the leaf from the tip back.
Fascinating ! Thanks for sharing this insight with us!
Now that you broke the leaves that hold the monarch eggs you have essentially separated the monarch eggs from the milkweed plants so how would you expect the baby monarch to survive when it is hatched since they no longer have the milkweed plant to live off of? How would you put the leaves that hold the monarch eggs back to the plants if you want to?
? These eggs were collected for me to take responsibility to provide under controlled conditions protected from parasites and reared to maturity and tagged to contribute to research. Have you seen my other monarch videos...re:rearing?
Hi Frank. Another awesome video. I love your videos. I've learned so much from you. God created everything. He sure was wise. I work in nature for my job. I'm very lucky.god bless.😊
Thanks for sharing! What is your job?
I work for the pa game commission. I work at the food and cover core. We work with biologist and improve habitat. On game lands. We are doing alot of work for what your video is about. We are planting native wildflowers and native grasses in our herbaceous openings. It's amazing how many critters use the different plants. And we will manage a lot of the openings with controlled burns. I love your videos.
@user-wo2iw3kt8o wow! Really cool! What a great job! So glad you found my channel!
I'm glad I found your channel too. It brings nature to my door. Thank you. Life is good. We will be headed home to pa Saturday. 2 weeks at our Maine cabin goes by quickly. Take care teacher.
@@user-wo2iw3kt8o safe travels my friend!
love your video......my garden is a Monarch waystation...keep up good knowledge....
That is awesome Nell! Keep me posted on eggs, caterpillars and adults? What state are you in?
I watched all your videos on monarchs and appreciate them. Thank you. One of my fifth instar caterpillars keeps circling the top of a fine mesh cage. It does not seem to settle on a place to spin. I sewed a smooth stick across the top of the cage, but that has not helped. He has a lot of energy but seems unsettled. Thanks again for any help.
Hi Jane Bowers! That is not unusual at all....when we reared hundreds in the classroom we would have escapees travel great distances to find the just right spot for them to pupate! In human non-science terms...think about it...you pick the safest spot you can...with just right light and humidity and protection...and once you start to Pilate..there is no changing your mind! You are stuck there ...with no ability to move or escape for ten or 12 days! You better pick right spot! Stress right? Hard to decide! But...one could but that in evolutionary-based, survival of fittest terms as well!
I joined a group called through the lens for Ohio photographers. One of the guys has a photo of a monarch that was tagged. Talk about lucky!
Wow! Fascinating! So cool!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH
You are welcome!
Marvelous really !! 🤩🤗😍🥰☺️
Thank you Paci! Your response means much to me! Watch me take that energy you shared with me and out it in my next video!
very interesting!
Glad you liked it! 👍🙂
Such an informative video thank you. what do you do with the leaf and egg after you pick them with the eggs on there my wife is so excited about finding some in the yard she is a butterfly junkie. but doesn't want anything to happen to them so they're still on the plant
I take the whole leaf off and put it in a well aerated bug box. Check out my monarch play list for more on rearing! and my DIY bug boxes.
@@natureatyourdoor excellent thank you I've actually watched a couple more of your great videos in the meantime thanks again for all the info
What happened to the leaves you showed that contained eggs? Thanks :) 🙂
I took them home and reared them in ventilated but protected cages as per my series
..see monarch playlist and tagged and released adults.
Do they need plants to lay eggs. I took in a butterfly last night. It was around 45o out. It was just laying on the sidewalk.
Yes. The female will lay eggs but only on milkweed. The one you found is likely to be a migratory..and exhausted butterfly, provide nectar rich flowers or an orange slice and see if it can refuel and get on its way!
When do you think it’s safe to cut down all the milkweed in my yard? I live in Massachusetts
After it has gone to seed! 🙂
Just found a monarch caterpillar! I have a crap ton of honey vine milkweed all over my deck and some of it wound it's way around some sunflowers where I spotted one by accident. I found some caterpillars eating my sunflower leaves as well. Only reason I know what some of my plants are is that I downloaded an identification app. It seems like monarchs love milkweed when I did some researching. I feel bad because I just pulled some out. If I find any eggs or another caterpillar on the vines I just pulled out what do I do?
Just lay the leaves or vine on the milkweed you ID d...if eggs or loose leaves you can wrap some string or green gardening tie wire! (Sorry for late reply..i missed to many comments and not sure why ! Apologies)
This year there are a lot of lizards around, and I am pretty sure they are eating the caterpillars. I have different types of milkweed and I am noticing the eggs... wonder if I should harvest them and try to help them out. I live in Florida.
That would not hurt...if you have plenty of milkweed to see them through to pupation! Keep me posted!
I thought I found a couple of eggs, but they haven't hatched, and it's been over 3 or 4 days. Have I misidentified them?
Hi Marbles6346! Yes, possible mistaken ID. The leaves often, in affect, "bleed" a tiny drop of sap that at first glance look like a egg and have same size and color. These often catch my eye and I have to take a closer look. If you can look at them with a magnifying glass ...see if they come to point at tip and have vertical lines or striations. A sap bubble will just be smooth and round! If you can take a close up photo you can share with me on my NAYD Facebook page under a tab called "visitor posts". Let me know what you see after closer examination!
My milkweed falls over at 5-6ft tall. Should i tie it or cut it?
Wow..big milkweed! What state or region are you in?
What is the best source of milkweedseeds. I live in west texas hnd want to turn mu 4 acres of land into a monarch area. Thanks
Wow! That would be most awesome and amazing. For that volume I do not know where to begin. But...please keep in touch and keep mrup to date on sources, effort, plan and results!! 🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀👍👍👍👍👍💪💪💪💪💪
If I moved an a caterpillar to another leaf with a soft brush that was holding tight to the leaf it was on, did I harm it?
I would think not...if they are "holding tight" ...mostlikely tied themselves down with silk. I understand your concern but with the soft brush you should have favorable results! Just be gentle.
do all butterflies only lay one egg at a time? I have milkweed with pods on them with brown seeds in them. What are they?
Good question! Monarchs lay one egg per plant because one milkweed plant is barely enough food for caterpillar to reach maturity. Tent caterpillars for example feed on cherry trees. They can put all their eggs in one place because lots of leaves in tree.
I don't understand the question about the milkweed pods! Can you explain some more?
I caught a butter fly yesterday what does it eat
Butterflies feed on nectar from flowers!
Where can I put the monarch eggs if I need to clear the milkweed.
You can take leaf with eggs on it and place it between the leaf and stem of a milkweed in another patch. Eggs hatch in 3 days..or you can gently move newly hatched larva with a soft water color paint brush on to another milkweed plant! 😃🍀!
do these catapillars travel to plant to plant. I had 2 good sized one then one day they both were gone?
They will move elsewhere when they have finished eating to pupate. Otherwise they stay on same plant in my experience
Since you said "good sized"...i would guess they left to Pilate in a secure location!
I raised 7 OE neg last year. Hoping for more this year
Awesome! let me know how it goes this year!
@@natureatyourdoor I have 3 varieties of asclepias growing, no pesticides, all native to Ohio. I check for eggs every day, I planted double this year (including the plants that returned from last year) so I am hoping for good show! 5.1 hectares roosted in Mexico last year so I am hoping for a good show this year. Each time I travel to TN I toss seeds on the ground and scratch them in near creeks and such. I bought 7 microsopes (used) to donate them to our wildflower garden and create a class for kids and adults.
My plants are close to blooming right now, I expect females to lay in late June - July. I released the last batch August 11th through August 18th last year!
@@Dobviews hey Appalachian girl designs! I am impresed both with your knowledge and efforts! If more people were like you.... So glad to,make your acquaintance!
@@natureatyourdoor You would have gotten a kick out of me last summer. I turned into entomology geek chic girl on Monarchs last year. I got a chance to meet my neighbors and show the kids the beauty of nature and monarchs. I am holding a mini class this year with 14 signed up. We spent all last year planting asclepias all over our city. Can't wait to see how things go this year.
*I've gone buggy!* lol 🐛🦋
@@natureatyourdoor One of my male flutterbies released last year. czcams.com/video/eaaLGY7Ph1k/video.html
This is awesome! Thank you. I’m starting a bug unit study with my 4 year old and we would LOVE to do this. So right now is a good time to find them?? I’m in San Antonio, TX. Boy, I need to study up more!
Just ordered our tags!
This is awesome! You might even want to invest in a butterfly net! I just tagged my first monarch...and he is headed your way! The entire east coast population all the way from Maine and Canada will funnel through Texas on,their way to Mex. As well,as Midwest monarchs! Exciting for me to have a Texas connection. You will have to TELL ME!! if they are egg laying right now! Keep in touch...keep me posted!
Frank Taylor So cool! Okay, we will start looking for eggs this week and get a net also. I will definitely keep you posted! Thanks for teaching us how to find them 😊
@@jamiesjabber5333 let me know how it goes...within a week,will have a Insta and FB platform up,where we can share more easily..including photos..write me anytime! Btw..i summited Guadeloupe mountain a couplo years ago! 😉
@ Frank Taylor
okay I’ll keep a lookout for your social media. That’ll be great!
Haha, awesome! 👏🏻
How far apart do I plant milkweed? Great vid
Since the spread by underground stems...I d say a foot a part and they will fill in!
@@natureatyourdoor ty
@@ALvatar3 let me know how it goes!
I’ve raised several monarchs from egg stage over the seasons. I started with my daughters (homeschool project) and I have continued to raise at least a few per season.
Today as I was leaving my home, I saw a monarch just hanging out on the milkweed by the mailbox front garden. It looked to be trying to lay an egg, but not on the underside, so that was the first weird thing. And it stayed there for so many minutes that I could not stay to watch. I came home 30 minutes later and I could not find an egg. I thought a monarch lays an egg rather quickly..and always on the underside…??? I’m not sure what to make of that.
Yes...generally on the underside. Perhaps she had laid all her eggs..and pheromone dictated behavior was still stimulating egg laying behavior.
My milkweed is covered with aphids. Help!
I was just reading about them this week...i mention them in tomorrow's episode in milkweed bugs. The article I read ..said to...crush them with your fingers! Ack! Well...you can't spray them right. I have actually done that with classroom monarchs...depending on how many colonies you have...it works. They are tecnically invasive oleander aphids. Good luck. Keep me posted on how that works out for you.
So what did you do with those leaves you found with Monarch eggs?
I took them home and reared them safely away from predators...made follow up videos...tagged and released the adults! See my monarch biology playlist!
@@natureatyourdoor Thank you!
@@peggytucker1212 you are welcome! Ask me questions anytime!
What's a common household item that you can store them in?
czcams.com/video/f5wb1_eBZo4/video.html
Check out link I sent you for DIY bug box! The key is ventilation..alternatively you can take any container and put cheese cloth over the top with a rubber band!
Where Can i get milkweed plants?
I don't have any specific recommendation. Roots/rhizomes can be dug from fields or roadsides with permission from land owners. Perhaps your local nursery has some native milkweed that are great for monarchs and look great in your garden!
In my experience, it's the caterpillars you don't see that make it to adulthood. The predation rate is very high
Dangerous world out there in nature!
Dangerous world out there in nature!
I keep seeing a monarch caterpillar every year on my milkweed they eat all the leaves and then disappear. I never see a cocoon or butterfly. I can’t figure out why.
They will sometimes travel pretty far to hang in a unique place and hide!
@@natureatyourdoor yeah I found that out when I called my local butterfly habitat and asked about it.
New subscriber here🕵🏾
Welcome to my channel Retha. What are you most interested in? What brings you here?
@@natureatyourdoor i have just started a butterfly garden🐛
I have seen a caterpillar go into a chrysalis 🐛
That is awesome. I spend hours and hours watching J-larva hanging trying to capture that exact moment. Its in one of the videos in my Monarch playlist....I barely saw it happen. When they are ready it happens really fast!
I love bttttser
Bttttser?
Hmmm there’s no visual to this video unless you fast forward. Then disappears again!
??? I don't understand? This is one of my popular videos?
@@natureatyourdoor It happened on my phone but not on the tablet so could have been a glitch on the phone. So sorry for the error and thx for posting the video! Grand daughters and I have raised some monarchs a few summers now and so rewarding❤️
@babasheeny3634 great to hear about your grand daughters hands on learning!!! Have a great day!
@@natureatyourdoor And you as well👍
I just found three eggs on the top of three different leaves is anyone ever ran into the check under a microscope for a positive identification
Awesome! They look pretty cool under microscope don't they!
🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂🙂
L u ...mean it! 😄
Photo tip: don't expect to take closeups with your cellphone camera; can't focus that close. You need at least a hand lens or clip-on macro lens.