Raising Monarchs - How To Feed Adults (Help The Monarch Butterfly)
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- Опубліковано 30 лип 2024
- Should you feed your adult Monarch Butterflies before release? It's certainly optional, but there are times when an extra boost of energy could really help them out. In this video, we take a look at what feeding option for the adult Monarch is appropriate, what to avoid, and some tips on the technique to get them to eat in the first place.
If you are new to this series, I highly recommend checking out the "core" of Raising Monarchs, Parts 1 - 5, which shows in detail, how I raise Monarchs from egg to adult, and how you can too with essentially zero cost using household items.
Raising Monarchs Instructional Video Series:
• Raising Monarchs Part ... - Домашні улюбленці та дикі тварини
![Lp. Последняя Реальность #107 РОДНОЙ ДОМ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IK3QKzKUlHM/mqdefault.jpg)
i have a rescue butterfly (peacock species) who was in my back garden. he's been with me about 7/8 months now!! i didn't know they lived that long. he only has one antenna, one of his feet is damaged, and his wings are also damaged so he can't fly. he lives in a tank with native plants in (they are thriving! though i have to water them gently everyday) and i try and feed him as much as i possibly can. i never knew butterflies have so much personality till i got him, he is always cleaning his face and wiggling his antenna and generally just being cute. he's very comfortable around me now, he sits on my collarbone for warmth and likes me taking him outside to sunbathe.
i think he must have been almost caught by a bird or maybe a gust of wind and that's where he got his injuries from? anyway, he is in good hands.
I came across a butterfly in my yard laying in the grass. Her front legs weren't working and she couldn't fly. I brought her and she still alive and thanks to your video I am feeding her at this point. I'm hoping feeding her will help I've named her Jemma. thank you so much for your video. I'll send pictures if you want I'm not sure what's happened to her or why she only has two legs and cannot fly. Thank you again. BTW I have followed your videos and raised 30 butterflies this year hoping to help in your efforts. It's been a great experience.
That's a shame that she is currently the way she is, but it's kind of you to be a care taker to her. I hope things improve as far as flight goes. While butterflies don't heal body parts, people have told me that they have had some that can not fly, but after feeding them and some days later, they picked up the skill. Not saying it's a likelihood, but a possibility.
Mr. Lund I am counting on my hope for this to happen today. If not I will figure out which choice I have for my somewhat disabled Pilgrim, the wandering butterfly who as a caterpillar made a chrysalis on my wooden desk leg resulting in a poor start that maybe we can help turn around. It is a great learning experience as well as a feels-right decision! We will be working w/ your videos as we feed him the honey 1-6 honey and water mixture and see how it goes, thanks, again.
Hollyann same here but mine legs are okey
No way my Caterpillar hatched out of her pupa today and her name is Jemma 🤣
I came across one on my sidewalk in September, likely having been in a collision with a car. I put it on a flower as a safe place to live out the rest of its life. But it didn’t die. I ended up bringing it in and feeding it, and it stayed with us for 107 days. What an amazing being I had the pleasure of knowing, and helping!
This was helpful! I had a female that eclosed on 10/16/22! And it was quite cold outside for several days, so I made the honey solution (the monarch wasn’t interested in my old coneflowers or mums), then used a pin to draw her straw out to pull from the small sponge with the honey solution. I think she drank, but I was able to release this past weekend when it warmed to 75 on Saturday! Halleluijah!
I did this for the first time... and was so nervous!!!!!!!! But it worked! And my butterfly was very happy. Thanks so much for these vids.
You're absolutely welcome! That's great to hear. And for every thanks I get for these videos, understand, 10 times the thanks comes back your way for helping out the Monarchs, be it with these videos or without them. Thank you for being involved!
Welcome! Seems that they need our help! I have shared my journey on my social media and other people are having interest in it as well. So it's def bringing awareness!
I just tasted the honey water and it tasted like real nectar
is it the one in your pfp? so cute
How many time should I need to feed it
Love your Videos. I am a 10 year Honeybee Keeper in Western NC. I seen this Video about feeding the Monarchs. May I add to the Honey part? The Monarch Raiser if they are going to feed their Butterfly's Honey: They should buy Honey from a Well Trusted Local Bee Keeper. The honey you buy in the store is 90% of the time is not true Honey, It has Honey in it , It also has anything from white sugar water to maple syrup to chemicals (herbicides, insecticides, ...) in them. Thanks. Keep the videos coming. I am starting to study more about Monarchs and will try to raise some this summer 2018.
That's great advice, and well taken.
Honey that I used came from a farmer's market in North Carolina, close to where my sister lives. It's definitely worth bringing up for others watching this video. Thanks for the help with that!
@@MrLundScience i live in Daytona Beach Florida i have been raising and releasing Monarchs all summer with Great success now its December n our last day its gonna b 81i have 4 more Chrysalis that are still really green i have1 that hatched yesterday around 11 but stayed around all day n night i made a mixture of your recipe to help her b stronger its looking weak standing but then starts to lean over some. i have moved him inside for now cause its damp with a little chill gonna b 80 i think today so hopefully it will b ok but im wondering what to do with my chrysalis that gonna hatch when its gonna b cold n raining?
Lorie Hesselmeyer believe in them, they with surprise you!
I captured 50 honey bees so far this spring.
I'm in NC too
Can you send me some honey in wilmington
So in the beginning, you said “you might wanna spend some time with it after you emerged it from egg to adult” it’s truly incredible cause after I let the butterflies go, they stick around my area and lay eggs! I feed them in cause of bad weather, (wind, rain, etc) and I have to keep them in 3 days at least. Love your video Rich!!💕💓
It's a very awesome experience. They almost seem "tame" with me after they emerge for the first day (or two if I have to keep them overnight) compared to wild ones that won't let me get close and want very little or nothing to do with me.
Hello! You may have answered this, but what's the recommended time frame for release after enclosing?
He has this info in his series of videos; one in particular is dedicated to just that stage of the Monarch's journey! Good luck
@@brittanyschweik7729about 2 days
Hey! today i´m freeing my first Monarch Buttefly, thank you so much!
Great job! You're welcome, but more importantly, thank YOU for helping them out!
Yay for you
Thank you so much Mr. Lund. This video was so helpful, and it worked! Thanks to some nasty storms in the area the day after she eclosed, we had to keep one of our monarchs for a little longer than we'd intended, and this video was a life saver, possibly quite literally. Plus, feeding a monarch by "hand" was truly a magical experience, and it still brings me joy everytime I think about it.
Thank you so much for this! I followed your directions and she (a migrator) is feeding like a champ! The weather will not warm up in Wisconsin for several days so we will be doing this for a few days. It’s also a nice bonding session between us. ❤️
Thank you so much for your response. I did keep her and feed her for 2 weeks and 3 days. She has passed this am, but not without experiencing outside, I took her out every single day to hang out in the milkweed and the garden. Thanks again.
She had a compassionate care taker. Thank you for doing what you could.
Rescued a monarch butterfly on my evening walk. It was in the middle of the road flapping it's wings but not going anywhere. The wings aren't damaged at all it just seems tired/hungry. So i pick it up and took it home with me. Thank you for this vid, it helped me feed this butterfly.
Thanks for the honey water tip. I live in southern Alabama now, from California, where I helped out the Western Monarchs. The warm season last a long time here and my caterpillars were given more milkweed to supply their veracious appetite . Then the adults kept dropping by to lay more eggs, so I ended up with more caterpillars out of season..To keep everyone warm, I tented my large flower box with clear painters plastic over curved arches and clothespins. Then as winter approached more covers and blankets, topped with plastic to keep them dry from the rain. All of the covers are removed each day so the caterpillars and milkweed can get sunshine. So far ....they’ve done very well. At this time Feb. 8th, I have 4 chrysalis and 2 end stage cats, and the milkweed is thriving in the box , with some recently purchased nectar flowers, and ready for the normal time of year when the Monarchs are plentiful. I know it’s not nice to fool Mother Nature, and I do understand that it’s not responsible to grow them out of season. Supposedly some of the Monarchs stay the winter around here in Fort Morgan and the Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Ala. Hope my babies find their way. The pandemic has really kept me at home so I was able to observe their life cycle so closely that I learned more about them that I never knew. For instance their beautiful geometric eggs were a complete surprise. And their bright green jeweled chrysalis, looks just like an earring, with gold. There’s plenty more about these gorgeous and hardworking pollinators, to be discovered. Everyone needs to help out with milkweed so they will not go extinct. They need to be protected. Thanks again for your passion.
Thank you so much, Rich, for putting this valuable information out for consumption! It was challenging for me to educate myself on how to care for “Fluff”, our little guy we found on the sidewalk in September 2019 - he had likely had a collision with a car, and had 3 of 4 wing parts damaged. My daughter and I chose to help him. We placed him on a flowering plant for several days and, though he couldn’t fly, he seemed to be getting stronger. It began to get cold (I live in the northeast), so we took him in and learned all we could about monarch care (this was our first experience with caring for a butterfly - though we are nature enthusiasts, we believe in a hands off approach). Your site and videos helped me immensely in my learning curve! Fluff died yesterday, after spending 107 days with us. A very special time, made easier, thanks to you!
That's pretty awesome that you gave Fluff what care and compassion you could, and for such a long time! That's some commendable dedication!
Hi, Gerianne - What all did you feed Fluff during his time with y'all? We just had one we were caring for, and we loved him so much. He was a part of that last generation of the year, too, but we found him upon his return from Mexico. He was with us for 12 days. 107 is incredible.
Thank you so very much for all that you do! I have been raising Monarchs for nearly 16 years now, and you have taught me some very important things that I never knew until this summer.
We all learn from each other. And those at this less than I have been have taught me much as well. Experience is so very valuable, and yet, the less experienced are capable of uncovering cool ideas and less known information all the time. I learn so much from what people bring up in the comments. And truly, sometimes just asking a question can point me in a new direction as I seek out the answer, and I wind up learning some awesome new things I hadn't known. I've always been confused why everyone doesn't love learning new things all of the time. Makes life that much more interesting.
Thank you for all your videos , I’ve learned ALOTTT about how to properly care for the Monarch , you perfectly articulate your instructions and information so it’s clear and concise👌🏼 definitely grateful for you and your efforts
Hey Mr.Lund with the help of your videos I raised 6 gorgeous monarch butterflies and your videos helped me in every step. Thank you so much for doing this cant wait to do this every season every year.
Welcome aboard!
It feels great to know that these videos help out. I'm humbled each time I hear about it. Thank *you* for having the interest, and wanting to take it further.
Thank you for all of your videos!!! I have learned so much from you! You are a amazing teacher!This was my first year raising monarchs. Definitely not my last! I cannot thank you enough!!!!
Hi! Our 1st butterflies “hatched” today and we are so excited. Your videos made it possible! This one may be the best yet as we are in Florida and are going to have storms for the next several days along with very high winds. Hoping this can hold them over until they can fly safely 💕
So glad to have found your video.
I have several monarchs in an enclosure and knew that I could not release them tomorrow because it will rain all day.
You saved my day - or should I say you saved my monarchs. 🤗
Hey Rich,what a wealth of information your channel has. I live in southern California and started my project on raising monarchs in Feburary 2020! Just released my first five monarchs out of about 25. What a GEAT experience to see them fly way with such anticipation gliding on the air currents! Absolutely Beautiful!! I will be expanding my efforts in the near future for more new flyers of the golden black monarchs!! Please keep those videos rolling! Thank again for all that you do for the monarchs.
Jack and Lori.
Sounds like some successful efforts for you already this season! Very cool! New vid came out today. ua-cam.com/video/QmD7JyaZCCc/v-deo.html
I'll do my best to keep pertinent videos coming. Several milkweed experiments are in various stages of shooting.
My wife and I are raising Monarchs here in Australia, so there’s not much reliable information available locally. We really appreciate your informative and entertaining videos. All the best! 👍
Hi Rich, Just wanted to let you know that we've followed your advice this entire summer and successfully raised, hatched, and released 32 Monarchs this season, so far. THANK YOU so much!!! This feeding advice was particularly welcome since Fall has definitely arrived here in Ontario, Canada and we need to delay releasing our final four butterflies for 2-3 days until the weather is more suitable. We followed your feeding instructions "to a T" and everything went perfectly! Awesome videos. :-)
Congratulations! Sounds like you had a very rewarding season. Happy to help my awesome neighbors to the north!
This is so cuuuuute
I LOVE when they open their wings while they’re eating
Thanks for the wonderfully clear & succinct instructions on this! I've been rearing butterflies & ornamental moths for about 40 years -- it was a perfect hobby for me when our babes started coming along -- and I continue to do so, though mainly monarchs & Eastern swallowtails. Usually about 150 per year.
One of your respondents below spoke of his successful J-formation guys suddenly losing their necessary-for-pupation form and dangling down, straight-arrow. This has inexplicably happened to me a few times as well, to my great despair. HOWEVER, the last time it happened I decided to step in for Mother Nature and try to manually "crank" him into the pupation. That is, because the tip of his head was already a bit green, I thought he might be ready to pupate, if only he were in the correct position. So I cupped my hand and let his helmet-head repose there, brushing lightly against my palm until the body was slightly bent, in J-formation. Then I gently revolved my hand, clockwise, in a slow and steady rotation, round & round. My intuition was that the simulated gyrations would stimulate the green-coating release (forgot the name for that). So I sat there cranking for upwards of three minutes, finally noticing the encouraging start of further greening. . . until, maybe about 10 minutes later . . . VOILA! Total coverage/success! I can't tell you what I hero I felt like! S/he eclosed normally! Try it! ~ Jo-Ann Langseth
That is an awesome tip! The next time I'm in such a situation (hopefully no time soon) I'll be sure to give this a shot! Great ingenuity!
That is JUST MAGICAL!!!!!
Thanks Mr. Lund , for all your educational videos ! They helped me along the way on my journey . First time for me to raise caterpillars to 26 beautiful all healthy butterflies. It was a lot of learning and work but well worth it . This is a wonderful hobby but you definetely need time and commitment . My husband thinks I am crazy I have been redesigning my landscape for them . I have been going to friends and neighbors to offer my seedling from the plants , nobody want to give themselves trouble it seems I would have to go in their yard and plant it myself !!! I will do it at my son's house , he has a wild backyard .thanks a million !🦋🦋🦋😇
Thank you very much for planting the milkweed.
I'm thinking that next season, my videos need to really hit this message harder. There's been so many videos now, I don't know if that message is as clear, but that is absolutely the number one, most important way to help them.
I’m in South Florida- back in December I released 3 monarch’s. The caterpillars came with the milkweed plants I bought. Well one of the butterflies hasn’t gone too far. She comes around a lot and likes to look into the screened patio where she was born. As if she remembers. She flies around in circles around me as if she’s saying hello. So she left a lot of eggs for me. I started with 25 but a few didn’t make it past a caterpillar adult
I opened the door in the cages so if they want they can get out of the small cage and hang on the screen panels to air their wings and do their thing if they enclose when I’m not home. Plus, I want my private time with them before I release them. I’m so excited. And the weather here has been perfect
My 6yr old son and I came across your videos. We live in Texas and it’s The 1st of November and we currently have 7 caterpillars we are raising. We will be giving them this mixture to try and help them make their trip. Thank you for all the great information and tips.
What happened since?
I love love your series on the monarch. This is my first year to raise monarchs and yourvideos helped me so much. I live in central Ontario Canada and am worried about releasing when the weather is getting cooler as we are into Sept and most of my nectar flowers are just about gone. This video was a life saver for my beloved butterflies and my piece of mind that they will be strong enough to make their migration. Planting milkweed next spring so happy to see that video also on putting elastic bands on pods. Had 13 eggsthis year hope to find more next year. Thanks for all your video they sure helped this newby.
Well, thank you so much for checking them out. These vids, hopefully, give people some of the tools they need to feel confident in helping out this troubled population. Thank you so much for getting involved!
Thank you so much for this video! It’s December here in north Florida and we found a monarch chrysalis on one of my plants that I moved in to my house to protect it from the cold. It finally emerged today and I had no clue how to feed it before I release it in the morning. Thank you from me and I’m sure from the butterfly, too!
Love all of your videos on raising Monarchs. This is my first year raising them and with the help of your informative videos, I was able to raise 4 this year! The first was an egg that a female deposited onto my milkweed. I just happened to look out into my backyard at that very moment! The next 3 were caterpillars, 1 in the 2nd instar and the other 2 in the 5th. I've released 2 so far (1 female, 1 male) and just waiting for the other 2 to emerge from their chrysalides. Now I can give them some food once they emerge so they will have enough strength for their long trip. Thank you so much!!
Thanks goes to you for getting involved! Every bit helps. I only did two when I first got started. That's all I felt confident with!
I want to thank you! And I hope you receive this comment. Generally, your series is my go to with Monarch Butterfly questions. This morning, I had a butterfly who wasn't flying after about 2 days... maybe a little more. I put her on a flower, didn't eat. So, I did exactly what you said in this video. It was easy, and she drank the honey water. Back on the flower, nothing. I did it one more time with the honey water... waited....And she finally flew away! Thank you so much!
I have learned so much from your videos. They are fantastic. Thank you for helping me release over 50 monarchs!
Thank you for having an interest in this animal, and doing what you can to actively help them out! Welcome aboard!
Thank you for your help with the honey recipe. Few days ago I found what looks to be an Anise Swallowtail butterfly and think it had just emerged and unfortunately his wings are a little wrinkled. He's almost perfect but I guess a little bit of wing wrinkle prevents flying. He stays outside on the flowers during the daytime and I bring him in at night and feed him. He seems slow today and I don't think he has much time left. Your other video on what to do for a disabled butterfly was very helpful. Thanks for your help and keep up the great work as butterflies are really one of Nature's miracles
Thank you!!! We had a butterfly hatch a couple of days ago but the weather has been cold and rainy and I didn't want to let her out. I gave her some flowers but she wasn't interested. But I did exactly what you said and she gulped it right down! So cool!
Great success! Thanks for helping these awesome animals out!
thank you! i found a butterfly with a bent wing and now i have to look after him
I have 3 monarchs that eclosed during our FL coldspell! Your video helped me feed them, I was really having a hard time with this. Hopefully, they will be released in a couple of days. THANKS!!!
Mine just hatched its December! I just set him on a house plant with small vines. I dilute the organic honey with water and let it drip on the vine next to him and he drinks it. You don’t have to grab his wings or use a toothpick. They only need a small drop at a time not a huge bowl of honey water. ❤
What beautiful butterflies. Thank you, for the tutorial on how to feed them.
You're very welcome!
Just found a monarch yesterday with a broken wing that's beyond repair. I'm keeping it because I don't have the heart to let it die. Have been using confectioners sugar, but will get some honey too. Thank you so much for this video, I'd like to make it as healthy and happy as possible.
Sorry that this occurred, but I'm glad that you were able to use this video to offer comfort. Thank you for your compassion.
I am becoming an enthusiast after the successful raising of a butterfly last fall. So this year I have expanded from one milkweed plant to many, thanks to nature and have built a large butterfly garden. Thanks for all the information, hoping to help lots more this summer and fall.
Great to have you aboard! If you have questions as you go, I still answer them in these comments sections. If I know the answer, I supply it. If I don't, I admit it, and try to find the answer.
I find a lot of butterflies throughout my day mostly in the morning who sometimes I think are injured or maybe it's due to the wetness in the morning that tend to just be sitting on the ground just standing there and a lot of times I find it hard to figure out what to do I try not to touch their wings because when I was little and through most of my life everybody told me that if you touch the wings it could take off the powder or whatever that helps them fly so I try not to and I'll have them crawl onto my hand and I try to put them somewhere in the sun I don't know if sometimes it's an energy thing and they need some sort of nectar or something usually when I try to make a sugar water compound they don't really go for it that's actually what had me stumble upon your video but I think this is awesome and I will most likely be subscribing and checking out more of your videos
Love your energy and thank you for the useful information. I’m just trying to attract more butterflies to my garden.
Thank you.... hurricane coming and I have many soon to eclose... was worried about feeding them until weather will allow us to release! Your videos have been an essential part of helping me do this!
I'm glad that this could give you some options. True commitment from you if a hurricane is on its way and you're still thinking about your Monarchs. Bravo!
I found one just laying on my back porch so I brought it in... I’m gonna try this. Thanks !
This is my first time raising wild monarchs. One eclosed sometime through the night and fell to the ground. Unfortunately, the monarch was unable to pump fluid into either wing. I'm so glad I have been watching your videos. He took the nectar well this afternoon. Thank you for your help!
I'm sorry that happened. I've experienced similar when a Monarch eclosed during the night. Not sure why he fell, but of course, nobody was awake at the time to see. I do think it had been a windy night, though, if memory serves me correctly.
Thank you - this video helped me learn how to feed a poor crumpled wing butterfly I have. I was able to feed the butterfly successfully!
Hi! I accidentally got into breeding monarch butterflies (I got some plants which had catterpillars on them!) and everyday I'm more amazed at how incredible this animals are! Watching them go through all the stages is magical and wonderful, and your videos are being really helpful for me as I have a lot of doubts and concerns ^^' now my butterflies are about to emerge, I hope everything goes fine!
Thanks a lot for your channel and keep up the good work!
Best from the Canary Islands (Spain) ^_^
Again, thank you for sharing your experience with us. I have fed more than 5 monarchs on winter or raining days and after that they look much better. I enjoy raising them and we try to help them
I'm happy to get the education out there. Getting to see how easy this can be can certainly equip us to have more options when it comes to helping them out in the right circumstances. Thank you for your concern for this animal and trying to help them out!
I have raised monarchs for 5 years but have always been able to release them the same day-till this year!
Because of weather, we have had to keep a few in our house for 2 days. I tried your method of feeding them and it worked great! The second time we tried to feed them they actually started to put their proboscis out looking for the honey water! Waiting till later today to release the 10 we have in the house. THANKS FOR YOUR INFORMATIVE VIDEO!!!
Thank you SO MUCH! I am a true novice with 5 chrysalides in an aquarium that will hatch in a few days. So exciting. I will be planting milkweed again next year and will help as much as I can.
And thank you for doing what you can to help out the population!
OK I will admit I am watching all your videos,...this old lady has her first two caterpillars.. planted tons of milkweed, and is fascinated! Such a peaceful way to relax! Thanks so very much! I may be addicted!
Some have described rearing Monarchs as "therapy without words".
Thanks for this!! I’m in Southern California and we have loads of chrysalises within a few feet of our milkweed plant this year but one put itself in a bad spot that fell down and I brought it inside. It came out yesterday evening and I put it in my baby’s pack-n-play with something on top lol. Of course the weather today turned cloudy, cold and windy so I wanted to see if I could feed it until the weather cleared up a bit! Thanks for the video!
Hi. I’m in Florida It’s October 10, 2020. And I realized it’s late season for monarchs to hatch. I have 2 that came out of the chrysalis this morning. I’m so glad I found this information.
That’s awesome! Thanks for the video. My wife and I found very useful.
Definitely welcome. Thanks for finding use for it.
Beautiful work I love it enjoy Every moment of it I am in this hobby love it
Thank you!! Wish I would have seen this before.. I just gave Gatorade to 2 monarch butterflies that were struggling with the cold front we got today!! Tomorrow morning I’ll try the honey solution and hopefully release them in a few days when it warms up again!! Greetings from TX!!
Good luck to them! Thank you for attempting to help them!
Thank you so much for this video. We are taking care of a monarch that has injured wings and cant fly right. This video is really helpful
Very pleased that this could be helpful!
I found a super monarch on my grass September 11. She struggled to maintain balance and couldn’t fly so I brought her in. Her wings look a bit deformed and I’m feeding her this honey solution couple times a day. Thanks for all you do to help our winged buddies.
Thank you Mr. Lund❤️ Happy Thanksgiving 🦃
I love this video,thank you...I have two caterpillars left and it's beginning to be harder to find food for them...Their almost to cocoon stage,but this will definitely help with their journey down south....I love Monarch butterflies actually butterflies in general...I've gotten everyone involved ,well I was gonna take some butterflies down to a nursing home and allow the elderly set them free but it's hard to tell when their going to hatch but this video of how to feed them will also help with that.
So glad I found your video. I rescued a butterfly on my morning run. It was definitely hungry! Your method worked perfectly!
Excellent. Glad to have helped!
MrLundScience I'll be contacting our science center in Seattle and see if they can take the little critter. They have a butterfly room so I'm sure they're better equipped to take care of this little one. One of its wing looks deformed or it was injured. So, if they can help it, great! If no, I'll keep it and take care of it myself!
Quite kind of you. It can be a rewarding experience.
Wonderful piece of work Congratulations
Today I found a butterfly that was cold and was sitting in the grass for hours so I took him home and I make like little habitats with like dirt grass and tree branches in jars and I had a huge one so I put them in there and I'm trying to learn how to take care of him for the winter so thank you for this video!
Thank you for this video... love it and this helps my daughter!!
You're absolutely welcome. Glad it could help!
Hi Rich.My Milkweed plants are all covered with beautiful flowers and the Monarchs are returning to lay eggs.Started raising Monarchs end of last month.I found 21 eggs which I raised 19 0f them to adult hood and tomorrow the last to survive will be set free. 2 went into Chrysalis and them turned black after a few days. I'll take that average any day. Have another 15 eggs in O G take out containers. I have a very high tech breeding set up.Will move the cats to larger jugs when they are 1/2 inch long. I am also collecting seeds from my plants which now takes it to another level. And the beat goes on. Your season must also be getting into high gear also. Take care and good luck this season. J Costello
Hey John. Yeah, that definitely sounds like you're at a whole new level, and in many ways with your process, beyond what I'm doing. You're in uncharted territory for me, but it's a certainty, you're the right guy to do it.
My season is not at all in high gear, though. I have my milkweed sprouting and growing rapidly, but I've only see just by chance, one Monarch flutter by (and it wasn't near my milkweed). No eggs as of yet. This is less my Monarch season, and more the season of wrapping up grades, and driving with a clothes hamper in my trunk should I see a snapping turtle (or any other turtle) trying to cross a road. I've seen 5 squished on the roads nearby, and it saddens/angers me each time. While Raising Monarchs will definitely still continue, I'm also putting together a herpetology series. Not on raising any, but just on what they are and their behaviors, and a bit on how to identify them. I'm guessing there's some overlap of those who enjoy Monarchs and those who enjoy our cold blooded friends. Doing it mostly, though, to help out my Science Olympiad team to have some videos to kick start them in the herpetology event. Okay...I'm rambling now. Hope your season goes well! A new RM vid will be out this month, though I'm not sure when exactly.
I just found this video.. I found a monarch with bad mangled and missing wings in my backyard yesterday evening. It is drinking up the nectar so well! Thanks for making these videos. I doubt I'll be able to patch up the wings but at least I can keep it comfortable for now.
I found a fallen cocoon on the ground and three days after the monarch came out deformed so I have to care for him I named him Mark and your videos help me so much keep it up
You Sir are awesome! Thank you for caring.
This was an amazing experience shes still hanging out in our home she seems to be getting her energy back. She been super close to me. I wish I could share my video
If you wish to share your video, you can always upload it to your UA-cam account and provide a link to the video here in the comments. And whether you know it or not, you have a UA-cam channel. You have one as soon as you make an account, which you must have done to be able to leave comments.
Thanks so much!!!!! Rain here all day and night! Three have emerged this morning. I expect at least 3 more later today or tomorrow. This will help.
Yeah, I've had three days of rain in Michigan too, so I've been feeding those that have had to do some overnighters.
thanks again - the weather got better so released them this morning - they were glad to get out. Even a 11" x 20" x 12". aquarium gets too small when 5 of them are ready to fly.
Awesome to see them take flight. Great work!
Thank goodness for your videos. Live in Florida. Thought i would give raising Monarchs a try as a hobby. Did get carried away with the number i collected . So i have two that have emerged and they are beautiful. Other google sites recommended orange slices , no particular time to set free etc. so now i made the honey solution, and will feed them as it s going to rain today. But i must have 20 more getting ready. I thankfully learned they may be to close together. In addition i used the pop up netted laundry bins which worked out great. The Monarch here are still producing eggs . It's about 70 daytime but 60 at night. I am guessing that they know best and i can release mine. Again thank you so much
Quite a system you've got going there. I wish you luck.
As you've discovered, it can be addictive. Fair warning!
Thank you for your much appreciated advice.
You're definitely welcome. Thank you for finding a use for the video.
That Canadian Tiger Butterfly just came in this world last day in my work shop. I did just like you showed in this video today, using a trash bag tie and a alcohol tiny mesuring cup. (So cute) The lil dude is going well now. Thanks a million for this info. It is still winter in Quebec so I gess I'll try to make friends with it for the time being.
Just had our very first Monarch emerge this morning. So glad I found your UA-cam channel.
I have always been told not to touch their wings, but you hold them to feed them?.Thanks for sharing all the info..🦋🦋🦋🦋
Hi Mr. Lund, I came across someone asking what to do with a newly enclosed Monarch this late in the season. I sent a text telling her to give it Sun for energy and locate a suitable flower if there is one available. I sent her a link to this video which is the best advice I could give. I have 2 chrysalis left. I don’t know that they will enclose because it’s been well over a week and a half. I learned about raising monarchs from an environmental science class that a student I assisted was in. The students raised their Monarchs by feeding milkweed, cleaning the enclosure, and waiting for the chrysalis to enclose. The students tagged and then released their Monarch. It was an awesome and rewarding experience. I raise monarchs in the summer here in northeast Pennsylvania. I have native milkweed growing in my yard. I collect eggs as soon as I see monarchs in the summer. Thanks for the informative video. I am going to use your honey/water method from here on.
My grandchildren came across a Monarch butterfly and thanks to your video we know how feed it now.Thankkyou for your help.
Happy to have helped! Thanks for nourishing your visitor!
Thanks so much. Have one girl that emerged today, late October 2019 in San Jose, CA. I will feed her tomorrow and send her on her was to the coast of CA for winter.
Very cool!
no doubt this video is amazing, some times we find injured monarchs here, this would really help
Thanks for this! I have a very late butterfly - should have hatched last Sunday (2 weeks) but looks like today will be the day (10/6) and today and tomorrow will be cold and windy with overnight lows around 30 F). I'm in Minnesota and it's definitely Fall! Saturday will be in the 60s, so I'm hoping this one can get a good start to Mexico over the weekend!
Thank you so much for telling us how we feed them
Thank you you’re being so helpful to me and my little guy
You're very welcome. Glad I could be helpful.
Thanks for this video it sure convinced me to help a late monarch.
Nov 13 in mid Missouri.
45* the next 2 days.
Will feed him until Tues it will be 70* and release him.
Thank you so much!! I have one that has a crooked wing and I was so worried!!
Thanks for this! My kid and I have been raising monarchs this year and have set some free already, but currently I've got about 20 about to come out of their chrysalis right smack in the middle of a hurricane. Not a good time to release. I also don't really have a container for them so I'll be converting my guest bath into a temporary butterfly sanctuary. Should be interesting. Ours in florida aren't part of the big migration but still, I hope to give them a fair start.
I had a black swallowtail that has been overwintering in my garage eclose. It's supposed to rain all day today and tomorrow. Thanks for the helpful video!
Thank you for the insight..I have reared a couple dozen with very good success.Recently had two in row had wing issues .. one released as you outlined .the other is living in patio ..but it will be time to put him on a flower.as he is in decline.thanks for the fyi
Thank you so much I did the butterfly stage with my home daycare we have 6
I have been growing a ton of milk weed the last few years and plan on raising monarchs this year for the kids. I love the videos very good info. The provasic is the feeding tube a lot like a humming bird. There is the same thing people say you shouldnt feed humming birds. One because of the colored dyes but I would say more because of the choice of sugar has been processed and not found that way naturally. Not everyone can be trusted to be responsible enough to mix the ratio right. Also any ingredients not dissolved could cause harm. But the big one is not changing the liquid out with fresh stuff and never leave excessive mixtures of sugars out for more than a few weeks. Just by being contaminated or air contaminated sugar water will turn into kombucha. It will grow a scoby/mother and ferment into vinegar the longer it sits especially with more sugar it will spike a lot higher than the 5 percent acid level we buy in the store. Most natural wild flowers have antibacterial effects which monarchs are use to drinking from and is a very diluted among of sugar. It can be done it done in a responsible way. Always choose a natural unrefined sugar and use correct ratio.
Agreed. And really, this video was made more for just giving the Monarchs a jump start, especially at the end of the season when they have a long migration ahead of them. Not intended for being a way to keep Monarchs as pets. Good info for the hummingbird enthusiasts out there who might read it!
Always great informative videos. Appreciate you sharing all this useful info. I have a question for ya. Should one be concerned what water they use in the mixture? I mean, much local water has chlorine in it. Would spring/bottled/or filtered water be the mix to use with the honey?
There can be unforeseen effects when we assume everything will be okay, especially when it comes to animals and chemistry. So, yes, distilled water or some other non-chlorinated water is best.
That said, if you're feeding a Monarch once before they take flight, there's such a trace amount of chlorinated treatment in tap water, I wouldn't sweat it. If I was housing Monarchs long term (and I don't see any scenario where I would, as I'm not a breeder) then I would use distilled water. Since whenever I'm feeding, though, it's a one day thing for that butterfly usually, I have used and do use tap water to do this.
I keep reading caterpillars don't drink water. It's very dry where I live and I was misting the leaves of cuttings to increase humidity a bit. A droplet about the size of the Caterpillar's head landed in front of it. When it found the drop, it put its face in the drop and I watched the drop slowly disappear. The drop did not seem to have moved over the body due to surface tension. I will spare the rest of the details but I've now actually watched this behavior several times and there is a video "caterpillar drinking and eating leaves" which shows what I witnessed the first time. The last time, I could see the jaws moving but the drop was too big to get visibly smaller. However, due to the jaw movement and the fact that the cat left his face in the drop for several seconds, I'm pretty sure it was drinking. If nothing else, my thought was "it cant hurt since they would likely ingest very small droplets of dew in nature."
love this information and thanks so much our first one hatched today outside and it is raining so it is a female and we are helping to save her
Thank you so much
You're very welcome, Thanos! Hey, if you get that gauntlet back, sure would be cool if you were to snap your fingers and restore the milkweed population numbers back to where they were in the 80's. That would be super cool of you, big guy!
Best wishes from Earth! PS: Big fan!
Thank you for this great video
thanks so much for this video...there is helpless butterfly which its wings are bent in my house so this is helpful for what it can eat
You're definitely welcome! I'm glad that these videos have been able to help others. Thank you for helping to take care of this species!
I’m getting Caterpillars soon and I wanted to prepare I’m really excited, so thank you
Thank you!
Agree about the blue and red dyes. Not good for butterflies or people.
Your video is very helpful.
Thank you for this! We just found an injured monarch in our driveway and after we got back home it was still there hunkering down in a flower hiding from the strong wind. We brought it inside and it drank the nectar right up! Became more active, and is hanging upside down 🤗🤗🤗 not sure what we’re doing next ha
Very happy to have helped! Thank you for your compassion with these guys!
I just captured a yellow one and intend to keep it for study learning exactly how long the lifespan will be. I study a different insect every year and may expand my knowledge to fruit flies and their reproduction
I found a monarch on my front lawn that wouldn’t fly even when its wings and legs were intact. I gave it some honey/water solution and it seems to be doing much better now!
Great news! Thanks for helping that one out. Meant a lot to him/her, I'm sure!
Thank you for your videos. I planted milkweed for the first time this year and attracted many Monarch Butterflies (yay). I found a Monarch chrysalis on my back porch attached to the bristles of a broom about a week ago. Watching your UA-cam series gave me the courage to attempt to move the chrysalis inside to hatch the butterfly in a safe location. She hatched yesterday! I had a successful feeding today (your honey/water recipe) and I plan to release her tomorrow as the temps will be above 50 (Houston Texas). In this video, you said to feed a few times, how long of rest should I give her between feedings? Thank you again.
Excellent job, Jae! Sorry that I wasn't able to get to this earlier, so my guess is that she was already released. Still, on days where I've had to keep Monarchs over 24 hours (due to immediate, severe weather that was happening), I'd offer food twice a day - in the morning, and in the evening. This way, once weather cleared up, they were energy stocked and ready to go. While Monarchs (and other butterflies) may feed often and throughout the day, they are also not taking in large amounts of energy from just a flower here or there. Thus, they need to do it plenty, and often. But with the honey water solution, they are receiving a stock load of energy, and thus, feeding them can be something that you do only a few times a day.
Great job jumping in and helping that one out!