Raising Monarchs Part 5 - Releasing Adults (How To Raise Monarch Butterflies)
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- This is Part 5 of a 5 Part series on how to help Monarch Butterfly eggs reach adulthood. As of 2014, the Eastern and Midwestern Monarchs of North America are doing very poorly, having record low numbers. This series has been made in the hopes of allowing those who wish to take an active role in helping out the Monarch be able to do so.
Part 5 provides us a detailed view of the Monarch emerging from the chrysalis, along with some interesting facts about the Monarch anatomy of the adults. Following this, tips on releasing are shown, and a special message to consider about planting milkweed in your area.
Please post comments, questions, and suggestions relating to the video information or your own Monarch Butterfly experiences!
***My apologies for the end of the video being muted.***
In 2014, I wasn't that well versed with UA-cam and how copyrights worked with UA-cam videos. Most of the time, if you use someone else's music, that just means the record company will put ads on your video and collect revenue from it. I was fine with that. Other times, though, the company may have UA-cam completely pull your video. And it can happen years later, too. This video was temporarily offline due to the music used at the end for the end credits. By simply muting that section, the copyright claim from that company becomes moot, and the video can continue to be played. Thank you for your understanding!
I'm so happy you got it back up! I went looking for it as my first monarchs were getting close to enclosing but couldn't find it. Back up in good time! My first monarch eclosed last night. He's healthy and I'll be releasing him today. He's one of 28 you inspired me to try to save this summer. I'm still finding eggs this late in the season, it's already so chilly at night in southern Ontario so I'm really trying! Your videos have been so incredibly helpful in all of this! Thank you so much for what you've started here. Already harvesting milkweed seeds for planting!
@@Liannabelle8 That's awesome that you're looking to plant even more milkweed for next year. Are you aware of "banding" the milkweed pods? I ask because you are in Ontario, and I'm in Michigan, and none of the Common Milkweed around here have pods that are ready yet. If you are collecting seeds at this time, it's possible that they might work out, but they aren't quite done developing. Check out this vid on banding pods, and it might help: ua-cam.com/video/pb0VCKR5Aec/v-deo.html
Very cool to have you on board! (Ever been to Wally World in London? I know they closed up, but that was a fun water park.)
@@MrLundScience thank you so much for replying! Watching the video now! A read up on harvesting, it's been pretty cold here, below 40F so I've found a few that are browning and pop when squeezed though most are still not ready! Thank you so much for the information! You're seriously the best!
Glad that you were able to get it back! I was just checking in here with a relative question, to see if you had updated anything this season regarding the length of time to keep monarchs before releasing them, that is most recommended? I posted this question on another video, it was one of the more current/recent videos on wild-rearing monarchs, so was hoping you would see it and respond. The reason I ask is because of the research that was done, (by a Phd @ University of Minn. I believe), I read about when another butterfly enthusiast posted sharing that the studies found that it is most likely best to release eclosed adults after a full 24 hours? It had something to do with their waiting period in the natural environment being about that long a time, as they were found to hang-out without using their newly formed wings as much as those wild-reared ones who are traditionally released sooner, 4-6 hours weather and conditions, permitting. Sorry for the repeat of this question but I have another group here heading out soon as migration generation and want to get it right! Thanks as always, your fan!
@@Debbiesnc Hey Debbie! When it comes to time I wait to release, I have always let the butterfly tell me. It's usually within 24 hours. If the Monarch is ready to fly, it lets me know by flying to one of my screened in porch areas, and then flying to another. They act as if they are searching for a way out, and when they have been released, they immediately fly off. I have to assume that if in nature, when they are ready to fly like that, they would be flying off. Seems to make logical sense to me. Is it possible that rearing them causes a difference in their waiting behavior? Certainly possible. I may need to look further into the paper. When the season becomes later, though, what I find is that 1) the Monarchs are usually eclosing in the afternoon, and aren't really ready anyway come dusk. Thus, I keep them overnight. And 2) since they are migratory, and I am unable to release them until home from school that next day, by then they are willing to feed, so I supply them with a honey water solution. They feed first to get some added energy reserves, and then I release them. It usually has been right around 24 hours by that time. So I may have been accidentally doing this ever since the migratory Monarchs have been eclosing later. I hope that helps your Facebook group. I'll look further into the paper...
I have a 10x10 patch of milkweed in my yard, this is the 3rd year they are growing and I have finally found eggs and larvae today. My kids are beyond excited. Each year I take the seeds and drive around town spreading the seeds.
Also not only do the monarchs love them, my honey bees go crazy for them.
That's awesome. Glad that your kids were able to feel that excitement!
We've been in our home for almost 2 years and we found one egg and 2 very small catipilars. We immediately put them in a tank and are feeding them my kids are so excited as an I 😅
Dude! I had no idea! I live in Ontario and didn't see hardly any Monarchs last year so I wanted to plant a butterfly garden this spring. I stared to germinate my milkweed 3 weeks ago and its doing well. I just learnt so much in your Monarch playlist. Totally going to help raise Monarchs. Thank you for helping to get the word out. I will do my part to help.
I felt that way roughly five years ago, too. The decline has gotten a bit more exposure, but for the most part, the majority of the public don't know that this is going on. I was shocked when I first found out about it. I hope my videos are helpful. I don't claim that they are the best way, but a way to do it that I've found. So pleased to have another Ontario neighbor on board! (Being a Port Huron boy, Sarnia is some well known stomping grounds for me.)
D.M. McA where about in Ontario? I’m in Toronto
Also in ontario. 2020 doesn't appear to be very pollinator friendly. I keep looking for cats and eggs. I hope i find them soon!
I'm also in ontario. Only saw 1 monarch. But I also am planting garden and milkweed for them.
I'm in Mississauga. Have lots of milkweed on the property. Can give seeds in the Fall.
Thank you for your whole Monarch Series! Your videos are the best.
Why thank you! And if you like the occasional scientific trek through the world of Hip Hop, might I recommend some of the latest (which we're quite excited to offer): ua-cam.com/video/rdluVmlxLqM/v-deo.html
THAT is terrific! Made me giggle. Very creative. Will be a great teaching tool. Thank you!
Ur a awsome human bean and thank you for doing what you did.
jcervantez162 Lol human BEAN xD
+Kevin Keenan that's my line
Omg i remember this comment! Back before I was self conscious af.
Great videos. Thank you for providing all the information we have needed to raise monarchs!
Those butterflies taking off reminded me of Reading Rainbow. Butterflies in the sky!! I can go twice as high!!
Thank you for sharing brother. I look forward to finding eggs and raise them myself as well. Great music selection!
Sooo. I'm a fan! I have nearly 30 chrysalis. My "first ever lady" hatched last night. I let her go today, even tho its December 1.
It was close to 75 degrees today in So Cal. We have lots of milkweed and flowers. Let's hope she meets "Mr Right" and we continue on??
Thank-you sooo much for this series. I have learned a LOT!! Next step? Get those milkweed plants going. I needed lots!!!
Very cool! Great to have you aboard!
Brett, the 5 part series was A-mazeballs! The up close look at the eggs hatching was wondrous. I got a lump in my throat when you, your wife and mom released the butterflies. Thank you for your hard workin putting the series together!!
You're definitely welcome! Glad that it could be useful!
The doors music and the psychedelic hatchlings was EPIC
Wow! I was really amazed in the whole series of this, I'm now raising Monarchs and doing all the tips you gave :) and also addition to Monarchs, I added SwallowTails too! :) thanks!! for them tipz!
~~Swizz
+Growtopian Dwarf
Thanks for the kind words! Good luck with your efforts! I've done some Easter Black Swallowtails before too, and they are a lot of fun. Their chrysalides look awesome.
I am going to take my milkweed seeds and spread them all over the place!!!!
Hey, that's the spirit! That's the best way to help them. Restore that habitat!
Me too. I'm also try to spread the word about how important it is to grow milkweed planets.
Excellent series! I have been raising monarchs for over 25 years in NJ, and amen to everything you said! I make zippered, screen covers for tomato planters and transplant young caterpillars to the milkweed that I planted in my backyard. They are protected from predators and I don't have to do any more work until the butterflies emerge. Ms. Harvey also showed me how to make a cage from netting and 2 embroidery hoops that I hang from a metal planter and actually zip it around the plant. I can move both cages to other plants if they devour the leaves. They will build their chrysalides at the top of the netting. Research 'caterpillar cremaster" ; go back and look at that part on your videos and you will be TRULY AMAZED at these magnificent creatures!
Janice trikkes Thanks for both the compliments, and the tips! I'll check out what you've recommended!
These videos are really good. Very well put together. It's awesome what you are doing. Keep up the good work!
It’s now July 30, 2023! We (my 10 year old daughter and I) are ready to release our FIRST monarch!
Your video brought TEARS to my eyes -both HAPPY and SAD!
THANK YOU so much Mr. Lund for your monarch video series.
We learned everything we know, from you. We hope that you will see our comment and know that people are caring.
We will be planting more milkweed and sharing your message on social media. ~Chantal and Hildi from Grand Rapids, MI
Greetings Chantal and Hildi, and congratulations on what is a thrilling moment - your first release! It can be quite heart pounding!
I try to swing by from time to time to answer what comments I can, but admittedly, there can be many. (I always hope people can understand.) But a tip would definitely be that I try to have a period of time to keeping up with comments on the most recent Raising Monarchs episode.
Speaking of, and new one recently came out, discussing my new stomping grounds: ua-cam.com/video/bp1GV6ysMUk/v-deo.html
If you feel so inclined, give it a look and see what I'm up to these days.
Thanks you for your interest in helping out the Monarchs! If you come for the Monarchs, I hope you stay for the milkweed. :-)
Rest assured, people are caring.
My mom and sister just started raising monarchs and told me to watch the videos about why. So glad I did! Happy to help out :) 🦋🦋
I thank you for all your effort and patience your Monarch series deserves an award well done!!
I thank you for the kind words. Awards, to me though, aren't all that important. Recognition is nice and all, but I don't need some official recognition. To me, the award already exists and has been received. The reward is that people take the information and use it. Your words *are* an award.
Outstanding! Love the whole series. Well produced and great info. I have been raising Monarchs for years but from now on I will always hear the Doors when I watch one eclose!!
James Shover Thank you much! I know for myself, all of these bands will now bring Monarchs to my mind. For the Chrysalis video part, I wanted to go with Ozzy's "See You On The Other Side", but when I published it, UA-cam muted it. Apparently, that song can't be used in unofficial videos, which is understandable. VAST's "We Will Meet Again" was fitting in its place!
Your wife is beautiful, LOVED seeing your smiles when releasing them.
Ok. So after doing some research I found out that it is important to PLANT NATIVE MILKWEED. Here is an article about the harm that might be caused by Tropical Milkweed : texasbutterflyranch.com/2013/02/25/tropical-milkweed-to-plant-it-or-not-its-not-a-simple-question/
You can find which kind of milkweed to plant in your garden by checking this site: monarchbutterflygarden.net/milkweed-plant-seed-resources/ and many other sites I am sure.
Anna Grazhdansky That is actually excellent advice, yes! Every part of North America has some kind of Milkweed native to them, too, so feel free to check your neighbourhoods. :)
+Anna Grazhdansky Planting natives for your area is important, to be sure, but the jury is STILL OUT on the Tropical Milkweed deal. In east-central Pennsylvania, where I live, I sometimes grow Tropical Milkweed but here in the Northeast, Tropical Milkweed grows as an annual, as it cannot survive the winters here so it's perfectly fine to grow it and the Monarchs do NOT lay eggs on it during migration. Besides, the first frost kills them so the theory that it somehow causes the Monarchs to start laying eggs again is not realistic because the Monarch females are in "sexual diapause," which means that their reproductive organs are NOT mature so it would not be possible for them to lay eggs yet. There would most likely have to be unusual warming that would last longer in the Fall that MIGHT possible cause them to mature and lay eggs but in the time that I've been growing milkweed and raising Monarchs, I have not seen that happen. This year I grew Common and Swamp Milkweed only and maybe had about 15 eggs total. Last year I grew Tropical Milkweed along with the Common and Swamp milkweed and the Monarchs preferred Tropical over the other milkweed hands down. I was able to harvest 30 eggs. So I harvested more eggs last year than I did this year and it didn't affect the Monarch migration. When the time came, they kept flying through and I did NOT find any more eggs. So yes, it's fine to grow Tropical Milkweed in the northern sections of the United States and Canada because once the frost hits, they die and don't grow back like Common and Swamp Milkweed do.
GREAT Question, and also a great article. Since I live in Florida, I did purchase Tropical Milkweed as it is a Native plant here. And now, thanks to your comment and link to the article, I agree with and will be doing exactly what the author stated: "You’ll see Tropical milkweed in my yard. But I’ll be sure to keep it out of wildscapes and ranch situations, and slash it to the ground in the winter."
Anna Grazhdansky erf
this is awesome, what you're doing is awesome. thanks for the help, i'm just getting into the idea of raising monarch, will probably do it next year. thanks for the help.
This series was very informative and enlightening. I feel pretty inspired and I do plan on watching the milkweed series and work to re-establish the presence of milkweed in my area and beyond. I didn't understand how important it was but now that I do, I feel quite motivated. Thanks.
+Crystal Custalow
Then that's a check in the "win" column for me. These videos were made because, as I was doing this, I was seeking out such videos. I couldn't find any on UA-cam that were complete. Tips and advice here and there, but not exactly the full story. So, I had to wing it (no pun intended) and once I had figured a few things out, I thought I should make something so that others who want to do it easily could have the information. As stated in the videos, I don't claim that it's the best way, but it's the way I've had success at it for a few years now.
But, I'm not done. There's been many questions from people who have found my videos that at the time, I didn't always know how to answer. I've spent the winter researching, and am now ready to make some extra videos to clear up some of those questions.
And speaking of questions, if you have any as you go about trying this out, I haven't been too swamped yet with feedback, so I'm still able to respond to them within a day or two. Feel free to ask away! Good luck with it!
I just ordered a lot of milkweed from Monarch Watch and Live Monarch that I am going to plant EVERYWHERE. Be ready Houston, we are about to do our part to help save the Monarch Butterflies.
Now THAT is the spirit!
Maybe we should start a new organization... MCIS ( Monarch Criminal Investigation Services ) Thanks for getting back to me Rich. Check in with you later. 👍
Thank you Mr. Lund! I now have over 20 stages of Monarchs thanks to your helpful videos! They are the most amazing creatures I have seen! I am hooked! Thank you again for all you do and sharing your knowledge with all of us!
You're absolutely welcome. Sorry that I have hooked you and your free time shall only diminish from here on out in the Monarch season, but, thank you so much for allowing your free time to diminish in the Monarch season!
My first Caterpillar has gone into chrysalis and I am so excited! I also am going to collect milk weed seeds this year and plant them in areas I know won't be disturbed. I can't wait to see these next steps happen and release a beautiful butterfly. I am watching your videos very carefully and taking notes. So far everything is going well. I want to share with you something I used that held the milkweed leaves well when they were adult size. I had a citrus juicer...a plastic one where the top has these thin long holes and you set it in the base which collects the juice. So I put the leaves in that and put water in the base and it kept the leaves good for several days and allowed many of them to be together and upright so they climbed them like they would on a plant. They really loved it. There was a spout though with a larger opening I worried they could get into and drown so I plugged it with plastic wrap. So easy to clean as well.
That's cool, Miss Tigress. Hey...since you have a UA-cam account, why not make a video showing this trick off? Could be useful!
I found this to be a wonderful series; I have a huge crop of milkweed among my little veggie garden and left most of them. With the help of this series I have 5 caterpillars in their container chomping away at fresh leaves. This is so much fun, especially when locked in with Covid. Thank you so much
I watch so much milkweed destruction and it makes me insane how people just don’t care. It’s like a war on this “ weed”!
One of the best if not the best info videos on UA-cam. Mr Lund did a great job. Thank you so much. At this monent I have a chrysalis forming in my dining room. Amazing to watch. I live in Florida so release at this time of year should be no problem.
Awesome 5 part series! I going in the right direction, and I have a lot of milkweed! I currently have 4 cats, it’s very exciting! Thank you for the videos! Great job!
I am thrilled to report that the two caterpillars I found on my milkweed (May 15 & 16 respectively) have successfully emerged, and have been released to fly and be free!! Like a big fat nerd, I cried when I set my first one free(!) -- Happy tears, of course -- The first one was spot-on, 12 days in chrysalis. The second was 13-14d. A female, and a male, respectively -- best I could tell. Thank you, Richard, for your videos full of relevant, useful, easy-to-follow, information that helped enable me to raise these two beauties. Hopefully it is the start of something big for Monarchs here in mid-Missouri.
Here are a few questions I have (I promise I have been searching for the answers prior to posting here! ;-) )
- What exactly are the yellowish/goldish dots of illuminosity (I know you know what I mean) that become visible on the chrysalis. Someone told me they are oxygen pockets???
- How long will it take a female, from the time she emerges & flies, to lay eggs? ( I know, "It depends." Right? :-) )
- I did watch a second time, "Raising Monarchs - Encouraged Egg Laying . . .", and heard you mention about the female laying unfertilized eggs. Do you know if those would be viable in a parthenogenesis possibility?
- In identifying males: Is it easier to see the glands from the top? And, are the glands fully formed when the butterfly emerges? Or do the glands mature (for lack of better description) as the newly-emerged butterfly pumps fluid into its wings? My second one was hard for me to determine its sex, as it would only let me see its underside, lol. For the split second I saw it from the top - fully open - it appeared to have the male glands. That rascal wanted to FLY! :-)
Thank you, again, for all of your time and effort - and loving energy - you put into this endeavor. You really are helping change the world.
Greetings Cj. Great to hear that you had some successful emerging newcomers! Tears of joy are normal. It's a great thing to witness, and there's nothing quite like the first time.
To answer your questions...
What are the gold spots? Truthful answer: I don't know.
To go further, though, I don't know that anyone does, and that might be why you have never gotten a straight answer. I looked up what science was out there on the topic, and there have been some research studies to try and pin it down. Even after some hard, painstaking work, the community that studies this specific part of the chrysalis do not have a consensus on it, but some interesting possible hypotheses:
1) It is a possible camouflage that disrupts how, mostly likely, birds would be able to see it. Birds are the most obvious predator to something like a chrysalis, and having something very very reflective might cause the bird to focus more on that shimmer of light, and not be able to easily see the outline of the chrysalis, convincing the bird that its just dew on an uninteresting leaf. With what I know about bird sight (which I admit, isn't a whole lot) this seems plausible.
2) Rather than camouflage, it could be a glittery warning coloration to would be predators that "I taste really bad". This seems plausible, as the Monarch is doing this during the caterpillar and the adult stage.
3) It could be both #1 and #2 at the same time. Depending upon eye sight, it could serve as camouflage to some predators, but a warning to others.
4) Some think that what is occurring inside the chrysalis at these points is sensitive to certain wavelengths of light that need to be filtered out, and the great reflection of light that these provide block it. That also could very well be true, and would also explain why some butterflies that aren't in the same family/order of the Monarch also do this.
5) It could be an accidental evolution that caused no harm, and thus, never was selected out. I don't see this as being too likely an explanation, though, for there'd be little reason such a mutation would spread through not only this species, but be present in other species/orders/families of butterflies. It's possible if the genetics that produce this quirk are gene linked to other necessary genes, but that too seems far fetched.
That's all I could really find out about them for you. I think it's cool, though, when we find out that there's always more to discover in science!
Next, how long before a female can lay eggs? I don't know first hand, but from what I've looked up, there is roughly 3 days for a female to reach sexual maturity and be ready/willing to mate. She could lay eggs that same day, a few hours after mating.
Next one, could a female lay parthenogenesis eggs? I could not find any documented cases that stated a confirmed (or even unconfirmed) case of parthenogenesis in Monarchs. So, this is also in the "I don't know" category. However, of those studying Monarch Butterflies, if a female they knew had not mated had laid viable eggs, I think they would have announced that somewhere on the internet. I don't want to assume that means that it doesn't happen, but it just doesn't seem likely. As for females that have mated which lay those fertilized eggs, and then possibly others that are viable from parthenogenesis, that'd be really difficult to confirm without DNA comparison of the mother and all of the newly emerged offspring. Not sure if anyone is doing such a study. Likely not. The ones I was referring to in the video you bring up are ones that, after a few days, are obvious duds, as they will have shriveled a bit and not have the normal shape. Some of those can also be quite off color, more white than the others.
Finally, for identifying males, first, once you've seen them many times and know what to look for, you can definitely see if it's a male with its wings closed. As I've seen many emerge now, it's pretty easy for me these days. When you know where the glands are on a male, you can see that location on the closed wing, and right after it emerges, there's a small "dimple" on the underside of the wing. In addition, the females most definitely have thicker black lines on the wings, and if you have multiple emerging at the same time, it's much easier to tell which are the boys, and which are the girls. I don't want to sound too sure of myself, but I feel these days I've trained my eye for this enough to be able to tell pretty quickly if it's a male or a female in the field, when it's just fluttering by. Times I've done this and it's landed and I get a closer look, I still haven't been wrong. Batting 1000 on that one!
I found some milk weed pods today and didn't know what they were, so my neighbor told me what they were and we even seen a big green caterpillar on one of leaves! I immediately brought the seeds home and began to Google and UA-cam. I came across your videos and I am hooked now LOL! it is now September so I will be; Lord's will next year planting my milkweed seeds to attract butterflies and maybe try to help some grow! Your videos are awesome and you and your family Rock! Thank you for the video series I have saved them all and we'll be following these instructions! Stay blessed!
Greetings Alicia, and welcome aboard! I'll give you the same warning I give many: This is addictive! But it's so very rewarding. I'm excited for you that you'll be experiencing some of this for the first time! Good luck!
this is an amazing series, i learned so much about monarchs, thank you! i'm definitely going to grow milkweed once the winter passes (:
Thank you for deciding to jump in. Planting milkweed is most definitely the number one way to help them! Gotta restore that habitat. You rock!
Great job - can't wait to do this next year!
When I was watching this one of my Monarchs emerged! LOL!:D
Very good series!
I like that you have also shown the importance of butterflies in our ecosystem and not just how to raise them.
I'm from India and here we have a diverse flora and fauna, which means a lot of butterfly species!
I've been into this hobby since more than 20 years.some of the species that I have raised are graphium agamemnon, Cydia nigricana and Euthalia sp...
thanks for doing this. I've already subscribed :)
Welcome! I've seen several species from India, though behind glass at museums, and WOW, your country has AMAZING colors to your butterflies. They add to the beauty of your nation. Thanks for checking out the series. More Monarch videos will be happening June/July/August during Monarch season here in Michigan.
Great! looking forward to it
And I'm trying to save them all!
really enjoyed your series!
My father, a junior high school science teacher(died in 1981) would always tell me about the wonderful monarch it wasnt until this past december that I learned they were endagered...since then I have been raising as many as I can find, and planting milkweed and encouraging others to do the same. I had the idea to make a series, then I found yours...With your permission I will just encourage people to check out your site...CONGRAULATIONS on such a great series.
I currently have started 18 new plants from seeds I harvested, intend to have many many more! I love the Monarch, not just because of my dad...but it's own special story, each one is truly a miracle...oh gotta run, I have one emerging! :)
Mary de Waal That is a fantastic, strong compliment you have given me. I appreciate very much the approval of someone who obviously knows their stuff! By all means, pass on the series. Perhaps you should still do yours. There's plenty more information out there that my series didn't cover. The more information (of a quality nature) out there, the better!
It’s so funny because my chrysalis was green when I went to sleep and I just woke up this morning and I have a monarch. So excited :)
And I’m definitely starting my butterfly garden next season. Not just for monarchs but for a couple different endangered species. I get excited every time I see milkweed and it’s EVERYWHERE here :)
A milkweed patch, even a small one, makes things so much easier for keeping these guys fed, too. I'm so glad I planted mine a few years ago.
What I want to Know is why only 5K subs.? This is a worthwhile endeavor. I am on the short side of 70 yrs. old and in my short lifetime I remember many more beautiful insects, including the Monarch, then I see today. am not an " eco-terrorist" but I have come to understand we are the only stewards this world has. If we screw it up the world WILL be rid of us in hopes of finding a better caretaker. BTW our very first Caterpillar is "J Hanging" as I type this!
Ha! Greetings and welcome aboard!
I would hope nobody would see us as eco-terrorists! I still burn gasoline in my car (I pretty much drive whatever used car comes my way whenever the previous one dies). I do my best to recycle, but admittedly, am not 100% with it. I think, just being in Michigan, I am rather protective of what we have here in our environment, and wish to be responsible with it. As for the 5k subscribers, I don't know. Is that a lot? Is that a little? Perhaps it'd be more, but I'm not out pushing this channel like a mad man. If people are interested in helping the Monarch, I'm guessing they stumble upon at least one of my videos eventually. That said, feel free to inform others of the Monarch's plight. Whether they use my videos, or someone else's, I just applaud that they are willing to help out this amazing animal. I want kids and grandchildren to be able to experience them as well!
I have like 3 plants in my house and I am fascinated just watching all of them become monarchs
I added a large butterfly garden to my yard 3 summers ago. Last summer I raised almost 50 butterflies. I saw my 1st female last year on May 18th and she laid eggs on every milkweed plant in my garden. This year I collected my first eggs on July 12. In my area in Ohio many farmers with conservation easements are now planting milkweed plants supplied by the soil and conservation district. I hope the help we are now giving them leads to more returning north. Thank you for making this informative video series.
That's some taxing work. Thank you for putting in the time and effort!
I planted a crown flower cutting a few months ago. I notice that the Monarch's are starting to come into our backyard. They lay their eggs on the leaves, and I wait until the caterpillar is around 3/4 of an inch in size, then I bring them into our house, and place them in a gallon jar, and raise them till they do a hanging J. Then I carefully pull them off the lid of the jar, and tape them to somewhere where they can be left alone, till they turn into a butterfly. In Hawaii, the Monarch's feed on Crown Flower leaves. I don't think I ever saw a milkweed plant. Thanks for your video. It helped me with lots of information, that I wasn't aware of.
You're very welcome, and since seeing you mention the Crown Flower in a previous comment, I looked it up. Quite an interesting plant!
I'm getting one☺😊😀😁😂😃😄😅😆😉
Thanks for all your great videos and advice. I collected 6 monarch caterpillars in December in San Diego that appeared on one small sprig of milkweed that ended up in my succulent garden. Although we don't get much of a winter...it got cold here this year and we got hit with some severe storms right when the caterpillars appeared. I collected them, brought them inside, and did the emergency run to the nursery for more food. All but one caterpillar made a chrysalis. I think I got some tainted food for the last 2 caterpillars that were still eating away so one died the other has a very small chrysalis. I thought none of them were going to make it after three weeks in the chrysalis but almost 1 month exactly and so far 2 females have emerged and a 3rd is on the way. 1st one made chrysalis on Jan 4 emerged on Feb 2. Second made chrysalis on Jan 6 emerged on Feb 3. 3rd one also made chrysalis on Jan 6 looks close to emerging. Couldn't have done it with out the tutorials. Much Thanks from SD.
I'm quite pleased that the videos could be useful to you. Sounds like you are putting in some quality effort to keep the ones you find going. Thank you for doing that! Every Monarch counts these days. More videos will be on their way once the summer kicks in here in Michigan. And we do have one that will see a winter release in a few weeks. Stay tuned!
THANK YOU♥️ perfect series! You rock and from all the Monarchs “we love you”. I’ve been to the sanctuary in Mexico. It’s an amazing experience but we’ve noticed the decline from years ago. SAVE THE MONARCHS 🖤🧡
Thank you for such a beautiful and highly informative series. I started planting milkweed last year and this year the monarchs have come! I collected six eggs that I hope to see through to that magical time I release them into the wild. I've learned so much through the work you've done on these videos. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
You're absolutely welcome. Others being able to use them is the exact intention of them, so thank *you* for doing so!
I grew milkweed for the first time this summer. A couple of days I found 6 caterpillars and one lady bug larva! I will be following your videos to raise and release them. I will have one for each one of my grandbabies to release! Thank you so much for this information!
Very cool! Your grand kids will have a pretty awesome experience, I reckon!
Perfect song for the emerging monarchs, love this🤗🤗🤗
Hey, thanks!
Hey! We have a monarch that just ‘hatched’ but we are in New Zealand and it’s winter time so it’s around 4 degrees Celsius at night and today it’s a bit rainy. They have lived most of their life inside where it’s a tad warmer. Just want to know wether we release them now (once he starts exploring and is ready to leave) or we wait? Thanks so much 😊
I'm always of the opinion to release as soon as one can, unless there's truly some severe weather about to happen. If "mom" laid the egg, she made the decision that the individual is ready for nature. Once it's an adult, it's time to get him/her back in the "game" of passing on its genes. So, if it's not severely high winds or down pouring, I'd release. It might be cooler, but it'd be experiencing that cooler temperature in nature anyway. Good luck!
Beautiful series! Thank you so much for your dedication and efforts. This was so thoughtfully made, easy to understand and motivating! I can’t thank you enough. I’ll be moving on to the milkweed seed series now, but I have a feeling I’ll be returning to this series time and time again. 🧡
Thank you! Happy to help!
Thanks for all of your informative videos! My first baby just eclosed this morning! Of course I went inside for 10 minutes and she had come out during that time. :(
Thank you so much for the great easy instructions. This year we released 29 adult butterflies, and only had one casualty. I live in a rural area in Ontario and have lots of milkweed, we are going to harvest the seeds this year and spread them everywhere that wont get cut down or sprayed, also the country roads etc. Hopefully, that will give the plant the chance to grow and reproduce. Next year trying to collect eggs and go from there.
Excellent news. Planting milkweed truly is the best way to help them, so thank you for taking that part to heart. Good luck!
I loved your series! I saw the 2 complete series. Thank you for so much dedication! I have 4 caterpillars and some eggs, I think 5 or 6 in the garden. I'm just planting more asclepias, I'm not collecting the eggs or the caterpillars. Greetings from Guatemala, Central America.
So nice to see them fly away..
This a marvelous series you have given us. I'm embarking on being a first-time Monarch mama. Thank you so much, I feel much more likely to see them grow and fly away.
Awesome series! I learned so much! I really appreciate you taking the time to put all this together!
I certainly appreciate that. It didn't seem like a chore, though. Since it's important to me, it was actually a pleasure to make them. Thank YOU for taking an interest!
Maybe I just missed it, but what is the average lifespan of a monarch?
Non-migratory, up to about six weeks, though it can be less.
Migratory, 6-8 months, though again, it can be less.
MrsLund u looked so so pretty with the butterfly in your hair!!!
+Lapis Lazuli
TOTALLY!
Thx
+MrLundScience can u please raising monarch butterflies in 2016 I started raising monarch butterflies 2yrs ago
+Jamari Glass
I do have some videos planned for this summer to cover ideas and topics that the previous two series did not bring up. Keep at it!
K
.ast week we had 9 catapillars on one of my milkweed plants they were assorted sizes but mostly large. ,I watched them for 2 days and the next day they were all gone. I couldn't find them anywhere what might have happened to them?. Bobbi in North Florida
great video! I loved it!
Thank you!
💜💜💜💜. I have hundreds of milkweeds and I still hope I don’t run out! Some of them overwinter here in Houston and I ran out and had to make an emergency run for more plants. Fortunately the nursery had already aged them a few weeks so they were safe. Don’t, don’t, don’t feed them cantaloupe or anything else besides milkweed! I did and many were messed up!
Is it true most monarch in fl stay? Like they dont migrate.
First question, yes. Second question, sometimes.
I've had many personally tell me, plus many confirm online, they see Monarchs all year round in Florida, especially in the southern areas. As for migration, We don't *know* 100%, but there have been Monarchs that have gone from Florida and made it to Mexico. We know this from those who have tagged the Monarchs, and some of those being retrieved in Mexico. It's not a large number, and it's not certain if these are just Monarchs from the north who went through Florida to Mexico, or are they some of the more or less permanent population of southern Florida that one day, on a whim, migrated. Seems that most of that population stays in Florida, but there might be a migratory path that takes others through Florida. Those who get into tagging in southern Florida could potentially shed some more light on this unknown area.
MrLundScience thanks 😀
My neighbour gave me milkweed seeds in January which are now tiny plants in my container almost to the point that I'll put in different pots. (I never seen your video in time to try your way of starting seeds) Being a first time attempt at creating plants for the monarch I am hoping for at least a few seeds to grow to full size. I enjoyed your video during this covid 19 period.
I have a question. I have a monarch cat that I took from my garden very early I think. I’ve been giving it milkweed leaves to eat on. All of a sudden it seems to have stopped eating and it appears it’s trying to get out of the container it’s in. I think it’s at stage 2 or 3. Is there something I should be doing now? I’m a newbie to all this and I find it fascinating! Any help you can give me would be so much appreciated!
I planted 2 milkweed bushes in my garden this Spring. I was so excited to find several Monarch caterpillars on them this week. I have been looking for eggs on them with no luck. I have not seen a single Monarch in my yard this summer. I have so many flowers to attract butterflies. I am planning on taking all the seed pods and spreading them in the wild. I hope the seeds will grow. I loved watching all 5 parts, I learned so much.
I have them in my milkweed patch. I protect them and keep the habitat safe. I also spread the seeds where i know parasitic humans won't destroy land.
P.s. you have started a butterfly wave!
If they are waving, I'm waving back.
My butterflies finally emerge today--19 days after they went into Chrysalis form.
I'm watching from new Zealand because we have plants here and have been watching the caterpillars everyday and noticed they just arnt surviving
we have only one that has turned into the crsylis
Thankyou for all the videos
now we will be ready for the next year
have been collecting the seeds so hopefully we will have lots for them to eat
I just moved from CA to PA and my house has a 2600 sqft garden. I have been on UA-cam learning all I can so I can do this amazing space justice, and part of that is planting a pollinator garden. One of my neighbors gave me 3 milkweed pods as a "gift" in fall and I had no idea what they were or what to do with them. So I researched and found your series on monarchs.
I now have 30 milkweed plants started using the method you show in part 2 and I have the intention of even more next year. I will be turning part of my sun porch into a monarch nursery and I cant wait to do my part. GREAT SERIES!! Thank you so much! If you are interested in watching as I learn and grow with this new adventure I would love you to visit my channel.
I did see that video but alas not equipped. This is my first time. Again.. thank so much.
I've planted milkweed in a raised bed but after watching these videos am looking around to see where I can add more in my yard
we also are planting milkweeds we have two growing in our backyard and we gave some seeds to friends to grow also we grow tropical milkweed.
Thank you sir for the amazing info. Two years ago a friend gave me a monarch caterpillar soon turning into a criselis in a fish bowl and soon was amazed to have a Beautiful Monarch Butterfly. I Did this twice from the same friend bringing these catepillars. I got really interested in raising these on my own so I asked her for some Milk Weed . I planted last year and now it's bigger than before and with extra milk weed on its side.
A few days ago I decided to check for any eggs as I noticed on various leaves with holes. I had a hard time finding eggs or caterpillars as we had a storm and I believe that they either were washed out or spiders must've eaten them. To my surprise I did happen to find a tiny baby caterpillar in a size of the tip of a pencil. Now she is like half inch size. I'm excited and now after seeing your video , I will harvest these by the bunch to have them safely turn into butterfly and supporting them.
I plan to get one of those boxes to raise them. All I have the one is in a glass jar with very little water for the milk weed. I fear for her to fall by I just learned how you wrap wet cloth. I will do that . Again thank you Mr. Lund . 😊🐛
Cool to have you with us. It's a highly addictive past time. Fair warning!
Good luck with those under your care. You're in for a very rewarding experience!
5:26 Meconium. They excrete this when they eclose or after the butterfly pumped hemolymph to the wings (process takes 10-15 minutes).
Your efforts are commendable. Thank you for your teachings. I have learned so much from you.
I actually raise monarchs every year. Infact, I am doing it right now!
I love these videos. I have been planting milkweed in my garden in Indiana for about 4 years and have enjoyed watching the Monarchs. I have seen caterpillars but not until this year did I raise one. What a wonderful experience. I missed seeing the chrysalis form so I used your video to watch the process. My Monarch hatched last night and I am planning on releasing him later today. Thank you for these informative and inspirational videos.
Thank you so much, Betty, for the kind words. Welcome aboard! (Be warned...it's addictive!)
I was looking for information on how to plant milkweed and stumbled upon your series. I am truly inspired to do more and help these butterflies grow and thrive. Thank you for all the information. Great work editing the videos.
+01REYES01 Many thanks for your interest! This is a problem that can be helped by simple, very cheap means. Thank you for deciding to help take up the cause!
I love your series! As a kid growing up in Michigan, it was a rule of thumb for grade school teachers to have at least one Monarch metamorphosis. Now as as adult, living in Eastern Central Florida, last year I watched several caterpillars grow to stage 5 and disappear. Unfortunately, we have lizards that love to eat our Monarch caterpillars! This year I decided to do something about it! I created a village with fresh milkweed and have made a large screen for them. I have 3 extra milkweed plants in the garden. Each time I find an egg or a caterpillar I add it to the protection of its village...I love saving the Monarch and I know I will find myself increasing my interest and teaching others from my experience!! Great videos!! Thank you for your time in creating them and preserving habitats!!
That sounds so awesome. Glad to be of assistance to a relocated, fellow Michigander!
Hi Mr. Lund! Appreciated this whole series that you made on raising the Monarch butterfly! Very well done and professional might I add! :-) Wanted to let you know that I have a Facebook group devoted to the raising and preservation of the Monarch butterfly called "Monarchs and Milkweed" and I'd LOVE to have you join!! I created it this past Summer as I have a passion for the Monarch butterfly and want to see it's numbers build up here in North America so that we always have that great Fall migration that starts sometime in mid-August. Your knowledge and insight would be very well appreciated on that group. I also look forward to when you make the milkweed-starting videos come Spring 2015 as that would be a GREAT help to any "newbies" that are in my group that are just learning about raising milkweed and the Monarch butterfly. I'm including the link to my FB group here. I would need to approve your membership but feel free to join and I'll accept your membership as soon as I get it. Thanks again for the GREAT work you are doing to educate people about the Monarch butterfly and the importance of milkweed that plays in their life cycle. It's also good to discuss what nectar plants that can be planted that Monarchs are attracted to as well, as that will benefit them on their Fall migration to Mexico. I look forward to hearing back from you and your membership in "Monarchs and Milkweed!" :-) Here's the link: facebook.com/groups/688389397869570/
Hi Mr. Lund. My name is Dana and I also raise Monarchs from the egg thAt has been laid by the female. My yard is all flowered for monarchs to come eat and lay their eggs.... I so enjoy raising them and as of right now I have over 100 eggs hatched and are growing them to full butterflies... I just came across your video and now will be tagging them before flight.... thank you for doing your part for these beautiful creatures. They have such a hard life and I love doing my part with my boyfriend... keep up the good work...
Wow, 100 eggs. That's really awesome! Great commitment on your part, for sure (and your boyfriend). And it's fun to get into tagging them as well!
Thank you, dana2542 it is fascinating to learn about doing this ever since I began; actually my sons both learned about the entire thing when their teachers in 3rd? or 4th grades helped them raise the class butterflies in both N. C. and N. J. schools. It was difficult to find Milkweed then in our horse pastures; now it is ample at our N. C. farm since the pastures are full-on season without animals grazing.....and of course cultivated some into our perinneal garden unti this year's round has the Monarchs coming when we are here from the shore and now, full-time mostly! Thanks to all who do their part, whether in schools or raising their kids or like yourself raising hundreds and tagging them! Best wishes to all.
Your musical choices for these videos are immaculate 😂
definitely ... I'm planting LOTS of milkweed
I took care of one when i was 9 years old it went into a krisalus. Came out as a monarch i let it go too
Thank-you for your time, really fun and great learning experience for my kids!
Awesome to be getting your kids involved! Thank you for helping these animals out!
Hello! I have a question for you. My boy monarch just emerged and a piece of chrysalis is stuck to his wing. Any suggestions how to get it off? Or do you think he will pump up his wings and it will fall off?
PLEASE HELP
Greetings Silverguyz,
Sorry that I didn't get a chance to respond until now. I try to check comments and messages once a day. What ended up happening? I don't know that I could have given a recommendation without seeing the situation, though. I've never had this happen. Did it turn out alright?
I had some milkweed volunteer in my formal garden and am keeping it to raise monarchs! You gave a great presentation regarding how to do this!! Thanks, I can,t wait!!!
Great to hear! Welcome to the cause!
Look at those beautiful colors. That’s cool about the scent glands
Thank you so much for your videos. They have really helped me help our monarchs!
This video is awesome! Love the editing and music and of course, this whole series is SO informative. Thank you!!!! I know you get so many questions, but I figured I chime in with one.. I had two of my first wild monarchs make their homes in my garden to the point of become chrysalides. They were doing so great, then they started changing color and now they are splotchy jade and black and I'm not sure anything is still in there. It's be almost 15 days. My hypothesis is that the early morning sun was too strong for them but I'm not sure.
All that to say... What is the best temperature/sun location for a chrysalis?!
Greetings Natalie. I wouldn't worry about the sun too much. If an insect was that sensitive to sun rays, it would have long ago either gone extinct, evolved ways of defending itself against the sun, or evolved instinct to make its chrysalis in much darker areas. A butterfly that could be killed by the sun that also forms its chrysalis where the sun can kill it isn't one that would last millions of years, know what I mean? When a chrysalis doesn't eclose (have an adult emerge) it's often an indicator that some type of infection occurred. Now, it could also be some type of random genetic problem, but if this happened to two, that already makes a genetic issue unlikely. More likely is that these two were exposed to the same infectious source during the caterpillar stage. It could be many things, though - pesticides, NPV, OE, bacterial, etc. Tough to pin it down 100%. As for temperature and sun location, I don't know of any amount of sunlight being harmful to them. Some Monarch chrysalides have formed fine on branches where there is little cover. Had one person tell me that they saw a chrysalis hanging from a sign in their yard that had no real shade. They'd check on it daily until one day, it was empty. The Monarch had emerged and presumably took off. With temperatures, I don't know what the "best" is, as it depends upon how we are deciding "best". If "best" just means able to be successful, then there's a large range of temperatures. Monarchs in the wild experience all sorts of temperatures while in chrysalis. Most often, anywhere from the 60's to the 90's, and sometimes below and above that. I don't know what cold or hot temperatures, if exposed to them continuously, would cause the eventual death of the Monarch, but it'd have to be considerably below the 60's or above even the 100's for multiple days, I reckon. (Obviously, this isn't something I care to test out to find the answer to!) Thank you for your interest in the Monarchs and doing what you can to help them out!
MrLundScience
Haha thank you! It didn’t make much sense that the sun could harm them but I’m not sure what else it could have been. Do you have any thoughts? Or do you know if any resources I could look into to better understand the chrysalis (and its potential problems)?! Thank you!
Here is a site that reviews specifically Monarch diseases. It's by Project Monarch Health, which is reputable.
journeynorth.org/tm/monarch/monarch_health.html
And here's my video on chrysalis issues (titled just that) in case you haven't found that one yet.
ua-cam.com/video/wB8udbV3kOY/v-deo.html
very excited! my egg is now black tipped 😃
Just found a monarch caterpillar in the wild and decided to take it in and help it through. To figure out how to do that I decided to look online and found your videos... little did I know that i'd find my doppleganger creating an instructional video!! You look exactly like me at 9:40
Alright...gonna need some evidence on that one! Here and I thought I was the only one with this version of ugly!
In all seriousness, though, it'd be interesting to see a photo of you. I'm on Twitter as @MrLundScience and also as @TungstenClan if you want to send a pic my way.
Have you also, then, been told that you look like Henry Rollins for years? I have...and find it to be a huge compliment. I'm a die-hard Rollins fan. Quite overboard, actually. His words, especially his books, got me through some of the roughest times of my life.
Thank you so much for what your doing! I'm in upstate NY and we keep most of our yard as a pollinator landscape. Lots of milkweed and other native plants. Finally this morning I found a 5th instar and a 2nd. I learned that from you because I crashed course on your videos after finding them. I have them set up to grow as you have suggested and I'm very proud and excited to be doing this for our beloved Monarchs!
Hey, congrats, and welcome aboard to one of the most addicting hobbies I've ever encountered! I appreciate the thanks for the videos, but understand, your effort in raising any and all, (and if you do so, planting milkweed) is all the thanks needed. Helping these guys out is something we can easily do, and hopefully, we'll see an upswing in coming years to the population. What's important is knowing that we did what we could and weren't indifferent to their plight.
You and your family is so beautiful! But, guess what? My first year, I've released 4 Monarchs. And I have lots more to go still. Spreading the message!!! Thank you for all you do!
Wow. Thanks! Great job on your 4 Monarchs and the more to come!
It is Sept 8 in CT. I was going to cut down some milkweed because it has become black with mold, but I found 2 large monarch caterpillars The milkweed is growing around the borders in the front of our house. It looks messy, but monarchs are finding this little patch of milkweed.
Yep. They're still out there. And when it comes to the mother's laying, they'll instinctively take what they can get. While they aren't conscious of it, of course, still, they are playing the numbers. And when you have over 300 that can be laid, if you still have some in you, might as well lay them and hope for the best. I've found Monarch eggs as late as mid September, which is pretty much right now, but yeah...there's at least one more week of possibility to find eggs here in Michigan. And that means another three weeks at least of possibly finding caterpillars.
MrLundScience Same here, tonight I was out searching out some fresh cuttings for my two growing caterpillars and found two more...abandoned so it appeared as the plants were dead except that one piece each was on! So glad that I had a flashlight and had been watching your videos today or I may have not been so keen finding them. There are these little hard-shelled snails attacking the Milkweed, so next year I will try to anticipate them and do an old-fashioned manner of getting them away! Small saucers of beer attract them and they usually kick the bucket or run away and get small DUI's upon exit! lol ;-)
Just saw a butterfly in my garden a couple of days ago. I was wondering if it was one of the caterpillars I saw on Sept 8.
Rich your Great!!! Also your family members in this vid, are too!
Thank you so much for being epic!!! Your Love, Passion, Time and Dedication to our world/ animals and insects is Beyond Awe-inspiring! Thanks for Teaching me.
Keep up the wonderful work Bro!
Sidenote, if your wanting answers about anything Biblical... check this site out, JW.ORG, there you can find cool Factual articles, about pretty much, anything...
For example, how there’s Hope for us to potentially see our past loved ones again to (-) articles on Butterflies, relationships, Jehovah God... and so much more, to access just put in the search bar, a topic of your choice.
I look forward, to your next project... 👌👏👊
Take care, Shukair
Thanks for the strong words. I suppose I don't consider myself "epic", but I think that's an expression of your sharing of a desire to help this animal. Very cool.
I currently don't have any Biblical questions, but if any come up, I'll give the site a look.
Peace!
No, thanks to YOU for sharing such a valuable information without any profit for yourself, I really appreciate your work!
Absolutely. Not about money...always about the science and the activism.
This is an amazing series great job
We planted milkweed last Fall and were sooo happy to see new milkweed plants growing in our garden! Two days ago, we discovered a HUGE monarch caterpillar on our baby milkweed plant! So excited to watch it form its chrysalis and develop into a butterfly! Today, my twelve-year-old son and I discovered 4 monarch eggs on milkweed plants! One of which is already black-tipped! Yay! We've brought them home and will raise them to maturity and release them. A labor of love, for sure!!! 😍
It takes a year or two, but planting the milkweed in the yard helps support this hobby so much. It's great to see the Monarchs laying eggs on it, and helps keep a food source supply on hand. I have enough milkweed now that I don't need to trek out into nature as much to get enough leaves, and can leave those plants alone (pun intended). Cool that your son is into this with you!
I have learned so much from watching all of your videos. Thank you!
You're welcome, for sure.