Raising 211 Anise Swallowtail Caterpillars

A good friend ask me how I organize and care for my Anise Swallowtail caterpillars. So I made this video to explain. I have been floating around the 200 mark for the last 2 weeks or so and it hasn’t been half as bad as I thought it would be, I still even have an extra cage at this point!!
Anise Swallowtail are very similar to Eastern Black Swallowtails, AST are the west coast version of the EBST. Swallowtails are one of my favorite types of caterpillars to raise, they are easy to take care of and with proper husbandry not many deaths.
It’s almost a guarantee, this late in the year the chrysalis will overwinter. There’s many different ways people do this, for me I think nature got it right. I have a sheltered protected enclosure that is outside. I put all my chrysalis in there and they decide when it’s correct to come out. Could be this year, probably next spring, maybe even the spring after that! I had several chrysalis from 2017 come out this year in 2019!
Anise Swallowtail
Bay Area, CA
Zone 9b

[@Mykitchenchanne1]

I love how your so ♥️ you’re so organized! Thank you for keeping them safe so we can all enjoy more butterflies flying around!

[@Mykitchenchanne1]

Had to watch this video again. You are so organized. Love it!

[@tinablum9089]

Wow! Awsome job!

[@Mykitchenchanne1]

Love this!

[@aglasser100]

How do you move them from cage to paper roll?

[@danieltaber754]

Where do you find the cats? Eggs? Are they in your yard? What state?