Monarch caterpillars, advice needed

[addy1]

I know a bunch of you save the caterpillars.

I need advice. I just looked at the plants, they are low on leaves, covered with aphids and around 20 plus caterpillars.

From big to small. I have never seen this many on the plants.

Should I try to save them? I have bee package cages that can be converted to caterpillar growth cages. I have never done this, no clue where to start.

I have other milkweed leaves, not swamp, I can harvest to help them out.

What do you all think?

 

[mrsclem]

Hey Addy- just posted on my butterfly thread. I'm wondering the same thing! So far the favorite seems to be the tropical milkweed but there are some on the native as well as the swamp milkweed. I'm just not sure there are enough plants for all these guys and I have a dozen female monarchs still laying eggs! Don't need 60-70 house pests- I mean pets!

 

[j.w]

Nice of you to try and save them. I haven't a clue on what to do tho.

 

[addy1]

lol the plants they are on are almost out of leaves. I could move them to the other milk weeds we have.

 

[Stephen Noble]

I recall reading a couple of years ago about a restoration project that involved planting milkweed to help the butterflies. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the wrong type and was either harmful or was not the type the butterflies could use. Anyway, you might want to search and see the type of milkweed butterflies need. Here is one story about the project: http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2015/01/plan-save-monarch-butterflies-backfires
Anyway, just thought it might be helpful information.
Stephen

 

[addy1]

They are on swamp milkweed which they love. I don't have any of the tropical milkweed mentioned in the article. All of mine grows and dies every winter. But comes back in the spring.

Think it is called butterfly weed, butterfly milk weed. Looks like this, not my picture

This one is my plant

I can move some of the caterpillars to these plants to give them more food.

 

[Stephen Noble]

Oh my goodness....the beauty!

 

[addy1]

They are not blooming right now, but have healthy leaves.

 

[Tara]

I got an alert this week . Ohio is doing their annual milk weed seed collection. Project is called Ohio pollinators habitat initiative. Any questions people can phone 937-404-3150. From what I have heard and seen, swamp weed and milkweed are often confused with swamp smartweed.

 

[Tara]

I also ment to say, I bet they have a ton of information.

 

[Gordo33]

Should I try to save them? I have bee package cages that can be converted to caterpillar growth cages. I have never done this, no clue where to start.

Curious as to why you would have to save them . This my second season with native plants including butterfly weed and swamp milk weed. Like you I have a bunch of small to large size caterpillars chomping away at the leaves . Last year they were only on the swamp millk weed and ate all the leaves leaving bear stems . Not sure what happened to the caterpillars after they ran out of food. The plants this year are significantly bigger . So us their survival concerns do to lack food, shelter or predators

 

[addy1]

I am watching them if they eat all of the leaves I will move them to another milkweed plant.
Just want them to survive.

 

[Gordo33]

Unfortunately I don't have more plants to transfer the caterpillars to. Hopefully they don't run out of food before entering their next stage

 

[mrsclem]

I have 2 beds of milkweed gone so far. No sign of them going to next stage yet. Not sure if they will stay on milkweed or maybe move to other plants.

 

[addy1]

They are stripping mine also, problem is where the plants are there is not a lot for them to go and eat, unless they like lilies, land lilies.