Tag Archives: butterflies

Finally Butterflies

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They aren’t quite butterflies yet, but I was so excited when I found the monarch caterpillars!!  I planted the butterfly garden a few years ago and this year we have SO many butterflies.  I also found 10 caterpillars on my parsley.

 

We haven’t had the monarch butterflies yet, but we have hundreds (and hundreds) of Painted Lady butterflies.  They are enjoying the Rough Blaze Star, one of the native plants that I bought at the Arboretum of the Plains in Hesston, KS at their spring sale.  Their fall sale is this weekend.  You can bet I will be there!!

 

Monarchs – Just passing through

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Monarchs stopped by today on their way to over-winter in Mexico.  Each spring and summer there are 3 – 5 generations born.  Most of them live 5 weeks, with the exception of the last generation born at the end of summer.  They make the journey back to Mexico.  They will then return the following spring.  Over-wintering monarchs can live to be 8 months old.

The monarchs were feeding on the butterfly milkweed and vitex (Chaste tree).  We are also in the process of adding a larger area of plants focusing on plants that attract butterflies.

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To The Rescue

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Most people rescue dogs, cats, horses, even chickens, ferrets, the list sadly goes on and on. I haven't heard of very many caterpillar rescues, but that is what I was involved in the other day. I had gone to visit my aunt and we were out looking at her fennel. It was a big plant that was a couple years old , but it had quite a few caterpillars on it and they were feeding heavily. She wanted the fennel more than the caterpillars so we put them in containers along with some roly polys that the grandkids wanted to move to a new home too. I was more than happy to bring the caterpillars to my garden as I had planted dill and butterfly milkweed, just in hopes of attracting monarchs!

Most people rescue dogs, cats, horses, even chickens, ferrets, the list sadly goes on and on. I haven’t heard of very many caterpillar rescues, but that is what I was involved in the other day. I had gone to visit my aunt and we were out looking at her fennel. It was a big plant that was a couple of years old , but it had quite a few caterpillars on it and they were feeding heavily. She wanted the fennel more than the caterpillars so we put them in containers along with some roly polys that the grandkids wanted to move to a new home too. I was more than happy to bring the caterpillars to my garden as I had planted dill and butterfly milkweed, just in hopes of attracting monarchs!

This is what it looks like now. I can't wait to see a monarch butterfly! They are such amazing little fragile creatures.

This is what it looks like now. I can’t wait to see a monarch butterfly! They are such amazing little fragile creatures.