Helping Monarchs
Q: I hear that monarch butterflies are endangered? Is it OK to rear them inside the house and set them free when they are butterflies?
A: Yes as long as you're not raising hundreds indoors and are not breeding them in captivity, according to xerces:
”How can I rear monarchs responsibly?”
Rear no more than ten monarchs per year (whether by a single individual or family). This is the same number recommended in the original petition to list the monarch under the Federal Endangered Species Act.
• Collect immature monarchs locally from the wild, heeding collection policies on public lands; never buy or ship monarchs.
• Raise monarchs individually and keep rearing containers clean between individuals by using a 20% bleach solution to avoid spreading diseases or mold.
• Provide sufficient milkweed including adding fresh milkweed daily.
• Keep rearing containers out of direct sunlight and provide a moist (not wet) paper towel or sponge to provide sufficient, not excessive, moisture.
• Release monarchs where they were collected and at appropriate times of year for your area.
• Check out Monarch Joint Venture’s newly updated handout, Rearing Monarchs: Why or Why Not?
• Participate in community science, including testing the monarchs you raise for OE, tracking parasitism rates, and/or tagging adults before release.
Source: https://xerces.org/blog/keep-monarchs-wild?embedded_webview=true
I will add:
When moving monarchs and adding milkweed for the caterpillars to eat, make sure you have washed your hands well with soap and water and DIDN'T give your dog or cat a petting before handling monarch materials. The flea/tick residues can harm them!
Don't put large caterpillars in with small ones or the small ones may be eaten! Or they may give each other diseases/parasites from the wild.
Avoid placing milkweed on the floor of the enclosure - where the poop falls. Eww.
Put milkweed into small mouth containers to keep it fresh - like a vase or floral tube. This also keeps them from falling into the water and drowning! I've also had good results with styrofoam to-go cups with lids. Just poke the stems through the lids and into the water. If you only have wide mouth containers, slip a sandwich bag upside down over the top and poke small holes into it for stems.
Large monarch caterpillars are voracious eaters so make sure you have enough milkweed nearby - that HASN'T been chemically sprayed - to keep them fed until they make their chrysali.
Do NOT help a monarch out of the chrysalis. The struggle is needed for them to survive.
WAIT before putting them right outside when they emerge. The butterfly needs several hours to pump its wings so the fluid in its swollen torso gets out to the wings.
Plant milkweed, yes but ALSO plant flowers that will attract them to your garden and will provide a NECTAR source for the adult butterflies. These can be annuals or perennials. They need nectar sources especially in the fall when they fly all the way down to Mexico! In Michigan, asters and goldenrod bloom late into fall. If you notice, most common milkweed blooms have dried up and faded away by late fall.
There are many different types of milkweed in Michigan. Avoid planting common milkweed in small spaces as it will likely take over the whole growing area. See this article for milkweed type ideas: https://www.localharvest.org/blog/28286/entry/milkweeds
Provide water sources outside. Adult butterflies also need hydration! A small water dish or bird bath with rocks that poke above the water line is helpful. I've seen monarchs sipping from the edge of our small dog pool outside.
Are you wanting to grow gardens that are pollinator friendly but not sure how to start? Contact me for more information!!
And sometimes things go wrong while raising them. https://www.saveourmonarchs.org/blog/whats-wrong-with-my-monarch-101