We wait. Monarchs who overwintered and left on their spring migration have reached the end of their lives. The next generation nestled in their chrysalises are just about to eclose. Monarch sightings are typically low but we expect them to increase soon, as the first generation’s bright colored wings appear across the Western landscapes. Hope is in the air as we wait for them to appear. 

Monarch enthusiasts in the Eastern United States have begun to report monarchs laying eggs since our last report on April 24.

Eastern sightings

Toni in Falls Church, Virginia, just outside of Washington D.C., reported on May 1, “This beauty was laying eggs on common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). Yaaaaay!”

A little further south in Asheville, North Carolina, Renee reported a monarch depositing eggs on common milkweed as well.