Can Milkweed Grow Fast Enough? |
![Monarch_Summer2002_049](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/journeynorth.org/images/graphics/monarch/Monarch_Summer2002_049.jpg)
In warm summer temperatures, monarch larvae can grow this big in about two weeks!
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![CaterpillarFeast009](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/journeynorth.org/images/graphics/monarch/milkweed_eggGallion01.jpg)
Will there be enough milkweed to feed the hungry larvae?
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Monarchs often arrive in the spring just as milkweed is emerging from the ground. When milkweed is in short supply, a monarch may lay more than one egg per plant or leaf. "Egg loading" is a sign that milkweed is in short supply. If milkweed were plentiful, monarchs would not lay so many eggs on a single plant. When people see milkweed plants loaded with eggs, they wonder: Will there be enough milkweed for the hungry caterpillars? |
1. How would you document the growth of a milkweed plant? |
2. How would you document the amount of milkweed a monarch larva needs during its caterpillar stage? |