Date: 04/07/2005

Number: 1

I have amazingly many this year and seemingly early. For
about the last 2 weeks I have been watching a growing number of monarch
caterpillars on my 3 semi-puny milkweeds (the frost had me cut them way
back). I've been shifting them around from the denuded branches to the
ones with leaves but yesterday the situation became so dire that I had
to scour the nurseries in Victoria and finally found 3 nice bushy
plants on the 4th try. With about 2 1/2 doz. fat caterpillars already
having moved off to pupate I currently only have about 1 1/2 to 2 doz.
left and my plants should feed them well .... if I don't get more eggs.
And yesterday a female monarch was observed prospecting for a good
place to do just that.

Are there any alternative foods to milkweeds? Hopefully not too
expensive? Haven't had another big push of monarchs through the area
but I still see a few every day in my yard although it is not obvious
to me if they are migrating or just hanging around. No

Port O Connor, TX

Latitude: 28.2 Longitude: -96.6

Observed by:
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