Date: 01/09/2006

Number: 1

This past summer I raised 42 Monarch Butterflies for those who follow the Monarchs each year. I have continued to have butterflies in my yard because I have a fair amount of milkweed. The thing is, I am continuing to have caterpillars as well. I have no leaves left, 9 chrysiles are hanging in various places on my porch, and several caterpillars are down to eating the bark off the plants in desperation. And I saw a female laying eggs on Tuesday of last week. So there will be more caterpillars and no food. It is believed that Florida does have a non-migrating subspecies and this is probably what I am seeing since I have so much milkweed. Until last winter, when a caterpillar climbed onto my porch and turned into a chrysalis, I didn't even know they were around in the winter here.

Ormond Beach, FL

Latitude: 29.3 Longitude: -81.2

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