Date: 02/24/2006

Number: 1

Part I:

An update from my "butterfly" garden in Atascocita. We had a very cold snap two weeks ago so prior to the snap, I scoured my yard to collect all the caterpillars I could find. I collected 18, mostly very close to the transition to chrysalis. My food supply was running low due to weather and these hungry friends, but I gathered what I could to help them attain their next stage. I had one already in a chrysalis stage so I brought it inside and it hatched this week in warmer climes. I have one that has hung on an iron railing and I covered it with a towel to try to keep it relatively warm, I'm not sure it will hatch, but continue to monitor. Of my 18 original caterpillars, four have hatched and have been released, three female, one male, and the unknown. So, this week has seen five fresh new Monarchs gracing our community.

Part II:
Even though quite a few of the nectar plants froze and died back, I still have a healthy amount of nectar plants blooming for my special friends. We have had relatively cold temps with overcast skies and heavy "pea-soupy" conditions; rain is expected again this weekend so I don't expect to see my friends flying this weekend either. Hopefully, I will have more butterflies to release though in the next few days. I have checked all my plants and there are no new eggs or caterpillars -- I would definitely put this down to the very unfavorable conditions we have experienced in the last two weeks. Spring has sprung though, flowers are blooming, and I do have new growth on my milkweed plants.

Atascocita, TX

Latitude: 30 Longitude: -95.2

Observed by: Sue
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