Date: 05/16/2009

Number: 1

I collected 32 monarch eggs May 9th and 10th on the little rise above my house in the knobs above Union, WV. Last night they began hatching.
This afternoon 17 of them were dead. 10 were showing signs of disease, writhing and turning and 5 are still looking normal. There is very little feeding damage to the milkweed...as though the first few bites were enough to cause mortality in most cases. I know that the gypsy moth spray program has been going on in the county since the beginning of the month. I had hoped that since there were no scheduled spray areas to the immediate west of me or within 15 miles to the east that this area
would be somewhat sheltered but this die off is pretty impressive. I
transferred the 5 that look OK onto milkweed leaves from lower on the mountain near my house where perhaps it is more sheltered from wind born spores. I am wondering, for the health of future eggs laid in this area would it make sense to mow my milkweed fields at this point? How quickly does BTK become non viable...if at all?

Courtesy of Monarch Watch

Union, WV

Latitude: 37.6 Longitude: -80.5

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