Date: 09/11/2009

Number: 1

I am deeply involved with keeping up with the probably 50 or so caterpillar's hunger as my students and I marvel at their tremendous growth rate. I only hope that my remaining milkweed is enough for them. My students and I have released three already and I released two more yesterday. As I was restocking and cleaning the large tank I use for this annual event, two more gave me the gift of watching them emerge from their chrysalis! So beautiful! That means I go back to school today to release them! Teaching has been a 7 day a week job lately, but I don't mind as I see these wonderful creatures.

Two last comments must include the lateness that the Monarchs found my milkweed this year. This was the latest I had seen; which was just over a week ago that the "babies" started hatching from their eggs. It was so late that I was convinced that I wouldn't see them...but boy was I wrong. One must have found it and dumped the motherload of eggs!

My final comment is also a question: My milkweed didn't bloom this year! I had one small plant bloom...until the rabbits ate them. Weeks later, one plant bloomed and made two seed pods...but the caterpillars made quick use of them as they were still immature pods. Sooooo, I have no seeds to plant for next year! Question: Is there a correlation to my non-blooming milkweed and the lack of Monarchs finding it this year? And why didn't it bloom? (I usually have many blooms and I am able to harvest hundreds of seeds.)

Moyock, NC

Latitude: 36.5 Longitude: -76.1

Observed by: Joyce
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