Date: 10/07/2010

Number: 1

Two weeks ago, I took in the last two Monarch cats left on my Asclepius tuberosa, when they had eaten the last leaves off the plant and were wandering off looking for a place to go into their chrysalis stage.

I'd scrounged a discarded fish tank from a neighbor's front yard that had been set out for the trash. It even had a plexiglass top cut to fit it with lots of holes already drilled in it for air (the neighbor told me it had been used as a terrarium). It was just what I needed to accomodate my little friends.

I placed a layer of clean newspaper in the bottom and set up some rough twigs and branches for them. By the next morning, they were already in their chrysalises, so it was good timing.
That date was 24 Sept and both of them emerged earlier this week on 3 Oct...it took them only 9 days to make the change. The weather was cold and rainy though, so I kept them for a few days.

To feed them, I made up a small batch of nectar (1 part sugar to 4 parts water) to which I added three drops of soy sauce. I've read that adding a tiny bit of soy sauce provides the Monarchs with some essential amino acids that they would ordinarily get out in the garden.

I was able to release the two girls earlier today, as the rain has ended, and the temps have gotten back up closer to 70 degrees. It was sad seeing them fly off together, but it was time for them to start their journey south. I will miss them, though. My observation time: I was watching for ___ hours and ___ minutes.

Vincentown, NJ

Latitude: 39.8 Longitude: -74.6

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