Date: 03/10/2015

Number: 1

I've seen Monarch butterflies through out the winter, so it's hard to say what the "first" sighting will be. I decided to make that decision based on the first female that comes into my yard and drops 100 eggs! On May 1st of last year, that's what happened. I was new to the Monarch Experience, so it was cause for celebration. But it seemed like I was overrun with Monarch caterpillars to the point that I realized that I needed more milkweed plants, AND nectar plants.
I've seen Monarchs out in Temecula, Vista, over near the community gardens in Carlsbad. But so far, no females have come into my yard. I'm trying to set my backyard up so I only have a certain amount of milkweed plants are available for eggs. As the season goes on, I'll pull stripped milkweed plants and wash them off and put some worm castings on their soil, and then put them in the "safe" house I've got set up. I'll rotate out another round of milkweed plants as those cats have pupated and need more milkweed plants.
I have no idea if this will work. The Monarchs have a system of their own, so I may not be able to keep to this plan. But I thought it would be interesting to see if it would lower the concentration of O.e. spores on my butterflies.

Carlsbad, CA

Latitude: 33.2 Longitude: -117.3

Observed by: Nancee
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