Date: 02/23/2023

Number: 12

We are getting about a dozen Monarchs a day here in Central Florida, our 12 milkweed plants are almost bare, yesterday I counted 14 Monarch Caterpillars and 21 crystals. To try and preserve what little milkweed we have left I am gathering the caterpillars every day and placing them in a tupper ware container filled with butternut squash and cucumber shavings, and placing the container under the remaining milkweed plant that still has leaves. The following morning all the caterpillars are back on the milkweed plant, we’re just going to continue the process every day and see if we can get the caterpillars to eat the squash and cucumbers. We have also started preparing for next season by starting an additional 24 milkweed cuttings that we will plant as soon as they have roots, also we have purchased some large milkweed seeds that should arrive this week, we will try to grow them between now and May when we head back up to Massachusetts for the summer, and hopefully plant them and have them ready for next fall in our Hunter Haven Fl garden!

Winter Haven, FL

Latitude: 28.1 Longitude: -81.7

Observed by: Vic
Contact Observer

The observer's e-mail address will not be disclosed.
Contact will be made through a web-based form.