Multiplying Quickly

Yesterday's release was a successful and gratifying experience. To know that you played a part in keeping the population of any species going is simply beautiful. To do so with a creature that you can see surfing on the wind in the sun on a hot summer day is even better, especially when you have witnessed the delight and joy that those creatures bring to people. There's just something about butterflies that make people smile!

After yesterday's release of a dozen butterflies, Monarch Girls knew they would have some big release days coming up. With a 55 gallon aquarium sitting on our front porch, its lid dotted with little green monarch chrysalides numbering at least 40, we knew we were in for an exciting week. After noticing last night that quite a number of them were turning darker, then translucent, the stripes of the monarch wings visible for all to see, we thought we'd have some monarchs waiting for us this morning. Alas, all was still in the aquarium yet this morning when the entire family went off to work for a long day at two local farmers' markets.

After a day in the hot sun, Mom and three kids came home in the middle of the afternoon, anxious to check the butterflies' progress. Imagine our surprise when we found that TWO DOZEN monarchs had emerged from their chrysalides in our absence! We couldn't even take time to count them all! We had to count the empty chrysalides after releasing them, because an emergency was quickly detected. Upon observing that one monarch was not hanging from the top of the lid, but was in a crumpled heap in the bottom of the aquarium, struggling to climb the side, it was determined that the best course of action was to open the lid of the aquarium and allow and encourage the monarchs who were ready to fly to take off into the hot afternoon sun.

The hope was that the monarch struggling at the bottom of the aquarium could be assisted to the top again, and it would not be too late for it to straighten its wings. Unfortunately, that was not the case. The wings were already dried too much to change their shape. Either the monarch had been knocked down by another monarch, it lost its grip on its own, or, and we hope this is not the case, it is infected with OE. You can click HERE to learn more about OE, but it is a terrible disease that can affect monarchs. OE is a primary reason our large aquarium is NOT the ideal location for raising monarchs, because the spores can easily infect other caterpillars. More on some changes we are going to make in a future post, but for now, there is the problem of the crippled butterfly. It would not survive on its own, and could contaminate others if it is infected. However, Monarch Girls were not impressed with the idea of euthanizing it, so for now, it is in a cage by itself with flowers on the bottom to provide it with nectar to drink.

Stay tuned for further updates! More monarchs will be emerging within days!