Milk Weed and Monarch eggs?

wishiwere · Post by **wishiwere** » Sep 01, 2007 3:44 pm

When a Monarch lays its eggs under the leaf on a milk, what happens? What I need to know is this. I let them grow for the most part where and when they show up in the gardens, to provide for the Monarch, which have returned every year since I allowed this...... but this time of year I start thinking of cleaning out the old stuff and wonder if I can cut them down, or pull them up, or do the eggs over winter? Does anyone know the cycle? I know the monarch takes off for mexico, but I'm still seeing them around.

Anyone?

VThosta/daylilylover · Post by **VThosta/daylilylover** » Sep 03, 2007 11:20 pm

Sorry, I thought I posted this yesterday... don't know what happened

The monarch will start migrating in the late summer when temps begin to fall as they have a difficult time when the temperature is in the low 50's. They then return in the Spring laying their eggs along the way.
It is probably safe to dispose of the milkweed at this time as they won't need the milkweed until the spring. They lay their eggs on it as that's what the emerging caterpillars eat.

wishiwere · Post by **wishiwere** » Sep 04, 2007 12:09 am

So any eggs they've laid, won't overwinter then?

thanks for you help!

VThosta/daylilylover · Post by **VThosta/daylilylover** » Sep 04, 2007 7:42 am

Well, from what I remember, the Monarch will lay eggs when they arrive in your area. When the new monarchs finally emerge, they will reproduce in a few days starting the cycle over again. At most the monarch lives 9 months and those "born" later in the summer won't reproduce but instead will migrate. (Those that were born and reproduce won't be able to migrate.) They'll head north in the Spring and reproduce along the way. The monarchs that make it this far North will be offspring of the monarchs who migrated. The eggs that were laid in late summer will not overwinter and the milkweed leaves will die in the winter.
A couple of things about milkweed:
All milkweed are not the same. There are some that monarchs can't use as their eggs do not survive on it. If you have the good type, common milkweed and some others, you'll want to let it go to seed before cutting it down.
Hope this helps.

wishiwere · Post by **wishiwere** » Sep 04, 2007 9:37 am

Yes, they are the common ones. I do let the seeded ones go, it's the ones that are too small to seed, or just didn't for what ever reason, that I was going to take down. Thing was, I saw Monarch laying eggs on the undersides, and that's why I wasn't sure whether I should or not. It's too late for them to hatch at this point and go through the process and make it migration, isn't it? I'm in zone 5.

This is the first time I've witnessed them laying the eggs, so am new to these thoughts.

It's nice to those knowledgable to help out

VThosta/daylilylover · Post by **VThosta/daylilylover** » Sep 04, 2007 11:12 am

Zone 5? Then there may be time. You need about 4-5 days for those caterpillars to hatch, they grow for about 2 weeks, then it takes maybe another 10 days to two weeks for the butterflies to emerge... So if you can go about another month or a little more without the temperatures being below 55 during the day or 40 every night, then there is a chance for another generation!
I'm really not an expert, just the only person who's answered you so far

Personally, I'd give them a chance if you can. If you can get or make a cage, once you have a caterpillar and a LOT of milkweed, you can bring one indoors, keeping it fed and waiting for it to form the chrylsis and emerge!! When I lived in zone 5 that was one of the basic science lessons there for elementary students. It was wonderful to see! I think 40 degrees is the magic number that makes it difficult for the butterflies to fly... so they head south when the temps start dropping.

wishiwere · Post by **wishiwere** » Sep 04, 2007 1:01 pm

There would be plenty of milk weed, but I suppose no reason to bring them and let them reach butterfly stage when they'd freeze heading south aftewards

I'll wait till a few good freezes and pull them out then. Mostly I wondered if the eggs would be viable next spring. Then I wouldn't take them out. But if that's not the case, then no reason to leave them all winter.

And thanks. No one else may have answered but you did help me in the decision process

VThosta/daylilylover · Post by **VThosta/daylilylover** » Sep 04, 2007 2:56 pm

If they would have grown outside anyway, you can have them grow inside and then release them, their odds for survival would probably be the same. If they eggs would just have died, at least you give them a chance. The only reason to do all of this is to witness closeup the daily changes in the chrylsis. If you have young children, this would be a good experience for them (unless they find the dead butterfly outside

).
But, anyway, as far as I know they eggs won't survive the winter. I have been trying to find something online to confirm this but cannot.
Well enjoy the ones you see now, I went out to look at my milkweed but haven't seen any eggs at all!

Tigger · Post by **Tigger** » Sep 04, 2007 5:57 pm

Went looking and found this cool website, with pictures of the whole cycle from egg-laying to first flight. It doesn't give the timing for how long from egg to chrysalis, though.
monarch life cycle

wishiwere · Post by **wishiwere** » Sep 04, 2007 10:50 pm

Very

Thanks! That's exactly what the eggs looks like.

Now, does anyone know? Can a Chrysalis overwinter?

Spider · Post by **Spider** » Sep 04, 2007 11:03 pm

I bet if they laid them this late then they should over winter (eggs that is).

VThosta/daylilylover · Post by **VThosta/daylilylover** » Sep 04, 2007 11:24 pm

Great website, Tigger.
The whole process takes about a month. (From egg to butterfly.)