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Raising caterpillars

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Eden Marel

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Erica
I got my Insect Lore Butterfly kit in today, and just sent off an order for the caterpillars. I remember in 2nd grade we raised some caterpillars that turned into Painted Ladies, so I'm very sure this is the very same kit the teacher got!

Well I'm excited that's for sure! The caterpillars will come in 1-3 weeks cuz the company has to hatch the eggs and stuff. Hopefully by the time I get them into butterfly mode my container plants would be fully grown and they can hang around for a while after I release them. I'll be sure to post pics once I get them! :laughing12:

Has anybody else raised caterpillars? I think the two most common caterpillars to raise are painted lady and monarch caterpillars. I hope to raise some Monarchs next year when I get some Milkweed going.
 

expressmailtome

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I have not since I was a kid.

Matt
 

Chad

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I raise monarchs every summer!! I go outside and find their eggs on the underside of the Milkweed plants in my field, and I bring them inside until they hatch. Then I clean their cages every day and watch as they grow from a tiny baby that you can barely see to a adult caterpillar that is almost two inches long. Its so much fun!

I've even taken part in a monarch catch, tag, and release program. In it you go outside and catch monarchs with nets in the fall. (That is the generation of monarchs that are migrating to Mexico) Then you put a small sticker on their wings in a spot that will not inhibit their flying at all. Each sticker has a a unique identification number on it, and you log where you caught the monarch, and the date you did along with the number on the sticker. When you're done with the sheet, you send it in, and scientists that go to Mexico collect the monarchs that pass away on the forest floor and sort through their bodies and find the ones that have the stickers on them. They use the data to find out which monarchs are making it to Mexico, and where they are coming from. Its very fun to take part in. :D
 

Eden Marel

Strolling the yard
Joined
6/5/10
Messages
120
Location
Colorado, USA
Real Name
Erica
I raise monarchs every summer!! I go outside and find their eggs on the underside of the Milkweed plants in my field, and I bring them inside until they hatch. Then I clean their cages every day and watch as they grow from a tiny baby that you can barely see to a adult caterpillar that is almost two inches long. Its so much fun!

I've even taken part in a monarch catch, tag, and release program. In it you go outside and catch monarchs with nets in the fall. (That is the generation of monarchs that are migrating to Mexico) Then you put a small sticker on their wings in a spot that will not inhibit their flying at all. Each sticker has a a unique identification number on it, and you log where you caught the monarch, and the date you did along with the number on the sticker. When you're done with the sheet, you send it in, and scientists that go to Mexico collect the monarchs that pass away on the forest floor and sort through their bodies and find the ones that have the stickers on them. They use the data to find out which monarchs are making it to Mexico, and where they are coming from. Its very fun to take part in. :D
Wow cool!! It's awesome to find caterpillars in your backyard. I've never found one in the backyard. Well I think I did once when I was a kid, I'm not sure what it was but it would escape and we couldn't find it. Then a few weeks later we found it and it was still alive so we tried to raise it again. But then it died a couple weeks after, probably from the lack of the right food :(

I just bought some Asclepias tuberosa seeds at Walmart yesterday and planted them, hopefully they will grow. Next year I am gonna buy other Ascelpias seeds and start them inside in late March/early April.

Then I might order some caterpillars, but I heard they are expensive to ship. :(
 
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