# Milkweed



## Yuleluder (Mar 2, 2005)

Looks like common milkweed. Get some Swamp milkweed, as the monarchs prefer it over other species of milkweed. On top of that you have the perfect habitat for it near the pond.


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## Jeffzhear (Dec 2, 2006)

I learned something new, thanks for sharing the picture of the caterpillar.


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## Luke (Sep 8, 2003)

When did you take that picture? I have only seen one Monarch caterpillar in my area so far and it was in July. I have a lot of milkweed around here. Is there a shortage this year? I have a lot of Milkweed Tiger Moth caterpillars this year. They hang out in large groups and strip the plant bare in a day or two.


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## Hobie (Jun 1, 2006)

I haven't seen any monarch caterpillars on my milkweed yet (which grows in the vegetable garden, much to my chagrin, but I do not have the heart to pull it out.) I have, however, been picking those dang japanese beetles off the flowers. Now that the milkweed is seeding, they've moved to the broccoli. Hate those beetles.


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## BjornBee (Feb 7, 2003)

Luke,
The picture was taken about 5 minutes before I posted them.

I know the monarchs had taken a hit a couple years back when tens of millions of them were killed in Mexico in a freak late season ice storm. Not sure if the numbers fully recovered from that yet or not.


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## AltamontBee (Mar 26, 2008)

I help run a summer butterfly house program at the school where I teach-the students and I have all noticed a lot fewer monarchs this year than in the past. I'm not sure why.
Jennifer


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## BerkeyDavid (Jan 29, 2004)

Thanks for the pics Bjorn. I have quite a bit of milkweed myself. This year I had 3 plants that literally came up all the way through a bale of straw. I left some of the straw out near the bee yard (use it to make a wind break) and the milkweed sent its shoot all the way through the bale of straw. Maybe I'll post a picture.

Also thanks for the queens last year, made it through the winter and I have used the best producer for grafting this year.


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## Dave Burrup (Jul 22, 2008)

*Milkweed and Monarchs*

When I was a kid (40 years ago) we had Monarchs everywhere. You could find them on all of the milkweed clumps. Now they are very rare. If I see one or two a year I feel lucky. I have 18 acres now with lots of milkweed clumps. I actually spray some just to keep them in control. I have not had a single catepillar on them in 6 years.
Dave


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## berkshire bee (Jan 28, 2007)

We've stopped mowing the front yard and between plantings and letting wild stuff grow, it's been pretty cool for us, the butterflies, and the bees. We have milkweed,wild sweet clover, tansy and goldenrod. The monarchs loved the milkweed last year. I should have noted when they were here. Haven't seen any so far but it may still be early around here.


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## mobees (Jul 26, 2004)

*Monarchs*

I had 10 small caterpillars on a patch that hatched together. 1 week later they were all gone.
I was reading that they are prey when they are young and not eaten after they eat allot of 
milkweed. My patch of milkweed looked lousy this year anyways and with all the rain the bees are really struggling.


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## Luke (Sep 8, 2003)

I finally found some Monach caterpillars today. I relocated a few of them to some bigger plants. I also found a couple of very large tomato horn worms. They were too big to squish without making a gross mess so I put them in the woods far away from my tomato plants.


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