Save Our Monarchs
  • Monarch Story
    • Why Milkweed?
    • Monarch Migration
    • Help Us Expand
    • How To Raise Monarch Butterflies At Home
    • How You Can Help
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Get Seeds
    • Seed Packets
    • Bulk Seeds
  • Donate
    • School Pollinator Garden Program
    • Nebraska/SOM
    • Donate Stock
    • In Memoriam
    • In Honor
  • Store
    • Milkweed Seeds
    • Save Our Monarchs Gear
    • Gift Cards
  • Schools
  • Habitat Projects
    • Corridors For Pollinators
    • Pollinator Garden Program
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Our Partners
    • News
    • Testimonials
    • Irvin & Gladys
    • Contact Us
  • Blog

5 Steps to Rearing Monarchs At Home

3/25/2019

20 Comments

 
Picture
Photo by Debbie Beal.

In the wild, Monarch eggs and larvae have a very small chance of survival. In fact, studies show that 90% of Monarchs do not survive the egg and larva stages. 

Each of us has an opportunity to make a real difference for the Monarchs. We would like to encourage each of you to join  the Monarch  Catch and Release Program, whereby each of us finds either eggs or caterpillars and raises them to adulthood."
​- Ward Johnson,
director of Save Our Monarchs
Rearing monarchs in the classroom or at home is a highly valuable educational tool for teachers, parents, and citizen scientists. This activity helps students to understand the monarch life cycle, witness the phenomenon of metamorphosis and deepen their connection to the natural world. However, Save Our Monarchs Foundation does not support large-scale captive rearing of monarchs as a conservation strategy.

There are several known risks of large-scale captive rearing of monarchs. These risks include increasing diseases and parasites in wild populations and causing the captive monarchs not to migrate. Due to the lack of scientific evidence supporting the practice of rearing monarchs to increase overall population, we support this activity only in a limited capacity as an educational tool.

In addition to our educational mission, Save Our Monarchs is dedicated to utilizing conservation strategies for increasing monarch populations. These strategies include creating new biodiverse pollinator habitat, improving existing habitat, raising awareness about monarch conservation, and providing milkweed and other native plant seeds to the public.
 ​

Materials Needed

Picture
Picture
Picture
1. Ventilated container
​You can now buy these enclosures on our website!
You may also use aquariums, deli containers, clothing hampers but make sure they are clean and well-ventilated. 
​
​
2. Paper towels or Newspapers
This is for lining the cage and simplifying clean-


​
3. Monarch caterpillars or eggs 
These can be found outside on milkweed plants. Look carefully on the underside of leaves and on flower buds for eggs and larvae. Our blog will help you find them! 



4. Milkweed 
​This can be grown in your own backyard or bought from a nursery. If you choose to buy from a nursery, make sure you ask if it has been sprayed with any pesticides which can be fatal to monarch caterpillars. Often nurseries will spray all of their plants with pesticides so your best bet is to grow it yourself.  Plan for at least one plant per caterpillar. 

5 Steps to Rearing Monarchs

Step 1: Find the eggs and/or caterpillars

Picture
The best way to do this is to visit milkweed plants daily that you know are already established and ,hopefully, already in your backyard! If you see a Monarch land on your milkweed plant, it is very likely they left an egg behind so check right away. Carefully look on the underside of the leaf, where they often lay eggs. 1st instar caterpillars and eggs are TINY so look very closely.

Step 2: Put milkweed cutting in water and put them in a ventilated enclosure.

Picture
Once you find a caterpillar or egg, cut off the entire leaf or branch that the egg or caterpillar is on, and put it in a glass of water to keep the cutting fresh. Put the eggs or caterpillars in the ventilated container of your choice after lining with newspaper or a rubber mat (for easy clean-up). 

It is best if you keep the monarchs exposed to as much natural like as possible. A sheltered location outside, a patio or screen in porch are the best options. However, you could also put your enclosure next to a large window so the caterpillars are exposed to natural light and as little artificial light as possible. The reason for this is because recent studies have found that monarchs that are exposed to artificial light do not develop their navigation skills needed for migration. 

Step 3: Clean the cage regularly

The caterpillars are eating constantly so they will generate a lot of frass (cute name for you know what). This frass should be collected every other day in order to keep the larvae healthy and prevent diseases from spreading. You can simply replace the bottom of the container with more paper towels or newspaper paper for easier clean-up. Just throw the frass into your compost bin to add nitrogen!

Step 4: Keep feeding the hungry caterpillars!

Picture
​ It's important to remember that as the caterpillars get bigger, so will their appetite so keep a close eye on them and make sure you are providing enough fresh Milkweed.​ After the caterpillar reaches it’s 5th instar (molting stage) it will climb to the top of the container and begin spinning it's silk pad. It will not need any food at this stage so your job is mostly done.

Step 5: Release Your Butterfly Into the Wild

Picture
The chrysalis will turn clear before the adult butterfly emerges (fully metamorphosed). It is important not to touch them for at least 5 hours so their wings can dry. Keep an eye on the weather and do not release your Monarch if there is a storm on the horizon. You may need to move the butterfly into a larger container if this is the case such as an upside down laundry basket or a mesh cage

Please note that even in captivity, Monarchs can develop diseases, parasites, bacterial infections and other illnesses. The best way to prevent this from happening is to keep a very clean cage that is kept dry and not humid. For a list of common monarch ailments click here. 
Furthermore, we do not support large scale monarch breeding operations or the sale of monarch caterpillars. We DO support responsible rearing of monarchs, especially in an educational environment.  

Monarch Life Cycle

​Eggs only take 4 days to hatch and caterpillars will form a chrysalis within 2 weeks. The butterfly will then emerge from it's chrysalis after 10-14 days, making the entire metamorphosis process just over 1 month! Caterpillars have a huge appetite and can eat 200X their weight in Milkweed! A single caterpillar can easily defoliate a milkweed planted in a 1 gallon container so plan accordingly. Provide fresh leaves daily or enclose the entire milkweed plant. Larvae will survive best and attain a large size if you keep the food fresh, the container clean, and the humidity low.

Egg

Picture
Monarchs overwinter in Mexico and certain parts of Southern California. When they wake up from hibernation, they will intuitively head North and East to start laying eggs. 
In March and April the eggs are laid on milkweed plants and it takes only 4 days for an egg to hatch! 

​According to Karen Oberhauser, Monarch biologist, captive monarch butterflies average about 700 eggs per female as opposed to 300-400 in the wild. 
Monarch females usually lay a single egg on a milkweed plant on the bottom of leaf. So, when searching for eggs, don't forget to flip the leaf over! Eggs are very small and sometimes easy to miss!

Larval Stage (Caterpillar)

Picture
The larval stage last 2 weeks. Once the egg has hatched, a very small (and hungry) caterpillar emerges. During this time, the caterpillar will spend most of it's time eating so it will need fresh leaves everyday.  ​As the caterpillar grows and becomes too large for its skin, it molts.  The intervals between molts are called instars. Monarchs go through 5 instars. Click here if you'd like to learn more about differentiating the different instars. 

Pupa (Chrysalis)

Picture
The chrysalis is green with a golden diadem at first.
Picture
The chrysalis turns clear within 24 hours of opening.
Once the Monarch larvae has reached the final molting stage, they will hang upside down by their last pair of prolegs and create a chrysalis. They will spend between 1 and 2 weeks inside this chrysalis.

Adult Butterfly

Picture
Once adults, Monarchs will live another two to six weeks in the summer. However, the last generation of super Monarchs that complete the migration much longer, about six to nine months.
​

Resources

Special thanks to Debbie Jackson of Monarch Watch for sharing her passion of rearing Monarchs

We also recommend Carol Pasternak's How to Raise Monarch Butterflies, an in-depth guide on Monarch rearing

Kelly R. Nail, Carl Stenoien, Karen S. Oberhauser, Immature Monarch Survival: Effects of Site Characteristics, Density, and Time, Annals of the Entomological Society of America, Volume 108, Issue 5, September 2015, Pages 680–690, https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/sav047
University of Minnesota Monarch Lab. Monarch Life Cycle.
https://monarchlab.org/biology-and-research/biology-and-natural-history/breeding-life-cycle/life-cycle/#adult

Ecology Online Sweden. 2004-2012.
​ http://www.ecology.info/monarch-butterfly-page-3.htm
20 Comments
Dorei
4/15/2019 04:52:19 am

I need some water tubes for the milkweed. Where can I get them

Reply
Katokatz
6/20/2019 08:52:02 pm

Craft stores have them, could also ask at florist shops

Reply
Connie Bowlin
6/3/2019 02:47:19 am

I can barely find milkweed in my area. I tried to grow it to no avail. I am very interested in this program. Please help.

Reply
Mindy Medeiros
10/7/2019 04:42:47 am

I'm happy to send you seeds from my plants. You can plant them now or early Spring. Let me know! :)

Reply
Gloria link
8/3/2021 10:22:36 pm

II'm just starting.. A novice can't find Milkweed in my area can you help.

Thank You

Kari Walker
6/9/2020 05:34:01 pm

I have access to seeds for milkweed native to the area around Santa Monica Bay in Southern California. I am happy to share them. Also the
Thomas Payne organization here in Los Angeles County sells the seeds as well.
I have many milkweed plants that had many monarch adult catepillars on them recently. Please let me know if I can help or you are in the Santa Monica Bay area of So Cal. I do not know how to have you contact me through this site.

Reply
Catherine G
3/20/2021 09:20:51 am

We are working on a school project. We have just planted our milkweed and some is still doing a cold soak. We are looking for Monarch caterpillars. We live in North County San Diego. Do you have any this year yet?

Sarah
9/25/2019 05:09:24 am

I I have a monarch that emerged last evening-6ppm, however the forecast is for rain all day today and sunny tomorrow. Should I wait and release tomorrow and if so what solution can I make to feed or how to give water? Or is it needed?

Reply
Phoenix
11/17/2019 07:52:58 am

I found a monarch on my driveway when the temperature was 40F and dropping. I wasn't moving so I thought it was going to die. I got a stick and put it in front of it and it slowly walked onto it. I brought it inside and put it in the spare dragon tank my daughter had. I didn't want it to die but now I don't really know what to do. I thought if I kept it alive until spring I could release it then. I would really appreciate any help and information at this point because I simply don't know anything about them other than they're beautiful creatures.

Reply
Ashley Cantrell
9/10/2020 06:29:07 pm

I recently watched a YouTube video claiming that monarchs raised indoors are unable to develop their navigation system properly. Can anyone verify if this is correct information? To be on the safe side, I have my habitat outside on my patio. I invite neighbors to come see the formation of the chrysalides, which has inspired many to plant milkweed in their gardens.

Reply
Dale
11/28/2020 04:56:24 pm

Raised monarchs this past summer - we released about 300 (a group of us at the Bondsville Mill, Downingtown, Pa.). We tagged the last ones - please email me with updates.

Thank you very much ☮️

Reply
glenn warner Dittmar link
3/15/2021 12:50:52 pm

Is it better to let them hatch in the wild, will anything eat the caterpillars? What are the bugs that are red with blk dots they seem to eat the plant also?

Reply
Jeannine Thompson
5/25/2021 01:34:45 pm

Hello. I think the red bugs with the black dots are called Large Milkweed Bugs (Oncopeltus fasciatus). I think the caterpillars are eaten by quite a few things, wasps, spiders, ants. I don't know if it's better to let nature take its course in this regard or protect the caterpillars. I have settled on a combination of both this year.

Reply
Matt
8/21/2021 12:50:33 pm

Yes definitely. Birds will too. I just saw a mockingbird eat one in front of my sunroof. Immediately went and purchased an enclosure and moved a few inside.

Reply
Jennifer Brocato
6/10/2021 11:13:14 am

I grow milkweed and this spring counted 21 monarch cats on my plants. Within a few days, they were mostly gone. I was able to "rescue" the three remaining that I could find and raised them in an enclosure. The first was released yesterday, the second will be released today and if all goes well, the third will be released in the next week or so. I am very happy that I was able to help these three make it to adulthood. When they return in the fall for the southern migration, I will be prepared to help as many as I can.

Reply
Reality
7/14/2021 10:36:52 am

I had a friends husband tell me that if the eggs are removed from where they were laid, that it will interrupt the migration, that the butterflies won't be able to find their way. We may have collected eggs and caterpillars from 10 KM away, but that's about it.

Reply
GEORGIA Raiford
1/31/2022 05:10:18 pm

Very informative. Thank you for sharing. I have been doing this for years and this is helpful information that can be used in classrooms and programs.

Reply
George Eiband
3/5/2022 12:14:16 pm

We, in those rare Houston freezing weather events, bring eggs, cats, and chrysalises indoors and put them in a netted My concern is the length of time we can keep them, post emerging as butterflies, indoors with no food supply. We have on occasion kept them unfed for as many as three days with no sustenance. Any guidance would be appreciated.

Reply
Joanne Garis
9/2/2022 01:57:16 pm

Juicy Juice, Gatorade, sugar or honey and water, orange slices, watermelon, hummingbird nectar or nectar flowers are some food sources for captive Monarchs. You can Google for more i fo.

Reply
frances
8/31/2022 07:28:46 pm

today, Aug 31, 2022 I have at least 8 monarch caterpillars on my milkweed in front yard! they are in different growth stages.
I hope I have enough leaves left! I live in Suffolk, Va

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Rebecca Chandler
    Garden Educator, Naturalist and Ethnobotanist

    Picture

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

NOTE: You can also receive FREE SEEDS by sending us a self-addressed stamped envelope to: 
​
Save Our Monarchs | P.O. Box 947 | Chanhassen, MN 55317
Please include a $5 donation with each request.
​
Get Seeds
Donate
Forum
Blog
Contact Us
Privacy
  • Monarch Story
    • Why Milkweed?
    • Monarch Migration
    • Help Us Expand
    • How To Raise Monarch Butterflies At Home
    • How You Can Help
    • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Get Seeds
    • Seed Packets
    • Bulk Seeds
  • Donate
    • School Pollinator Garden Program
    • Nebraska/SOM
    • Donate Stock
    • In Memoriam
    • In Honor
  • Store
    • Milkweed Seeds
    • Save Our Monarchs Gear
    • Gift Cards
  • Schools
  • Habitat Projects
    • Corridors For Pollinators
    • Pollinator Garden Program
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Our Partners
    • News
    • Testimonials
    • Irvin & Gladys
    • Contact Us
  • Blog