Dear Monarch friends,

Well, it continues to be an interesting summer weather and climate wise. How are your plants holding out? What about the caterpillar population?

Despite the seemingly incessant rain, heat and humidity, Monarch caterpillars in my garden did well, and managed to eat their way through my eight plants. I even have a few smaller instar caterpillars feeding on the spent plants, now mostly stalks, a handful of half eaten leaves, and now seed pods beginning to open. 

I monitored three chrysalides complete their metamorphosis to adult butterflies, and am holding my breath for the remaining three I found to make it through. These have been in the usual places – on chairs, hanging from tables, on the siding of the house, hanging from the grill. I know there must be more somewhere…

Attached is a photo from last week. Send your photos and your stories!
Judy