Dear Monarch friends and neighbors,
I think the heat is speeding up caterpillar activity. I have briefly checked the progress of Monarch eggs over the past few days (Last week I found only 21 total on 6 plants). This evening, I found 3 caterpillars – 1 -3rd instar and 2- 4th instar. I have a feeling there are more out there, and will take a closer look and record my results tomorrow when it’s not as hot.
In any case, I have observed a big drop in Monarch butterfly numbers over the previous two years. Hopefully you’ve seen some and found some eggs. Let us know what’s going on in your garden!
Judy