it's been getting colder during the days now, and really chilly at night... but i still have 14 chrysalis waiting to emerge.
i brought the 'castle' inside to keep them warm, and help them along.
this morning i released two beautiful boys.
Monday, December 15, 2014
Friday, November 28, 2014
Saturday, September 20, 2014
back to life
i saw the most amazing thing this morning...
i woke up and was cleaning out the castle and getting fresh milkweed for my caterpillars.
i have my milkweed leaf stalks in jars of water to keep them fresh. then i saw that this poor little guy had fallen in the water - and he had drowned... so sad.
i remembered i had just read something about this...
put the caterpillar on a pile of salt.
i did that... and i was amazed when a few minutes later he started moving. then started walking around !
okay ! it worked !!
when a caterpillar falls in water, it's spiracles close over and the caterpillar goes into a state of torpor. the salt draws any water out of the spiracles and trachea.
fascinating.
i woke up and was cleaning out the castle and getting fresh milkweed for my caterpillars.
i have my milkweed leaf stalks in jars of water to keep them fresh. then i saw that this poor little guy had fallen in the water - and he had drowned... so sad.
i remembered i had just read something about this...
put the caterpillar on a pile of salt.
i did that... and i was amazed when a few minutes later he started moving. then started walking around !
okay ! it worked !!
when a caterpillar falls in water, it's spiracles close over and the caterpillar goes into a state of torpor. the salt draws any water out of the spiracles and trachea.
fascinating.
Friday, September 12, 2014
hungry
thirty one hungry mouths to feed. never had this many.
they are 2nd instars - less than a 1/4" long now. they will grow 3000 times their size before becoming a chrysalis.
they are 2nd instars - less than a 1/4" long now. they will grow 3000 times their size before becoming a chrysalis.
Monday, September 8, 2014
hello world...
first born in this batch.
i have 34 eggs right now.
it's going to be crazy once they all start hatching !
i have 34 eggs right now.
it's going to be crazy once they all start hatching !
Saturday, September 6, 2014
more eggs
found more eggs out in garden today.
i have to get a butterfly net... not for butterflies... for wasps. i see them out there all over the milkweed. they are eating the eggs.
i collected these few eggs - but i know there are more out there - i just can't find them. she was out there for quite a while fluttering around laying eggs.
i'm having a bit of a dilemma as far as having to kill the wasps...
i have to get a butterfly net... not for butterflies... for wasps. i see them out there all over the milkweed. they are eating the eggs.
i collected these few eggs - but i know there are more out there - i just can't find them. she was out there for quite a while fluttering around laying eggs.
i'm having a bit of a dilemma as far as having to kill the wasps...
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