Talkinboutchickens' butterfly/caterpillar thread🦋🐛

[talkinboutchickens]

Hey!
So, I thought that I would start a raising caterpillar thread and update everyone on my journey with the little guys.
If you like butterflies or caterpillars, join in the chat! Or, if you are interest in raising them yourself!
I have around 2 years of experience with raising monarch caterpillars, black swallowtail caterpillars, and milkweed tussock caterpillars. I'm still hoping to increase the different breeds I can find and raise.

Raising caterpillars indoors:
1. Teaches people about the lifecycle of butterflies
2. Teaches people about caterpillar care
3. Eliminates possible predators that could eat the caterpillars, helping them along
4. Is a fun experience and less maintenance than other animals!

First, identify the egg on the host plant!

Raise the caterpillars!

Finally, release!

You can literally apply all of these steps to any butterfly or moth species I believe!

Enjoy the thread!

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Currently, I have 10 chrysalides (one of which I believe is infected with a parasitoid wasp), 3 monarch caterpillars, 13 black swallowtail caterpillars, and God only knows how many milkweed tussock caterpillars! They feed in groups so I probably have like 40+.

 

[Gazergirlstar]

hey was this chat still active

 

[ChickenChick46]

hey was this chat still active

I saw the OP on here not long ago, so probably.

This is really neat hobby!

 

[Gazergirlstar]

I saw the OP on here not long ago, so probably.

This is really neat hobby!

i just started and im super excited , i have babies already and love watching them

 

[ChickenChick46]

i just started and im super excited , i have babies already and love watching them

I would love to get into this. I do a ton of gardening, and I plant extra things specifically for caterpillars. This year we planted an extra lemon tree for the orange dog (Giant Swallowtail) caterpillars. They were devouring our lemon tree every year, and I refuse to kill them. Now I've been moving them all to the new tree. They're happy, and my lemon tree looks the best it ever has now.

 

[Gazergirlstar]

I would love to get into this. I do a ton of gardening, and I plant extra things specifically for caterpillars. This year we planted an extra lemon tree for the orange dog (Giant Swallowtail) caterpillars. They were devouring our lemon tree every year, and I refuse to kill them. Now I've been moving them all to the new tree. They're happy, and my lemon tree looks the best it ever has now.

wait ....what kind of lemon tree bc i have a myer lemon tree (its just a baby ) but i keep it in my green house to keep it warm enough

 

[ChickenChick46]

wait ....what kind of lemon tree bc i have a myer lemon tree (its just a baby ) but i keep it in my green house to keep it warm enough

My original one is a Meyer, and it's in a huge pot and does go in the greenhouse when it gets cold. This one we found at Lowe's and I can't remember the exact name, but it claimed to be hardy in my zone, 8. We shall see.

 

[Gazergirlstar]

nice ! if you can post pics i would love to see

 

[ChickenChick46]

nice ! if you can post pics i would love to see

Yeah definitely! I'll go take some.