The corn is as high as an elephant’s…ankle…and so is the monarch butterfly’s food source, the milkweed plant. Bad drought. We’ll see how many plants are left for the monarchs to hang their cocoons from once they’re done chowing, as the milkweed is now short, with very few leaves.
Up close these guys are cute, about 1/4″ long, but friend Meg said years ago how she always hated Chicken & Stars soup because there were “too many of them” (stars). This could be too many baby caterpillars for you. I understand.
uppervalleygirl 
: D!
LikeLike
We had a big patch of milkweed in front of our house in Connecticut. I loved to watch the Monarch’s development through my livingroom window. What a beautiful scent milkweed has, and the babies could eat all the leaves on one plant overnight. Then one day, they’re gone.
LikeLike
Yes, POOF. A diaspora. I saw one of this batch the next day then it, too, was gone. It was on the move. To where?!? Tiny! We have a LOT of birds here.
LikeLike
This might help!
LikeLike
I love this! Git yer seeds native to your area, right on!
LikeLike
Amazingly I am seeing more butterflies near me – monarchs and black and blue butterflies. A lot more dragonflies, fireflies, bats, etc. Might be the new sprinkler system I put in ❤️
LikeLike
Now that I think of it, 2 states away from you I have seen more of same. Plus bees. Covid-19 side effect? Or just your sprinkler system.
LikeLike
That photo is amazing! I’ve never seen monarch caterpillars just hatched! Please send them to my house – I’ve planted milkweed galore for them but this is the second summer they haven’t shown up.
LikeLike
My co-worker/friend has a patch of milkweed. She buys these tents made specifically for saving the caterpillars, because so many things eat them when they’re little. She puts in new leaves every day or so, then they cocoon in there and she will have several that she releases once they hatch. Every year she buys a new tent and now has 4-5, so she saves a lot of monarchs. ❤️
LikeLike
I want one! I’m sure some birds eat the big meaty caterpillars, too, once they’re about to spin their cocoons. And parasites will bore into the chrysalis. It’s a miracle any survive, just like the sea turtles.
LikeLike