I know I am a geek
I know I am a geek. And I am actually OK with that. Being an only child, I spent a lot of time alone. I was that kid that would watch the ladybugs eat the aphids on my mom's rose bushes. Then I would watch the ladybugs mate, lay eggs, hatch and go from larva to ladybug. I found it fascinating as a child... and I still find it fascinating today.
Today, I still love to watch the bugs, tadpoles, caterpillars and butterflies. I love it so much, that I look forward to hanging in my yard, deadheading flowers, pulling weeds, watching insect eggs to see what bug they be when they hatch, looking for Monarch eggs on the milkweed leaves, watching them grow then turn into a chrysalis and watching them fly away.
I love growing plants. Some of my plants grow like crazy some not so great. But I promise if a plant does poorly one year I will figure out how to make it thrive the next year. I never use pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. Only compost, rabbit poop and soap, if I am over run with aphids. I do not want the flowers or milkweed to have anything that is not organic for the Monarchs.
I have turned my backyard into a Monarch sanctuary. I have everything they need to come to my yard and lay their eggs. But I don't get that many any more. When I started doing this 15 years ago, I would raise and release 250 to 500 butterflies . But in Nashville, never more than 150. I found about 18 eggs early this season. I was hoping that was a good sign for the Monarch. Then I found 2 caterpillars that have just now turned to chrysalis. But today, I just happened to see a Monarch flying around outside. I went out and found 59 eggs. If all eggs make it, and adding the 20 that I have raised and released so far... I am getting close to that 150 mark.
I collect the eggs, that means I take the leaf the egg is on. I put the leaves in a plastic box on wet paper towels. They will hatch in about a week. Then the fun begins, I put the tiny caterpillars in an aquarium that has cut milkweed in jars of water. Milkweed does well in a jar of water for weeks. In two weeks the caterpillars go from the size of a pin head to about an inch long. They turn into a chrysalis and two weeks later the monarch emerges.
When they emerge, I leave them in the aquarium for most of the day. Then put them on a flower outside and leave them. That way they can decide when they are strong enough and ready to fly.
Sometimes they will sit there a couple more hours, sometimes 15 mins, sometimes they fly off as soon as I open my hand.
Fun fact for today. The top butterfly is a female Of course the bottom one is male.
The Monarch Watch is a research site that keeps track of Monarch paths during their migration. Last year I got a certification from them to be a Monarch Waystation. That means that my yard has plenty of flowers to attract them and plenty of milkweed to feed the Caterpillars. I grow three different kinds of milkweed. If I had ordered tags, I would tag the wing so the Monarch Watch can hopefully find the tag when they migrate in Mexico. That way can tell where they emerged from, pretty interesting stuff huh?
My goal is to one day have a small amount of land with a small house. And a yard full of plants. bees, goats, rabbits, chickens. Oh My! Then people can come to my farm and get their photos taken.
Anyone out there got a farm that needs tending to?
In the meantime... I will continue to fill up my backyard with as many plants and small wildlife I can fit.
Oh... and let's not talk about the frogs.
Yet.
See, I said I was a geek.
