How to Raise a Monarch Butterfly
Part V of V
I warned you before that if you didn’t read the previous posts to this series you might get pregnant or warts.
I would like to apologize for this. You will not get pregnant nor grow warts if you don’t read the previous posts on How to Raise a Monarch Butterfly.
I don’t think. In a world where eggs become caterpillars, caterpillars become blobs of goo and goo becomes a butterfly, who can be sure? I’m fairly confident you could get a rash at the very least. So read the previous posts I, II, III and IV.
How to Raise a Monarch Butterfly Part V of V
Very little happens in the 10 days the Monarch is in its chrysalis stage. Nothing in fact.
And then on Day 9 …
On the evening of the 9th day your chrysalis will start to turn clear. You’ll be able to look right through the chrysalis at the butterfly inside.
By the next morning your chrysalis will be completely see through. Between 9 and noon your butterfly will emerge. I have no idea why that’s the case, but every single time I’ve done this the butterfly always emerges between 9 and noon. (the butterfly can take anywhere from 10-14 days to emerge … mine have always been on day 10)
And it will look a little something like this …
Once the butterfly has emerged it will rest for a few hours. It will pump blood into its wings by opening and closing them. As soon as it’s starting to act restless (usually after 2-3 hours) you can take it outside. Just bring the bowl outside, stick your finger or a stick into it and let the butterfly climb on. Rest it on a flower or leaf or branch.
It may rest a tiny bit more before flying away forever.
You will be sad. And you will be happy.
The Butterfly Effect.
(def) the phenomenon whereby a small change at one place in a complex system can have large effects elsewhere. It is the idea that a butterfly’s wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere which may ultimately change the path of your life.
A butterfly can theoretically, with one small movement, alter the course of the universe forever.
Right now you’re probably thinking how extraordinary it is that a butterfly has the power to create change in the world.
Even more extraordinary is the fact that you have the power to create a butterfly.
Click here for video of a butterfly release.
Pam'a
Goodbye! Goodbye!
::sniffle::
::beam::
Your butterfly *has* changed the world, Karen…
We who witnessed a miracle thought some different thoughts…Who knows where that could lead?
Thanks again for sharing. :)
Tricia Rose
I GET IT! IT’S THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR!! NOW AT A SCREEN NEAR YOU!!!!
Karen
hahahahahha!! Now at a screen near you! hee.
Anemone
Yea..its sad…you know i was kinda wondering if in the butterfly’s mind..if he was thinking…maa maa…maa maa…
Anywayyy…its not soo green, icky and gooey now is it eh?
Shannon
Yay, I knew this series would have a happy ending.
Ree
Thank you.
That was really great!
You Rock!
O:-D
Susan
Thank you for these posts. Another reminder of how lovely life can be.
Sharalee
Wow – this has been such an amazing little journey to follow along. Such a little miracle. Your butterfly is beautiful, you’ve raised him well ;)
amy
Yup…real tears in my eyes at the pictures of the butterfly leaving your hands to the flowers. Thank you Karen.
Valentina
such a miracle… amazing.
the link to the video seems broken :(
Karen
HI Valentina! I just checked the slideshow and video. They both seem to be working. The video is below a list of links to the previous butterfly posts. Maybe you didn’t scroll down enough to see the video. lemme know! – karen
Valentina
when I click the link (we are talking about the butterfly relase video) leads me to a 404 with this link: http://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/?p=6679
maybe because I am overseas? I have no idea.
Karen
Huh. That’s very strange. When I click on the 404 link you show, it works perfectly. I”ll try one more thing …
Karen
O.K. I’ve posted the link as it’s own individual “post”. Try it now. – karen
Valentina
now it works (for me too)! thanks so much.
Erin
Karen,
Thank you for this series. My siblings and I raised monarch butterflies every summer when we were kids. My dad would pack his stuff away, and our garage shelves would be lined with jars, each with one or two catapillars. They made it look so simple, but we would watch knowing what was happening truly was a complex miracle. My father is now in final stages of Alzheimer’s disease. This is most likely his last summer with us. I think next year I’ll raise a bunch of butterflies just for him. Thank you so much for the memories!!
Norma
Lovely to witness this miracle, have got to find some milkweed pods, swipe some seed and grow it next year in the yard. Thanks so much for sharing this with us.
Laurie
Thank you for the lovely post! I raised one myself this summer. The entire process was extraordinary experience to say the least. Such life lessons learned and reinforced as we witnessed death, transformation and rebirth. I’ll never forget it.
Shauna
Thanks for sharing Karen…. it was really great!
Natalie
What an awesome series of posts! Thank you! :)
Nancy
I too want to plant some milkweed in my garden and have found some beauties at Annies Annuals so maybe by next year I can watch the miracle of the butterfly.
Thanks so much for this fabulous documentation.
Jill
absolutely gorgeous.
Thanks.
Morgen
KAREN! That video made me cry happy, sad tears. What a beautiful project to share with us.
xoxoMorgen
Pam'a
Just a heads up– There are other plants (and other butterflies) that will work! My garden is swarming with swallowtails!
Now that we’re all inspired, why should the monarchs have all the moms?? ;)
Karen
Yup. Black swallowtails are the 2nd most popular butterfly in my area. They feed mainly on dill and parsley. I love ‘em.
Rhonda "SmartyPants"
Well, I’m sold. Last evening as I was putting out the trash barrels for pick-up this morning, I mosied over to a part of my front yard that is overgrown with — ta-da — milkweeds(guess there is something to be said for my lazy gardener self after all) thinking let’s see what we can see. I actually held my breath as I peeked under the first plant’s leaves and wondered if the neighbors would think I was daffy. Nothing – drats. So I moved over to the next plant, after glancing surreptitiously towards the neighbors, and Eureka! My heart skipped a beat when I spotted the first egg. Moving onward, dare I hope, yes, I found another egg. (This also helped to confirm that what I saw was actually an egg or else something at least identical from one plant to another.) And then, Karen, my dear sweet dear Karen, I found two eggs on one leaf! I dashed into the open garage, snatched up a pair of scissors and quickly snipped the stalks and then carefully brought them inside to rest and stay safe in a tall vase of water.
Later today I’ll be off to Dollarama for bowls, spatter screens, tape. Thank you for the posts. I forwarded them to my son in the hopes he will be inspired to have his two children (Violet, 5 and Cash, 3, either try their own Monarch raising or help their Meemaw with her’s.)
The video and your incredible photographs with detailed descriptions are worth a watch or two on their own. Wish me luck as I endeavor to change the world with one, two, three or four – oh, my goodness, this is so exciting. Thank you, thank you.
Brenda Watts
Wonderful !! So beautiful…..there has been a huge decrease in the number of Monarchs that come to Canada, tho they were blaming pesticides in Mexico it has been found that with the amount of GMO crops planted there are not enough milkweeds in the fields anymore to feed them….sigh…Go Monsanto,what other things are up your sleeve to screw with Mother Nature……sorry for the rant but these sort of things bother me.
mary c
I give you my most reverent, heartfelt and respectful Buddah bow. I am awed and humbled. You are wonderful.
Amanda Healy
Ok I have decided that I am definitely doing this next year, if only to hear my two-year old daughter call the chrysalis a ‘christamis.’ Even my kids loved each and every one of your posts about the butterflys and if you can entertain a three-year old, two-year old and nine-month old then you are a genius! It was all so fascinating and I’m glad I found you! I especially appreciate that you are fluent in sarcasm. It’s always nice to find someone who speaks my language!
Karen O.
Fun fact: The act of emerging from the pupal case is called “eclosion”. It’s one of my favorite words. Thought I’d share.
Just wondering, do you always release them right after they emerge? I remember raising painted ladies with a kit when I was a kid and we kept the butterflies for a couple days, you know, just to look at them. :P
Karen
Karen O. – Eclosion. Like an eco explosion. Seems about the right word to use! I always release the butterflies right away. I’ve looked at them long enough, LOL. ~ karen
Teri
Absolutely love this series! Thank you so much for not only the step by step instructions, but the step by step photography.
Gozde
Wow, i read these butterfly series in a single breath. Thanks for putting so much effort to inform your readers Karen!
Karen
Thanks Gozde. I do it every year. Figured I might as well take pictures! ~ karen
Rainbowcreek
That was amazing and your photos are just awesome. I can’t wait to share this series with my grandkids and maybe we will go take a look around our field to see if we can find some milkweed. I have a feeling that we will find some because I read an article from the Colorado State University Extension and it is common in our area and I know I have just seen some monarch butterflies around here. I never expected to learn so much about butterflies today. Thank you!
Karen
Rainbowcreek – You’re welcome! They’re fun to raise. ~ karen
my honest answer
Unbelievable. Karen, this is the best series ever!!
Mindy
Holy fuck. Sorry, but that was called for in this case. Pretty f-ing amazing I tell ya.
Christie
The naturalist in me has to remind you :make sure your hands are freshly washed and dried, with NO lotion (or heaven forbid, bug repellant) before handling your newborn butterflies! They are very susceptible to chemicals. thanks!
Your photos are STUNNING!!! <3
Sandy
I am so glad that I stumbled on this today, only I wish I had earlier. My daughter found 2 monarch caterpillars over the 4th of July weekend. They made their chrysalis’ (or is it chrysali) and the 2nd one just hatched yesterday. I wish I had known the timing of things so we could actually see each change. Even though we missed the actual events, it has been amazing watching the process and tomorrow I am going to check the milkweed for as egg. I think it has been the highlight of the summer for my 8 year old and our whole family!
Karen
Sandy – I know! It’s amazing isn’t it?! ~ karen
Sarah
I think this is the most amazing thing I have ever read on the net. Your pictures are amazing, and it’s so inspiring. Thank you so, so much for doing this! You’ve made my year! Or life. Amazing.
Karen
LOL. Thanks Sarah. If you think that’s the most amazing thing you’ve read on the Internet, you obviously haven’t read my post on using a frozen yogourt tampon for a yeast infection! Welcome to my site. ~ karen!