🥚How to Keep Monarch Eggs SAFE❓

Welcome Back Royal RAISEr,

I hope this message finds you swell 🤗

It’s the end of April, and many of you will see your first monarchs in May, and perhaps even find those elusive spring monarch eggs.

In your last raising email, I shared info about where to look for monarch eggs. In this newsletter, you’ll learn how to keep baby monarchs safe through this first stage of the butterfly life cycle. But first…

Monarch Migration News

There hasn’t been much migration movement north in the past week. Here in Minnesota, things are greening up nicely, but no sign of milkweed yet….I suspect it will start popping up quickly with the extended forecast looking like June over the next two weeks 🤞 

The first eggs are just around the corner for many. if you decide to raise a few monarchs this spring, check out 7 tips below to help ensure your eggs survive to become baby caterpillars 🌿🐛

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Raising Tip: 7 Ways to Protect Your Eggs 🥚🤔

Raising Monarchs from eggs is recommended for raising healthy monarchs BUT…avoid these common pitfalls to ensure sure your eggs make it through this first stage of the butterfly life cycle:

1. Place Eggs inside a Sealed Food Container ⬅️ (this keeps milkweed from drying out…baby caterpillars will crawl away from dried out milkweed)
   

2. Separate Your Eggs (click link above to see spacing examples)
   

3. Keep an Accurate Count: When you’re dealing with something this small, don’t make it harder on yourself by losing track of how many you have
   

4. Keep Eggs and Milkweed Hydrated: if you followed tip #1, you should only have to spray milkweed with water once before sealing eggs/milkweed inside the container…while moisture is vital, excess moisture can kill monarchs 😱
   

5. Move Baby Caterpillars to a separate sealed food container from unhatched eggs: baby monarch caterpillars could eat eggs in ‘too close’ proximity
   

6. 🔎Use a magnifying glass to keep an eye on tiny eggs and baby caterpillars🔍
   

7. Keep Baby Caterpillars inside sealed food containers until they are clearly visible

Follow these 7 suggestions, and your monarchs have a greatly enhanced chance to survive to the next stage of the butterfly life cycle…🤞

Helpful Raising Resources

Magnifying Glass to See Tiny Eggs and Caterpillars ⬅️

Is your Caterpillar Cage KILLING Monarch Butterflies? ⬅️

Coming Up Next?

Next time I’ll share how making/keeping strict raising limits makes all the difference for raising healthy butterflies, and makes raising a more joyful experience for you!

Until Next time,

Tony your Butterfly Guide 🦋