How to Prepare MILKWEED for Monarchs 🌿❓🤔

July 13, 2024

Greetings Monarch Raiser ,

Welcome to the official start of Raise the Migration 2024, where you'll learn our tried and true process for raising healthy monarch butterflies through all 4 stages of the butterfly life cycle.

But before you start raising, it all begins with...

Prepare MILKWEED for Monarchs❓

Last year at this time, we were dealing with drought conditions in Minnesota. In 2024, ample rains have our garden and milkweed plants in vibrant shades of spring green.

Over the past week, I’ve seen multiple monarchs return (after a June lull) to our garden.

At this point in the season, all milkweed species (native and non) look primed to receive monarch eggs.

However, I’m focusing on three plants for collecting eggs in the near future…4 potted tropical milkweed (in 2 pots) and one peculiarly placed common milkweed growing through a crack in our deck. 🌿🤷🏽‍♂️

These plants are in great condition, so I took the next step to increase my odds of finding eggs.

On one of the tropical milkweed plants, I found a spider and a sack of spider eggs that I promptly removed. (the spider was relocated to a nearby non-milkweed plant.)

We also have some milkweed seedlings popping up around the yard that look like prime egg laying plants, but a small bunny recently penetrated our fortress fence so those might get chomped down unless I fence them individually.

The good news is that our clover lawn in back could feed him and a hundred of his good friends, but, will that keep him away from the milkweed seedlings? Only time will tell… 🌿🐇

You don't need a ton of milkweed to support monarchs, but I recommend having a few mature plants (3 would be a good minimum) before starting your raising adventures...

Click the link below for some tips to make sure your milkweed is in prime condition to receive eggs and host migration generation monarchs in 2024:

How To Prepare Milkweed to Receive Monarch Eggs❓ « the 5th photo down the linked post is our tropical milkweed/bidens container this season)

🦋 MBL Shop Update 🦋

Most of our supplies are currently in stock and we're ready to support your raising needs through the rest of the 2024 season 🙌 🦋

You can see all of our available raising supplies here:

Coming Up Next? 🧐

This coming Wednesday, Raise the Migration will focus on what is still a problem-area for many...collecting and caring for tiny monarch eggs. I hope the solutions we discuss throughout this event will bring you more raising success this season...and beyond!

Until next time...

Tony your Butterfly Guide