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Why Do We Love Monarchs?
Photo Credit: Dale Gray
Because they are beautiful and graceful and they've been on earth for more than 10 million years.
The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is among the most recognized, studied, and loved of all of North America’s insects.
This is the only butterfly species in the world to undertake a long-distance round-trip migration. The annual migration cycle of the monarch butterfly has been described as the most spectacular in the insect world.
Some fly as far as 3,000 miles to reach their winter home in the mountains of central Mexico. Migrating monarchs are strong flyers and can travel for 11 hours straight, using the air currents to go as far as 620 miles without feeding.
When the butterflies reach the overwintering sites, they settle in the high-altitude coniferous forests primarily made up of oyamel firs. Here they experience a temperate protective climate where they enter a state of rest and reproductive diapause. They do feed and drink when the sun shines but return to the fir trees to roost.
Monarchs remain for up to four months in this state, then breed and begin to migrate north. In the northern direction it takes several generations of butterflies to repopulate the breeding grounds in North America.
Follow this link to a PBS video of roosting Monarchs.
https://youtu.be/lWOySU_hAz0?s...
You may have read in the news that monarchs need our help. Climate change, loss of habitat, and increased use of insecticides are serious challenges for the monarch population.
What can we do to help the monarchs?
Plant native milkweed. Without it the species cannot survive.
You may have to search for native milkweeds from nurseries that specialize in native plants or butterfly gardens. Follow this link to learn more about Milkweed.
Milkweed - University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (ufl.edu)
Use Integrated Pest Management instead of harsh chemicals
This approach uses many different methods to cause the least harm to people, property, and the environment.
Broad-spectrum pesticides can kill many types of insect larvae, including butterfly larvae. First try to use natural products such as insecticidal soap or horticultural oil. Always follow directions on the label.
Milkweed is the only plant that monarch butterflies lay eggs on, and its leaves are the sole food eaten by this butterfly’s larvae, so killing it destroys monarchs forever.
Consider creating a certified Monarch Waystation
Waystations come in all shapes and sizes - from home & community gardens to major agricultural colleges.
Follow this link to learn more:
Monarch Watch Monarch Waystation Program
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