Excellent Leanne! Thanks for the update.
Hi all this is my first time rearing Monarchs and I posted recently how I unwittingly put around fifty caterpillars on a swan plant which had been sprayed. Well they all hatched fine and well bar one who was missing a leg and had slightly crinkled wings so she is now our wee pet. I have ninety chrysalis with fifteen still to hatch, around six did not hatch successfully, but overall am pretty pleased. Interestingly I had at least twenty females hatch before any males. I have discovered they love watermelon juice and apricot nectar mixed with a little sugar water should I need to feed them. I am in Timaru, and already have monarchs looking to come back to lay. I will miss then once they are gone. This website has been a great source of information so thank you to all concerned
Hi Leanne – it’s hard to know for sure until they become butterflies. There’s a terrible story on here somewhere about caterpillars which ate contaminated milkweed and looked fine until the butterflies emerged…
Good luck!
Jacqui
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