[Courtz]

Hi

I had 2 monarchs hatch over the weekend and started flying around the house so I put them on my outside swan plant and they didnt leave, i think its been too cold for them maybe. Anyway my kitten spotted them and knocked them off the plant she didn’t do much damage just small tears and few wee holes. I have them back inside and was going to try let them.go again on a nice day or take them to an over-wintering spot not far from where I live. I had them sitting on my bench drinking honey in water while I set up a cage for them and I accidentally knocked a an envelope over and it fell on one and bent one wing in half but it’s still attached I’m.not sure what to do?

I have been reading about people replacing wing on monarchs that have damaged wings with wings from others that have died and I was thinking about giving it a try. I was wondering if it’s ok to use superglue? Can the glue poison them? And does it cause any pain or anything when their wings are cut or damaged?

If anyone can help with any advice it would be much appreciated 🙂

Thank you

[Jacqui]

Sellotape is a brand name, just one brand of adhesive tape. I once had my knuckles rapped because I used the brand name – Got a letter from a lawyer or a patent attorney ( I cannot now remember which) and reminded that I wasn’t to use the name unless I added the copyright symbol.

Jacqui

[monkey]

Jacqui, when you say adhesive tape what do you mean; obviously not sellotape

[LeslieD]

thanks Jacqui … its weird weather here, not terribly cold but overcast and very wet. I’ve mostly kept them outside hoping the weather will perk enough for them to go … but no. Of the two that emerged last week one is docile and just goes back to sleep if I move it but the other one is a feisty little guy and keeps trying to fly even though its too cold for him to get a proper lift off and so he nose dives and needs rescuing. I’ve got them in the hothouse tonight as we could get torrential rain apparently. they will be well conditioned if the weather does clear so wonder if I should put them in the spare room where it is cool and dim? till the weather clears at least ..

[Courtz]

Hi Jacqui

Ok thank you. I’ve got them inside as my cats keeps finding them. Neither of them have tried to fly so im not sure if they can, one definitely can’t. They both been eating lots of honey water and I also dissolved some powdered nectar in water and dipped a couple of flowers in it and they seem to be enjoying it. During the day her wing has become more damaged from her moving around etc. I don’t think tape will fix it 🙁 I might try giving superglue a go if I feel brave enough I’ll watch some more videos first. I have 2 spare wings but I think they might be too small unfortunately, otherwise I’ll just keep her and fingers crossed the one about to hatch is a male. I don’t want to euthanize either of them as they seem happy and healthy enough at the moment

[Absinthe]

Hi – Caryl’s comment was helpful to me too; I had 10 butterflies that eclosed last Friday/weekend and have been wondering how long they will be ok without food. There has been so much rain here in Wellington they don’t get a chance to fly off and the forecast for next several days is not promising either. I haven’t worried about them for up to 5 days or so in the past. I did try offering sugar water but they don’t seem interested.

I have also had a number of my chrysalides unable to eclose successfully. The butterflies seem to get stuck, are too weak to escape the chrysalis and even those I helped weren’t able to expand their wings successfully. I think they had been stuck too long. Disappointing amount of use of the freezer for euthanasing. I guess it is the time of year and they are diseased perhaps. Some chrysalides just go dark and muddy looking and are obviously dead. I find it frustrating that I always seem to end up with a significant crop of chrysalides (20 – 30) very late in the season and their development is so slow once the weather cools so they are emerging April/May and sometimes later. And then the conditions really seem too cold for them.

[Jacqui]

Hi Leslie (and Caryl)

You don’t say if you’ve got them in a cool, dark place, or a warmer (summery) position. Their needs for nectar would be quite different depending on how they’re sensing the weather/season/day length.

Caryl – have a great time over there! Look forward to hearing if you see any swan plants (or similar) and hear from anyone saying anything about monarchs (good/bad).

Cheers

Jacqui

[LeslieD]

thanks Caryl. have a great time 🙂

[Caryl]

Hi Leslie, I don’t feed them believing they will be ok for days since they go without nectar for long periods in the winter. My female felt the sun today and flew off. Got another one about to eclose today or tomorrow too. I’m going to Sydney June 1 for 10 weeks so effectively that will be the end of my caring for late butterflies. Any chrysalis outside now will be diseased anyway. Caryl

[LeslieD]

Hi Caryl … do you feed your long term stayers(greater than 3 or 4 days) nectar? I’ve got two boys that have been here since last Wednesday and last Friday respectively … I fed them honey and water on Monday and they really got stuck in … no interest since then. I have another one just emerged and you know what our weather is like 🙁 and not looking great anytime soon either.

Is it best just to leave them? or offer them nectar every couple of days?

[Jacqui]

Hello Connie

Once the wings are set, they’re set. No way you can soften and change them.

The monarchs (and other species) are not being eaten by wasps these days. It’s only when they’re feeding juvenile wasps that they look for protein.

Yes, diluted honey is just as good as sugar or fructose. It should be the colour of a very weak cup of tea. I have always used Nigel Venters’ recipe as a guide.

Artifical nectar recipe thanks to Nigel Venters, lepidopterist

Cheers

Jacqui

[connie]

what about crumpled wings? is it possible to straighten them out so they can fly again?
– thinking about a soak in warm water for a few minutes……..?? i’m raising monarchs on the indoor porch to keep away from wasps and found this one under an envelope on the nearby table.its still alive – i fed it some honey water OK? or is sugar better……

[Caryl]

Great answer Jacqui. I put one tagged butterfly out last week in a sheltered spot and she’s still hanging there – no sunny days. I check her each day. Caryl

[Jacqui]

Hello Courtz

You can repair tears in wings with a little bit of adhesive tape. Wing repairs (as seen on Youtube) I am sure use supaglue.

It is not necessary to “take” butterflies to an overwintering site. When it is cold they don’t move, they stay put. They have been doing this for hundreds of years – millions of years and they know what’s best. Inside our homes it’s warm and to the monarch butterfly that translates as midsummer so they will fly around looking for nectar flowers, a mate and then want to start egg-laying. So if you put them outside they will sense that it’s not the weather for that. They can stay there days… could even be all winter if there is never sufficient warmth… but usually after a couple of days they will get warm enough to fly to where they should be. It beats me how they know what to do, but when it comes to monarch behaviour, they know more than us humans do!

[Author]

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