Monarch Butterfly Garden- Bring Home the Butterflies

Butterfly Garden Ideas and Gardening Tips to Attract Monarchs, Swallowtails, Hummingbirds, and other Precious Pollinators

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  1. We released more than 400 Monarch butterflies last fall, and thus had hoped for numerous females to return here this spring to lay eggs. Instead, we have seen only three. We have had many very heavy rains, and wonder if some of the eggs got washed off the milkweed; we have several very nice stands of it. Our egg-laying season seems to be over here, and we have brought in only fifty tiny cats. With the advent of warmer weather, they are growing VERY quickly, and are approaching the size where they go up to make their “J.” The ones we have do seem to be thriving. We just had hoped for more. Of course we’re thrilled with any we get, and do so enjoy watching them go from one instar to the next. Thanks for the helpful tips you provide, Tony.

  2. Thank you so much for all your help. Iā€™ve been doing this for the past 10 or 12 years with maybe raising 5 or 6 butterflies. My husband surprised me last year with your big mesh house and then I also bought a small one. I raised 160 butterflies last year and Iā€™m so excited for this year. Iā€™ve planted so much milkweed from the pods I collected but Iā€™m not seeing it come up. Again thanksšŸ¦‹šŸ›šŸ¦‹

  3. Love the butterfly with the American flag. I would like to buy a t-shirt with that on it.

    • Thanks Carolyn, we will keep your idea in mind for a future t-shirt

  4. 2 comments.

    1) Here’s my favorite butterfly cage: Fyllen Laundry Bag from IKEA.
    Ht: 20 in. Diameter: 17 in. Lots of room for cats and hatchlings to move about, and it’s only $7.99!

    2) To dog owners: if your dog uses any sort of flea protection, do NOT pet your dog and then handle a cat. It will prove lethal to them!

    Thanks for all the good information you share with us!

    • Hi Sue, thanks for your comments. However, there are several reasons I don’t like using laundry popups for raising:

      1. every time you open the top you are bothering caterpillars/chrysalides that are hanging from the top and it’s also difficult to see if you are zipping a caterpillar which I’ve done several times using that style cage

      2. Small caterpillars sometimes go into the creases at the bottom of the cage and they can get smashed

      3. sometimes caterpillars will make their chrysalides on those coils that are wrapping around the cage which makes cleanup difficult.

      4. Many have mesh holes that are too large that allow caterpillars to escape/predators to enter (although this doesn’t appear to be the case with yours)

      5. no window for easy viewing inside.

      This is what we use:

      Cages for raising monarch butterflies

      Thanks for the reminder about flea/tick protection. It’s important to keep monarchs away from those and many other household chemicals.

      • Good points! I hadn’t thought of the concerns you mention. Thank you!

  5. I have a large habitat w/ a plastic frame, and 2 clear plastic viewing windows.
    I am concerned that several of my crysalis have hung themselves on the plastic frame, near the clear viewing panel.

    Will this be a problem for the emerging butterfly to adhere to? Should I move the crysalis to the mesh panel instead?

    • Hi Mary, their silk will adhere to most surfaces. The problem is that a butterfly can’t climb up a plastic wall if it falls, like it can the mesh. If you can scale a paper towel down the side wall, and secure it, they could climb up that. good luck!