The members and guests who attended the Kingsville Horticultural Society meeting on April 18th were introduced to Mona the Monarch Butterfly by Leo Silvestri. Leo is a local Monarch enthusiast who has been saving Monarchs for about the past 6 years.
Why do Monarchs need saving? There are five main threats to the Monarch population:
- loss of habitat
- climate change
- pesticides and herbicides
- illegal logging in Mexican wintering sanctuaries
- predators
We can make the most immediate change by helping young caterpillars avoid predators.
How do we do this? We can plant milkweed and nectar-rich flowers to attract Monarchs. Monarch Butterflies need milkweed to feed on and to lay their eggs on. Milkweed is their essential food item.
There are three types of milkweed native to Southwestern Ontario:
- Common Milkweed
- Swamp Milkweed
- Butterfly Milkweed.
Milkweed can be planted in both the Spring and the Winter. In the Spring you will need to do cold stratification before planting your seeds or you can buy seeds from some nurseries in the area.
Locally you can find them at Ann Bondy Nursery and Paradise Nursery in Amherstburg, Flora Gardens at # 3 Highway and Walker Road, and Klinks Orchard Farm Nursery in Windsor.
You can also start milkweed seeds in the winter in pots outdoors.
Butterfly eggs only take 28 to 30 days to mature from egg to adult. Unfortunately, a female may lay up to 300 eggs but only about 10 may survive. We can help raise them from egg to adult.
You can contact Leo to learn about the Protect Raise and Release program.
Some of the best nectar rich flowers to plant other than Milkweed are Mexican Sunflower, Butterfly Bush, Coneflower, Zinnia, Salvia and Anise Hyssop. There are many more flowers that will attract butterflies. These are just a few.
For more information on how you can help the butterfly population visit the Facebook group Monarch Butterfly Enthusiasts of Windsor, Essex and Chatham-Kent County.
Caterpillar image by Em Hopper from Pexels
Monarch Butterflies image by Skyler Ewing from Pexels
All other images provided by Kingsville Horticultural Society