Whom can I write to so I can give my time to help the monarchs numbers increase?

Hello Hummingbird, are you asking who can you contact around your area?
Or maybe you need some instructions on raising Monarchs?
Please let me know.

I saw my first Monarch yesterday and there was only one. I am not sure where it went or how you tell the male from the female. Is there someone who can start with Lesson 1 and give us a simple course on these beauties. I am now too old to do much gardening but I think I may be able to do this. Not sure we have the kind of food here they like either. Very interested.

Well, first of all, you will need lots of flowers in bloom for nectar, the adults need nectar to live on, that is their food.
If you want to raise caterpillars you will need specific plants for each kind of butterfly.
For Monarch caterpillars you will need milkweeds.
Do you have milkweed?

I will try to put something simple together when I have time, right now we have to celebrate Father's Day.

No, I do not have milkweed....in fact if it is a weed, we spray constantly for the Christmas Trees and we have very few actual gardens....we have roses, petunias, lantana, hibiscus, jasmine, mandevilla, bougainvillea, lilac, daffodils, black eyed susan, but most of the tropicals are in containers and we usually have loads of monarch that go into the greenhouse when the flowers are inside and they can't get out but they seem to die instead of turning into caterpillars. So upsetting because I keep the greenhouse open and there are no flowers in it just now.

Well, the reason you don't get caterpillars is because you don't have milkweed in there for them to lay their eggs on.
You could buy some milkweed and keep it in pots in the greenhouse for them to lay their eggs on and make a new generation.

Don't they lay eggs anyplace but on Milkweed? Can I purchase Milkweed from a garden center?

Yes, you can buy milkweed from a garden center, but be sure it hasn't been sprayed with pesticides.
They only lay eggs on milkweed, because those are the only plants the caterpillars can eat.

So if you want to raise Monarchs you have to have milkweeds.

OK, I just purchased from Rose Franklin's Perennials & Herbs their special Tropical Milkweed. I will put it in my Greenhouse and see if it grows and hopefully, the Monarchs will find it and enjoy a snack. Thank you for your help. I may just give them a try sometime if I could be sure they had enough to eat here on this farm. We are not really set up for much of a butterfly garden. The neighbor's field is a better place than our Christmas Trees. I am going to learn all I can and then I will see what happens after I am sure I can grow the Milkweed. I remember as a kid we had milkweed all over the place but now is another story.

If you put a few potted milkweeds in your greenhouse you are very likely to see eggs and caterpillars on them.
I think you have a good plan, good luck and let me know how it goes.

Will do.

Great! I am looking forward to seeing your Butterflies, it will be so nice, and it makes me very happy.

frostweed said:If you put a few potted milkweeds in your greenhouse you are very likely to see eggs and caterpillars on them.
I think you have a good plan, good luck and let me know how it goes.

If the butterflies hatch in the greenhouse, will they eat the other plants and die? I thought I read someplace if they eat just any flower it will kill them...

No, the Monarch caterpillars will only eat the plants that are good for them, in other other words they eat Milkweed only.
But the adult butterfly can nectar on many flowers.

frostweed said:No, the Monarch caterpillars will only eat the plants that are good for them, in other other words they eat Milkweed only.
But the adult butterfly can nectar on many flowers.

Good...I could not believe that if they ate leaves from another flower they would die. But, you know the internet and those who think they know it all. Thanks again.

My plants are in the mail and they should be here tomorrow. I think I will put them outside with my tomatoes and peppers since it gets to be over 105 in the greenhouse just now with everything open. Outside they will get fresh air and sunshine and water on a regular basis with natural heat and cool temps instead of too hot during the day.

That is great, I hope your plants get to you soon

Hi Jacquie,
You had asked about being able to tell the difference between male and female Monarchs. The male has two black spots on its bottom wings that the female lacks. Pics below. Hope this helps and good luck!
Cheryl

Thank you Cheryl. My milkweed is really growing. Hopefully it will soon be big enough to attract some Monarchs on their way back south.