This year I decided to raise as many Monarch butterflies as possible. I had wondered why I didn't see as many last year and found out (and researched) that the little wasps make a meal out of the Monarch's eggs. I have some "castles" to put milkweed plants in, but I also bought a couple of laundry hampers from Wal-Mart for less than $8.00. They zippered and an ideal size; however, the mesh is a little too big I think and a smaller wasp could get in. So, I bought some net curtains at a thrift store and just covered the hampers and secured with clothes pins.
So far, I've had 37 cocoons. Two days ago, it poured with rain all day and seven monarchs emerged. I eventually brought them out of their castle and put them on a plant for nectar and also some sugar water with cotton ball soaked in it. I think they ignored all of that and just waited until the rain went away.
Here's a picture of the hamper
