How to Help Monarchs

Monarchs' population declines because of deforestation down in their winter home of Mexico as well as Climate change messing with their migration, so donating and taking steps to fix these issues helps. On a smaller scale, pairing milkweed plants with other native pollination plants such as coneflowers can give monarchs and other pollinators a safe place to live and breed as well as providing them with plenty of fresh, sweet nectar. In addition, Black Swallow Wort - or Dog choking vine- tricks monarchs, and if the monarch lays her eggs on it, the caterpillar is poisoned from eating the swallow wort. This means that you should pull any Black Swallow Wort that you see around your milkweed and anywhere else. Try to get the roots or it will come back.

Raising monarchs indoors can help to develop a closer relationship with the butterflies, but raising large numbers of butterflies indoors, especially wild born eggs, can sometimes not contribute to the migrating population. eggs bought from a company are more helpful because those eggs wouldn't have the same chances as a wild born egg would. The danger in raising too many monarchs, in particular during the end of the season, is that raising them indoors may decrease their chance of developing the abilities of the "Super Butterflies" that complete the migration to Mexico. Eggs that are bought from a company were created in an indoor environment with artificial lighting, so they start out with the same chances as a wild egg brought indoors. 

If you have raised many eggs, but wish to still help, try collecting eggs in risky areas that are in danger of being mowed, or are near busy roads or pathways. Then place those eggs or caterpillars in a safer location such as your personal butterfly garden. You can also help by getting more people involved and interested in monarchs and pollinators.