I have been raising Monarchs all season, but just in the past 2 weeks, I've been seeing a big increase of wild ones laying eggs on my Tropical Milkweed. I am overflowing with Monarchs now....feeding them 4 times/day, getting up in the middle of the night to cut more milkweed. The big ones aren't picky....they eat the Tropical, Swamp, and Common. They are definitely keeping me busy and Social Butterflies will benefit from having more monarchs to sell! Please see my website www.socialbtrflies.com to purchase your monarchs. My friends who have Tropical Milkweed are also reporting they have a lot of caterpillars to feed. There are many nectar plants in bloom also: Butterfly bush, Verbena, Goldenrod, Joe Pye Weed, and Lantana. I have several monarch tagging programs lined up in September. Butterfly season ends in Central Virginia around the middle of October.
The Association For Butterflies www.forbutterflies.org is holding its second annual symposium in October in Townsend, TN this year. Check out the website for more information. You don't need to be a butterfly farmer to attend. Townsend is close to Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, some of the most beautiful places to see the leaves turn colors in the fall. The AFB will also be offering the online Monarch Tagging class again, beginning the second week in September.
