tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218275625589637009.post1448010526830719081..comments2024-03-14T02:18:13.285-05:00Comments on T h e | D e e p | M i d d l e: Do You Have Any Butterflies?Benjamin Vogthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10661489036836711335noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218275625589637009.post-85055802291087031302013-09-13T07:56:50.741-05:002013-09-13T07:56:50.741-05:00Mark -- thank you, I really needed a note of encou...Mark -- thank you, I really needed a note of encouragement after my post on 9/10. We erase ecosystems without ever understanding them, and someday we'll wonder why we're out of food, clean water, living soil. Manifest destiny. <br /><br />This year I raised 5 monarchs. Last year 25. The years before 150 and 200. These are eggs gathered from my 1,500' garden. It is terrible what's Benjamin Vogthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10661489036836711335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218275625589637009.post-11944147668070373212013-09-12T14:12:37.545-05:002013-09-12T14:12:37.545-05:00My wife and I have brought monarch caterpillars in...My wife and I have brought monarch caterpillars in to raise them for the last several years and it seems each year there are fewer of them. Last year it was hot and dry in SW Ohio (like it is in Nebraska this year) and we had virtually no monarchs. This year, even though we had much better rainfall and cooler temperatures, we still had no monarchs even though our gardens are full of milkweed. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18205196328856312928noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218275625589637009.post-27665418701286533262012-09-08T16:02:48.314-05:002012-09-08T16:02:48.314-05:00SD--You know me, I intend to buy some land and hav...SD--You know me, I intend to buy some land and have it be so messy you'd think I belonged to a natural junkyard association.<br />D--Very sad indeed. I thought just maybe I'd find some yet this week, but I knew that was a pipe dream. Everyone is in migration mode.<br />JS--You'd risk a car accident or a butterfly? You good soul. I have maybe 20 bst cats in July, none since then. I wasBenjamin Vogthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10661489036836711335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218275625589637009.post-52364763889193654852012-09-08T08:34:11.972-05:002012-09-08T08:34:11.972-05:00My milkweed died without many new plants emerging....My milkweed died without many new plants emerging. I usually have bunches of Monarchs but haven't seen the usual amount this year here in NOLA. I got a little neighbor girl interested (she's about 10) and she asked me the other day if I'd had many as she had not either. Of course, they spray for mosquitoes here - not just trucks but crop dusters too. I realize West Nile can be Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218275625589637009.post-91977326386897532422012-09-07T20:08:14.126-05:002012-09-07T20:08:14.126-05:00I've heard the drought has really effected the...I've heard the drought has really effected the numbers. Thankfully we're actually recovering from a drought now here in NC, so I've been seeing a lot of butterflies. My milkweed is covered with caterpillars, and my gutters are being used as a perch for chrysalises. <br /><br />I think that for a lot of people, climate change and environmental concerns don't seem real to them. Indiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14004102653896371835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218275625589637009.post-5997015302392300982012-09-07T12:57:45.587-05:002012-09-07T12:57:45.587-05:00I certainly share your concerns. It feels like we...I certainly share your concerns. It feels like we've jumped at least one step on a "punctuated equilibrium" scale. Politicians are "fiddling while Rome burns." Citizens, in general, are even less concerned than politicians, if that's possible.<br /><br />On the home front, my gardens look like I haven't touched them in several months...mainly because I haven'Gaia Gardener:https://www.blogger.com/profile/00692281131036600613noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218275625589637009.post-54989646907863253152012-09-07T10:06:56.075-05:002012-09-07T10:06:56.075-05:00Plenty of milkweed in my gardens... no eggs, altho...Plenty of milkweed in my gardens... no eggs, although I did see two monarchs dancin' in the blooms this Summer. A Tigertail visited everyday for a couple of weeks. Usually we have dozens of Cabbage Whites... haven't seen any this year. Carolyn ♥https://www.blogger.com/profile/05722229442110193733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218275625589637009.post-30534362892611167022012-09-07T08:59:29.866-05:002012-09-07T08:59:29.866-05:00We have many milkweed plants growing on our proper...We have many milkweed plants growing on our property (most of which we let go wild), and I raised & released monarchs for the first time this year. Such an amazing process! We had drought here in SW Michigan, but thankfully it ended at the end of July when we finally started getting rain. Didn't notice a decrease in butterflies really, but I did notice a lack of lightning bugs... Our charlie b.https://www.blogger.com/profile/02458917197033510732noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218275625589637009.post-87157062035175087732012-09-07T07:43:26.768-05:002012-09-07T07:43:26.768-05:00I have 17 (so far) Black Swallowtails in my terrar...I have 17 (so far) Black Swallowtails in my terrarium, courtesy of two females that stopped by last week and found my parsley. That's the most I've ever had, and the latest in the summer I've ever had them, for that I'm quite pleased. I haven't seen many Monarchs at all, but I did almost sideswipe another car the other day trying to avoid hitting one that was flying across theJulie Stonehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07971494623569371937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218275625589637009.post-47788299134325679822012-09-07T04:27:09.692-05:002012-09-07T04:27:09.692-05:00due to drought we had a few eggs here on all the m...due to drought we had a few eggs here on all the milkweed...very sadDonna@Gardens Eye Viewhttp://gardenseyeview.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9218275625589637009.post-39306713916748468412012-09-06T10:35:52.616-05:002012-09-06T10:35:52.616-05:00our messy farm, here in south central PA, has been...our messy farm, here in south central PA, has been host to hundreds of butterflies this year. We allow the milkweed to grow all over the place, and are tickled when we see it eaten up by the Monarch caterpillars. And then we see them flying all over after they hatch...beautiful!<br /><br />We hope there are still plenty of people who allow their property to be messy from here to Mexico and CanadaSunnyside Druhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00874014959042453351noreply@blogger.com