Monarch butterflies an endangered species

For some time, they've been listed as 'threatened' and 'potentially endangered', now it's official. Yesterday, the Monarch was declared endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, the global leading authority on the status of biological diversity.

A devastating decline

I was raised in the Midwest. We would see Monarchs by the thousands as they migrated. They would fill entire trees, turning the trees temporarily orange! Like many bird species, Monarch butterflies fly south for the winter. When we'd visit my cousin's farm in Nebraska, we'd begin seeing them by mid-June. They loved the milkweed that grew everywhere. The first Monarchs we saw in June were the grandchildren of the ones we had seen the previous summer.

It's very sad to hear about this. I hope they can make a good comeback.




Good news from Sylvan Lake, Michigan

a reply to: ColeYounger

Here in Florida, we're getting lots of Monarchs.
We just planted a lot of milkweed plants in the back for them.

a reply to: IAMTAT

Right on!

a reply to: ColeYounger

Aerial crop dusting and ground rigs spraying pesticides outlawed in 3…2….

a reply to: ColeYounger

I have a pollinator garden and love monarchs.
I’ve only seen ONE this year. Normally my garden is covered. Our spring was off and I think we are two weeks delayed. That being said I think all these thousands of people raising monarchs may be doing more harm than good.


There are groups all over that get eggs and raise them in their houses and then let them go. I read something that this might not be a good thing and may introduce harmful pathogens.
If that’s the case they need to find out asap.

Also, people are spraying way way way too much. Look, I like my nice green yard. Sometimes I even spray the weeds. What I don’t do is spray the whole dang yard every three weeks!

a reply to: ColeYounger

Monarchs need milkweed plants, both for feeding and breeding. I have a patch of milkweed plants in the back for the monarchs. They aren't the most attractive plants, but the Monarchs they attract are sure beautiful.

Search "free milkweed seeds" and there are several sources which give them away. Plenty of sources to purchase seeds also -- usually for a couple bucks. I ordered some a few years ago and did some guerilla gardening and scattered them around town. That was fun!

The best time to sow the seeds is late fall before first frost. Plants are best sown in early spring after last frost.

a reply to: Boadicea

We have tons of wild milkweed in Wisconsin. I think it’s actually attractive and smells nice.
The problem is people spray it way too much and poison everything.


I saw a huge dead bumble bee dead on my driveway. My neighbors just had their entire lawn sprayed. It was so sad.

a reply to: ColeYounger
Here in mn they planted a crap ton of milk weed everywhere through out the state for the monarchs.

Peace.

Just to keep things in perspective, 95% of all species that have ever existed on the Earth ave gone extinct, the vast majority well before humanity appeared on the scene.

Do remember watching a PBS docu "The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies" and it takes about 5 generations to reach Mexico and 5 more for the way back North

Milkweeds like to grow along the roadside and so monarchs are often road kill around here. I did see one the other day in the yard. I leave common milkweed grow where I find it on the property, but I never have had luck with the seeds.

originally posted by: schuyler
Just to keep things in perspective, 95% of all species that have ever existed on the Earth ave gone extinct, the vast majority well before humanity appeared on the scene.

Mother Earth probably has a place reserved for us in the shale.

originally posted by: manuelram16
Do remember watching a PBS docu "The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies" and it takes about 5 generations to reach Mexico and 5 more for the way back North

That's interesting! We were told the ones we saw in summer were the grandchildren of the previous summer's bunch.

a reply to: ColeYounger

I had seen several during this summer.

a reply to: ColeYounger

I keep a whole row of milkweed in the back yard just for the monarchs.

Don't tell anyone, but I kill every praying mantis I see in my yard. They love eating the monarch caterpillars and will just destroy most of them.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
a reply to: Boadicea

We have tons of wild milkweed in Wisconsin. I think it’s actually attractive and smells nice.

That's really cool to have so much growing wild. And that it's attractive! Maybe it's the difference in climate. Ours gets very leggy, and not much foliage. I love seeing the flowers from my kitchen window tho. The flowers are pretty from afar.

The problem is people spray it way too much and poison everything.

I saw a huge dead bumble bee dead on my driveway. My neighbors just had their entire lawn sprayed. It was so sad.

Yup -- exactly. Killing off the good bugs as well as the bad. And the bad tend to come back sooner and multiply faster with no natural predators to keep them in check... it's a vicious cycle.

All for the "perfect" lawn or garden.

Having said that, of course some pest management is necessary, but there are so many safer alternatives available.

a reply to: ColeYounger

They are majestic!

I saw one just a few weeks ago here in Italy, which is quite rare. I had just got on a regional train and it was fluttering around amongst the passengers. If I had done nothing some idiot would have killed it or it would have eventually died of exhaustion... it had no way out of the train by itself.

Luckily, I managed to trap it against the window and kept it in my cupped hands. I have large hands, yet it was difficult to give it enough room to move around. An older guy who witnessed everything silently clapped to me and indicated he'd open the doors when we arrived at the next station because you have to press a button to open them, and mine were obviously occupied.

When we got to the station I released it, but it just sat there in my palm; even shaking my hand didn't make it move. Finally, with the risk of losing the train and my groceries going home by themselves, I blew hard at it and it finally took wing. That was my good deed for the day to compensate for the half dozen other crap I did the same day.

I tried to get a pic, but I don't work for Vogue, so it didn't want to pose for me. Needless to say it was beautiful and very large... don't know if it was a she/he/they.

originally posted by: schuyler
Just to keep things in perspective, 95% of all species that have ever existed on the Earth ave gone extinct, the vast majority well before humanity appeared on the scene.

And with the current trajectory monarchs might be around longer then us.

Grew up in Iowa and now live near the Twin Cities and I don't see nearly the amount of Monarchs I did in Iowa. As a kid there were several times we had thousands of Monarchs on our grove of tress as they passed through. It was really a neat thing to see a green evergreen turn orange from the butterflies landing on them.

Thanks for bringing back a cool memory. Hopefully the population can get turned around

originally posted by: 38181
a reply to: ColeYounger

Aerial crop dusting and ground rigs spraying pesticides outlawed in 3…2….

I wish but sadly money speaks louder then logic