Are we in danger of seeing the Monarch butterfly go to extinction?
Several years ago, I read an article about the dwindling numbers of Monarch butterflies in North America. This has been going on at an alarming rate since about 1980. I sort of got on a soap box about it back then but not many folks seem interested in the plight of this beautiful and amazing creature. The colony that migrates from Mexico to near the southern Canadian border in the NE United States once numbered around 1 billion. However, those numbers have been steadily dropping ever since. The main reason for that is people don't want milkweed. That's right; milkweed. The reason this so drastically effects the Monarch population is that milkweed it the only plant a Monarch will lay eggs on and the only plant their caterpillars will eat until they are mature enough to form the chrysalis that eventually hatches into a Monarch.
This may seem a bit trivial to many, but the pollination efforts of what was once a colony of 1 billion was reduced to around 200 million when I first read about them in 2001 or so. Assuming those estimated were correct, that was an 80% loss of that huge colony. What does that do to the eco system? It has detrimental effects on just about all flowering plants that depend on the transfer of pollen all along their migration route. That, in turn, has an effect on all the other insects depending on those nectar flowers as a food source. This includes the honeybees.
If you like beautiful flowers and honey, it wouldn't hurt to plant a few of the more colorful varieties of milkweed in your flower beds. There are over 100 varieties of milkweed without which, the Monarch will not survive man's encroachment on their natural habitat.
I'm attaching pictures of just a couple of the more colorful varieties of milkweed along with links to other items of interest for those who might want to help save the Monarch. I've just about got my own Monarch habitat to the point of seeing more of them over the coming years. It takes a lot of effort to establish a complete habitat like mine that is approximately 4800 sq.ft. but the simple act of adding some colorful milkweed to your flower gardens will go a long way to helping them survive.
If you are interested in doing a total habitat, get ready for some work though. The butterflies need nectar flowers for the adults to feed on, trees & shrubs for roosting and wind breaks, a shallow water supply and the essential milkweed.
We plant Swan Plants here for the Monarch's at my home. They lay their eggs on these for the next generation. We save seeds and plant them out for the next lot. Also give away seedlings to anybody who wishes to plant some. I have have noticed wasps collecting new hatchlings from the plant from time to time. Once they get a little bigger they seem to leave them alone.
So reducing the wasps with specific traps may help as well. Thanks for the suggestions of the other plants go plant. Very colorful.
I have not heard of the Swan Plant; had to go look it up. It is in the genus asclepias & therefore a milkweed meeting the Monarch's requirement as a spawning plant.
Yep. Essential for spawning. Easy to grow. We grow heaps every year and pop seedlings out free for those who wish to plant them out.
Deal to the wasps that eat the larvae another important step. You should be able to buy the traps.
Are we in danger of seeing the Monarch butterfly go to extinction?
Reply With Quote
