Learn how to raise monarch butterflies at home and contribute to their conservation. Help save our endangered Monarch Butterfly! A step-by-step guide to creating a butterfly haven.
Some people rescue dogs, others cats, and my hero in Claimed by The Sheikh rescues endangered animals. My partner and I are rescuing endangered Monarch butterflies. This wee beauty looks ready to be born today. We have been keeping her and 20 other caterpillars in a special sanctuary inside the house, away from the predators (including paper and german wasps who have also been killing our native honey bees). To help eradicate or at least control the wasps, we purchased a wasp trap and lure from Ecrotek, here:
Here in NZ monarch butterflies are considered natives even though they originated in North America. They introduced themselves –in the early 1800’s, possibly earlier, they flew/blew here…it’s a long way to fly! 🦋
Monarch caterpillars feeding on swan plants. We pick leaves from the swan plants (called Milk Weed plants in the US), and place these into bottles of water in the butterfly castle for the caterpillars to feed on. We refresh the plants every two or three days.
Milkweed is both a food source and the only host plant for monarch butterflies, who lay their eggs on the underside of the leaves. The larvae feed on the leaves after hatching but cause no permanent damage to the plant. In turn, the toxic chemicals in the sap of milkweed plants make both the caterpillars and adult butterflies unappetising to predators.
Milkweed is potentially poisonous to humans as well as animals. Be careful when handling milkweed, as the sap can be dangerous to humans, especially if rubbed into your eyes. Learn more in this article>>
Our swan plants blew in from somewhere and self-seeded at the highest point of our property where sunlight is also maximised. We regularly go out and check for new butterfly eggs and caterpillars before the predators attack them.
How do I get rid of pests, like aphids, from my garden or habitat? Are they hurting my monarchs?
Recently someone asked me, “What do you do if aphids are attacking your plants. We have so many caterpillars and not enough food for them.”
I asked my partner, who is a butterfly expert, and he suggested mixing a little dish soap (or eco-washing liquid) with water (enough to create some bubbles, but don’t overdo it) and spraying your plants regularly to deter aphids. There are quite a few forums where people share the best mix and proportions. Most of them recommend doing a test patch to ensure your plants don’t react.
“Remember that almost all insecticides will kill more than just the target species. If you spray an area with insecticide to kill aphids, other insects (including monarchs) that are in the area will be affected. For this reason, we don’t recommend using insecticides in your monarch or pollinator habitat.
If you have a severe issue with aphids on your milkweeds, the safest way to remove them is manually. While a high concentration of aphids on your milkweed may look “bad”, these insects are not necessarily causing harm to monarchs; unless they are in extremely high density, there are usually not enough aphids to kill the plant. You can squish the aphids and then rinse the plants with water to dislodge them from the plant. Make sure to check for monarch eggs and caterpillars first! A mild solution of dish soap and water can also be used to kill aphids on milkweed plants (again, after monarchs have been removed). Spraying this solution directly onto the aphids effectively kills the insects. Rinse the plants about a day after they’ve been treated with this insecticidal soap to remove any residue or dead aphids. This method is only effective when the solution directly hits the target insects; it acts by blocking the spiracles, so the residue will not kill insects. You can find a variety of recipes for home made insecticidal soap online, using simple ingredients typically found in your home.”
Wasps, not aphids, have been a problem for us, so I can’t comment on effectiveness personally. I do wonder if there are some companion plants that may also work to deter.
I find these glass spray bottles handy for little spray jobs. I get mine from Temu here
Butterflies star in one of my favourite romances. “Flight of Passion” is a rapturous tale of beauty, obsession, and unconditional love’s transformational power.
I’m not sure if I should interfere with Mother Nature and bring them indoors.
Someone recently asked: I’m not sure if I should interfere with Mother Nature and bring them indoors. In our case, the answer was ‘yes.’ The weather was unseasonably cold, and wasps were attacking them. You can’t harm them by bringing them indoors—but be sure not to spray for flies, etc, as this will harm or kill them. It is also important to have an enclosed space so they do not go walkabout while caterpillars fall or get squashed. See below for details of a dedicated butterfly castle and the importance of providing fresh stems of milkweed plants while they are caterpillars.
I would love to see your caterpillars and the Monarch sanctuary you have built.
One of my readers wrote to me:
“I grew up with Monarch Butterflies all around me. Now, they are endangered. I plant Milkweed every year for them, even though here in Alberta, we don’t see them—just in case. I would love to see your caterpillars and the Monarch sanctuary you have built.”
Not long after I began writing this post, my butterfly hatched and was quickly followed by another.
We set up a butterfly castle in the kitchen, and rescued caterpillars which were being attacked by wasps and other predators and housed this in the sanctuary of our home. If you look carefully, you can see some caterpillars and more chrysalis’. You can find a link to purchase butterfly castles, potted plant enclosures and other resources to help you raise butterflies here: https://store.raisingbutterflies.org/category-s/1818.htm
And now our rescue butterflies have flown free! How happy it makes me.
After emerging from their cocoon, the butterfly’s wings can take a few hours to dry. We place them in a warm spot inside and then introduce them outside. Butterflies feed on nectar, so we add a tasty food source of flowering shrubs and/or flowers.
Don’t worry if your butterfly doesn’t move! While sheltering inside during the night, the butterflies stay very still before they are ready to fly, almost as if they are sleeping.
“A couple of our chrysalis have turned black and not hatched. What should I do?”
Sometimes, disease or infection by predators can negatively impact the chrysalis. If this happens, be sure to separate the potentially diseased chrysalis from healthy ones to prevent spread. If the chrysalis shows no sign of life after a couple of weeks (becoming translucent so you can see the butterfly wings), it has most likely died:( Thus is nature.
the coolest book cover ever…
Planning the cover is one of my favourite parts of writing a book, and it’s especially exciting when I get to work with a great designer who can turn my words into visual magic.
If you’ve read my other books – The Italian Billionaire’s Scandalous Marriage or The Italian Billionaire’s Christmas Bride, you’ll have read the excerpts from Flight of Passion, or perhaps you’ve already purchased Flight of Passion (also re-released as Love In Mexico) You’ll know it’s a rapturous tale of beauty, obsession and the transformational power of unconditional love. (If you haven’t read the excerpt I’be included a sneak peek below)
One of my good friends, Anna Campbell—a queen of Regency romance recommended a US based designer Hang Le. I haven’t worked with her before, but have always loved Anna’s sumptuous covers.
I sent Hang Le a link to the Facebook page I created – I often create a page for each book to collate my thoughts and inspire me – and to also share my research.
So here are the two (draft) covers Hang Le has designed. I asked my loyal feeders which one they’d choose.
ABOUT THIS BOOK
Past love and passionate obsessions. What will you do when love flies back into your life?
Flight of Passion is a rapturous tale of beauty, obsession, and unconditional love’s transformational power.
Billionaire art-collector Oliver Hart is used to getting what he wants. Single, thirty-five, and a committed bachelor, he plays by his own rules. On a quest to find a rare butterfly that can save his sister’s life, he’s unwillingly distracted by former flame Ruby Diaz — a woman who callously abandoned him eight years earlier. When he decides he wants to reclaim the beauty as his own — in his mind, it’s as good as done.
But Ruby’s not his for the taking. Promised to the son of a wealthy landowner, she refuses to succumb to his charms. On a quest to save her family’s land, Ruby knows she must put duty first and silence the passionate stirrings of her heart. But Oliver doesn’t make things easy for her. He’s not taking no for an answer.
Risking everything to help the woman he loves gain her freedom, Oliver entangles himself in an emotional net that alters his life forever. As he sacrifices his own selfish pursuit to help Ruby, he realizes that you may be able to own something, but you can never own someone – especially the woman you love.
Reader reviews
“tantalizes your senses“
This is a well-written book that tantalizes your senses. Will Oliver be able to convince Ruby that she loves him enough to disobey her family? Can they find each other when all seems lost? An excellent book that I highly recommend. It will have you laughing with joy and crying with sadness.”
~ Marie Fraser
“a beautifully scripted story“
Mollie Mathews has written a beautifully scripted story of two people wildly attracted to each other but too constrained by family expectations to allow themselves to commit. When they meet again after eight years can they move beyond old patterns of behavior or are they doomed to always want, but never have?”
~ Jane Whitmeyer
“a touching and heart-warming book“
This book is a carefully crafted, truly original story. Mollie’s wonderfully descriptive narrative paints a picture in which it is easy to lose oneself—I really felt like I had been to Mexico by the time I had finished. Her butterfly theme echoes throughout the book both literally and figuratively. The main characters, Oliver and Ruby, are each conflicted in their own ways. Despite facing challenges, both ultimately find the strength to work through their difficulties to emerge better people and, most importantly, triumph over adversity together. A touching and heart-warming book, well worth a read.”
ABOUT CASSANDRA
I am an artist, storyteller, intuitive guide, mentor and Reiki master. All my creations are infused with positive energy , inspiration, and light. I believe in magic and the power of beauty, joy, love, purpose, and creativity to transform your life. My greatest joy is helping your realize your dreams. That makes my soul sing!
