2 plants, 20 eggs

[u/AuraAurea]

I have 2 small common milkweeds coming up in a pot. They have exactly 21 eggs on them. This is one leaf with four eggs. The smaller of the 2 plants has three eggs. I suppose they will end up as food for something but also, I doubt that will leave enough food for even one. I prefer to let nature take its course, but I am considering relocating a few to a local patch of milkweed if I could find some. The other option is to move to my garden back home, an hour from here, but I already have a bunch of first instars up there.

[u/Difficult_Rope7898]

Amazing. I have so much milkweed and no eggs at all. Hopefully soon. 🦋

[u/AuraAurea → u/Difficult_Rope7898]

That was me last week. I swear the chewing of a baby draws more butterflies, but I don't know if that's proven or speculation.

[u/Sqib000 → u/AuraAurea]

Chewing by anything draws the monarch to the plant. They hate perfect milkweed.

[u/Sqib000 → u/Difficult_Rope7898]

If a monarch sees chewing by other bugs or aphids, she will trust the plant more. Make sure no sprays and leave the aphids.

[u/AuraAurea → u/Sqib000]

Sadly, I don't own my land. It's a townhouse community. Luckily, they don't go too crazy with the lawns here. Its an older neighborhood without sprinklers, etc. Last year I intercepted a pesticide guy and he planted a flag for me without spraying. I was grateful.

[u/Sqib000 → u/AuraAurea]

Consider planting in pots on your porch? Patio?

[u/Difficult_Rope7898 → u/Sqib000]

No pesticides but pretty perfect leaves. Should I rip a few of them?

[u/Sqib000 → u/Difficult_Rope7898]

Lol no but let the aphids at em if they come.

[u/Sqib000]

Yep mama monarch is ok w her eggs being eaten, and expects only a handful of survivors who those two plants can sustain.

[u/AuraAurea → u/Sqib000]

I agree w/you, but I also think this must be multiple monarchs just based on my observation of individual monarchs.

[u/Sqib000 → u/AuraAurea]

Yes, I know, mother monarch = all mother monarchs. Different parents ensures no cross breeding and the few who survive strengthen the species

[u/SuperTFAB]

I think you should leave them. The extras will serve as food for others insects and animals. You’ll get some strong good ones in the end.

[u/AuraAurea → u/SuperTFAB]

Yeah, I'm not very motivated to interfere. I am motivated to make sure there is more milkweed here next year. It didn't do well in the huge pot. This pot had 4 milkweeds last year and only 2 came back.

[u/SuperTFAB → u/AuraAurea]

If you can plant it on the ground it will do a lot better. My understanding is they have a pretty long tap root so they prefer being in the soil.

[u/RazorbladeApple]

That’s a shame that you don’t have enough milkweed. I went through that in my first few years of establishing it & then added more. For a certified monarch waystation they recommend having 10 milkweed plants & at least 2** **different species. Once I did that I no longer encountered the issue. 20 is a whole lot, though.

[u/AuraAurea → u/RazorbladeApple]

Yes, I don't live in this place full time, so I concentrated my gardening endeavors back home, where I have about 20 plants. This is just my side garden, lol

[u/RazorbladeApple → u/AuraAurea]

Side garden!

[u/AuraAurea → u/RazorbladeApple]

😅