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Question about milkweed
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28-03-2004, 06:42 PM
Lar
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Question about milkweed
In article ,
says...
I've started a butterfly garden here in zone 10b, and planted 5 milkweed
plants. It's great to finally see monarchs in the yard and it looks like
hundreds of eggs are now on the plants. If all of these eggs hatch, I'll
evidently have hundreds of caterpillars on these 5 plants. My question is:
should some of these eggs be eliminated or should I just leave them alone?
Thnx
Barbara C.
I would leave them alone unless planting additional milkweed in the garden
can be done near those original plants. The larvae will eat the unfertilized
eggs and some of it's nearby unhatched competition. Not sure about Monarchs,
but some insects (Ladybugs, fleas) that go through a complete metamorphous
will cannibalize as larvae to receive a protein that triggers a hormone
change to start development into an adult.
--
It is said that the early bird gets the worm,
but it is the second mouse that gets the cheese.
Lar. (to e-mail, get rid of the BUGS!!
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Question about milkweed