Raising Butterflies

Daisy Grows Bugs… so many bugs.

Male Monarch butterfly

I have been raising Monarch butterflies in the Upper Midwest for eighteen years. I am not affiliated with any group, but I have released over 800 Monarchs in that time and trained dozens of other people in caterpillar care. Here’s what I’ve learned.

Raising Monarchs in 5 easy steps:

Milkweed seedlings

Step 1: Grow Milkweed.

Monarch egg on Common Milkweed plant

Step 2: Collect eggs or caterpillars or both!

Monarch Caterpillar on a Milweed leaf

Step 3: Feed the caterpillars clean Milkweed.

Monarch butterfly chrysalis about to emerge.

Step 4: Keep an eye on the Chrysalides.

Releasing a new Monarch butterfly for its first flight.

Step 5: Release the butterflies!