Caterpillar Cribs

Remember when I showed you this monarch egg?

I went back to check a couple of days later and found this

If you do start collecting caterpillars to raise, you need to be able to house them accordingly.
This is the setup I use for the babies.

Add some screening, some small twigs, and screw the cap into place.

A few days later and he/she has grown so much!  Awwww….

It is very important to feed the caterpillar milkweed morning and night.  They do not require water and you should not give them water (water and caterpillar poo is very toxic to them)
It is also very important to clean out the poo (frass is the politically correct term for poo) and it looks like this

Caterpillars grow very quickly and will outgrow their jar very soon.  When they become teenagers,  I put them in the caterpillar dorm.

I found several of these little bug houses on clearance at a farm supply store.  They make great housing for those awkward teenage years (or days in this case)




When I collect several more caterpillars, I will move them to the caterpillar condo

which is an old aquarium with a screen top.
This particular condo has a gorgeous view from the back porch, gets a couple of hours of morning sun, and loads of fresh air.  It has housed up to 30 caterpillars, making it great destination for becoming a butterfly.
I will work on filling the aquarium this weekend and hope to show you a chrysalis very soon!
Brenda