Am I the only person left on the planet who has never gathered a caterpillar and watched her transform into a butterfly? Honestly I didn’t even know it was a thing. Witnessing the monarch caterpillar stages seems like magic…or a miracle. An incredibly beautiful process and so easy to do right at home.
Monarch Caterpillar Stages
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Since completing this little experiment in our home, I’ve heard many stories of other families marveling the monarch caterpillar stages, too.
I’ll be honest in saying I would never have thought of this on my own. It was a very sweet friend of mine who was our guest at the resort for a long weekend with her family, that brought me such a beautiful gift.
With 3 little tykes in tow she was off on a walk and happened upon one of the many small streams trailing our area. Noticing all of the Milkweed (primary caterpillar food – which we’ll get to in a minute), she found 3 monarch caterpillars munching on the leaves.
Educated with simple instructions we were able to view all of the monarch caterpillar stages within a couple of weeks. And here’s how you can too!
Habitat
If you have a large glass mason jar hanging around, it would be perfect. An instead of using the seal-able lid, use a small piece of breathable cloth, like burlap, to cover the opening.
Keep a fresh supply of Milkweed to provide plenty of nutrients for your new friends.
Be sure to occasionally clean out the poo. I never knew that bugs pooped like this. Like, a lot! I guess that Milkweed is abundant in fiber…
That’s a CHRYSALIS!
You’ll know that the caterpillars are ready to form their chrysalis when they migrate to the top of the habitat, attach themselves to the burlap and hang upside down.
As the chrysalis becomes darker in color the closer it will be for the butterfly to emerge.
Our first arrival!
It will take her a bit to gather herself and her new-found flight. Make sure she has enough time to dry her wings.
So next time you find yourself caught up in the wonders of nature maybe you’ll decide to host one of these amazing creatures. Monitor the progress of the monarch caterpillar stages and be delighted!
And seriously what an incredible gift to witness such beauty and transformation!
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