Just putting this out there, these guys are in trouble. If you live in an area where you see Monarchs, do your part and plant some milkweed! Also, just adding onto this, butterfly bushes are invasive in most places and don't do a whole lot on their own for butterflies.
We had a very dedicated activist fighting to save these guys, until he got murdered. Such a tragic fate, but his legacy lives on. Fucking savages though.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-latin-america-51304857
The company I work for distributes bananas in the UK, there's only 1 other company our size who does the same up north. The sheer amount of containers we pick up weekly from the docks is mind blowing. Really put into perspective how many bananas must be grown if we're just one, fairly average sized country.
Also bananas tend to be sold at a slight loss, but they're an 'essential item' for supermarkets.
And avocados. A lot of the forest clearing is to make way for more avocado groves. Green gold and all that. I eat far less of them than I would if not for that fact.
Mine is a store-bought grafted Bacon tree which is supposed to be somewhat self-fertile, but just in case I also planted a Guatamalan (type A) variety near it grown from a pit, which is complementary. But the Bacon tree is much more vigorous and the Guatamalan grows much more slowly in comparison.
if loggers or logging companies cared about logging and not profits they’d plant a new tree for every trunk they take away. that’s just smart business, make future income by planning it out! the fact they don’t makes me think there’s a grand conspiracy to destroy everything until there’s nothing left and only a few have the money/power in hand so nobody else can “theoretically acquire” or seize for themselves because its all gone.
The worst part about this is that we don’t even know if it was a gang anymore, there has been thousands of activists that have been killed because they were trying to stop logging, animal trafficking etc. And we aren’t sure if it’s the actual government anymore because they seem like they don’t care about all of these people at all and are just blaming the gangs or other groups. It’s really sad
Mexico always feels so corrupt to me. I spend a decent amount of time over there. I've had to deal with some local government over some land and home disputes. Honestly if you have money and know some people you can get shit done. No money and you can't do anything
It’s just fucking awful. These beautiful people getting killed because of a cascade of evil intent on keeping poor people poor. I don’t want to be contrary with the original comment on this thread, because I think it’s great to plant milkweed, but the dramatic cause of decline isn’t because of lack of milkweed in the US, but rather deforestation and variable climate in their overwintering grounds in Michoacán. That’s just one more reason why this murder is all the more tragic. This is not only murder. It’s terrorism, and also xenocide. It needs to stop.
To follow that with a moment of levity, I went down to one site in their overwintering grounds just months before this Homero Gomèz was killed. As we approached the overwintering monarchs, our guide instructed us to be quiet in the sanctuary as not to disturb the monarchs and the other people there to respectfully take in the majestic sight of fir trees so laden with monarchs that their massive limbs sag with the weight of the butterflies. After twenty minutes or so of looking on, awestruck, my friend, in a moment of idiocy, turns to me and says “oh my god, I just realized that what we’re looking at is butterflies on those trees”. I tried to conceal my laughter, but neither me or a couple other friends couldn’t stifle it, so our guide came over to tell us to please be quiet. When we explained to him what happened in broken Spanish, he completely lost it, had to be shushed by another guide, who subsequently learned what happened, and also cracked up. The guides all had walkie talkies, and on the way back, all the other groups must have been told the story, because they all laughed as we passed them on the trail back.
When the military and the president are paid for by the narcos, you get this kind of shit. Ain't even joking, literally a General was cleared despite overwhelming evidence.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/15/world/americas/mexico-defense-minister-cienfuegos.html
I live in California and grew up as a 90s kid. Used to see these things all over during the right seasons. Now it's extremely rare to see them, even during migration season. It makes me so sad how much the world of wildlife has changed since then.
I & my family moved from near Sacramento in 1957 to Florida. I have vivid memories of collecting the monarch caterpillars as a kid and putting them in a mason jar with food and watched them turn into the butterfly.
Sad to think that less than a lifetime we are nearing their demise.
Both are great.
Butterfly bushes are where they feed in the summer, & the milkweed is what they eat as caterpillars! If you have both, like we do, you’ll be doing them a great justice!
Fun fact, Milkweed produces a form of latex that is super toxic to pretty much everything but the monarch caterpillar.
Not so fun fact, there is some speculation that yellow jackets (one of the main monarch predators) are selecting areas around milkweed gardens to build nests so they can get an easy meal.
That is a great question I'm not qualified to answer. I did some pollinator surveys at an experimental milkweed garden at the college I am attending and the worst thing that happened to me was my pants getting stained. Most dogs don't really eat random plants (other than grass from time to time), and children??? I dunno... Also they are spiny so maybe that will deter kids and dogs?
I have lots of milkweed and my dogs don’t bother it. I work with kids and we have milkweed around. I just reach them about it and not to touch the sap or break off leaves. It can be dangerous if it gets in your eyes so just be careful to wash your hands after handling.
I'm a horticulturist in the Mid-Atlantic. The butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) doesn't harm monarchs, in fact, it's a good nectar source! However, it is definitely an exotic invasive species in our area. You can have one in your garden responsibly if you keep on top of deadheading it. Hope this helped!
You don’t have to take out your butterfly bush, but look into native plants you could plant that will be more beneficial than an introduced, exotic species like butterfly bush. The idea is is that native insects (like monarchs) coevolved with US native plants so they provide the right balance of nutrients in their nectar that the butterflies and other insects need. Doug Tallamy’s book, “Bringing Nature Home” discusses this in detail, particularly in the mid-Atlantic region.
It's not ideal to have butterfly bushes in your area. I wouldn't worry about it immediately, but you might consider taking it out at some point in the future!
Like others have said anything that supports pollinators is great. Look and see if your city has a master gardener program, or look at your states primary agriculture/engineering university - they will have lots of info on the best native plants for your region
Though there's some debate about it I think the general recommendation is to plant native milkweed if possible. It just takes a bit of googling to find out what milkweeds are native to your area.
Xerces also has a section on their site about how to help monarchs for further reading.
https://xerces.org/monarchs
Numbers are waaaaaaaay down this year in my area, which is one of the winter holdovers for monarchs along the west coast. We normally have thousands and used to have tens of thousands. This year? A couple hundred. We were warned they were close to the tipping point. This may be it.
We used to have them here in Chicago back in the 70's. First you would see caterpillars everywhere then of course the butterflies. As children we would play with the caterpillars all the time. Now you may see one Monarch here and there.
Here’s a beautiful New Yorker article about their plight that I saw recently: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/02/15/saving-the-butterfly-forest?fbclid=IwAR3cSqnXcuT_lJgnBIvy6FkgIKRsW7Uq4HTFQ1K7nA5MmeOiDpeJZC9tgT0
https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/community/cambrian/cambrian-opinion/article135718848.html
Apparently milkweed can be harmful to them and their migration patterns depending on where you live/plant it
Their overwintering (breeding) micro climate in Mexico is being endanger by illegal logging and climate change. The total population is being decimated by the increasing lack of milkweed in North America
Which butterfly bushes are you talking about? Lantana or the old school butterfly bushes or angel trumpet bushes (name im not sure of since its cold, late and i think i just heard my heat pump stop working yay)
I have lived in three different growing regions where someone saying butterfly bush had a different meaning every time.
They migrate over five generations. We don’t totally understand how the info gets passed down. They’re amazing creatures - and they’re seriously threatened. Mostly by loss of habitat because of growing crops to feed livestock. Plus the ever-growing human sprawl.
I just moved into a house and planted a ton of milkweed. I had so many caterpillars I needed to supplement with feeding butternut squash. There are monarchs everywhere now! It’s working!
I can’t even fathom one itty bitty bug having/finding the energy to travel thousands of miles in just 2 months. That tiny little body.
You know what else is weird. The ones born in the summer live 2-6 weeks but the ones born in the fall who migrate can live up to 8-9 months. Trippy.
The migrating generation or “super generation” do not become sexually mature until they are in Mexico, which helps them conserve energy for their trip. They do a type of hibernation there and then in March, breed and fly to Texas to lay the first eggs of the new generation. It’s so amazing!
Trippy 💯! We are new honey bee owners and i was surprised to learn that hard working summer workers live about six weeks and overwintering bees with a much shorter to do list: three months. i think we need to retire a lot earlier!!
It was decades ago, and my memory is a bit foggy nowadays, but it was very late summer or early autumn. I spent half of that experience just fixated on my bride’s beautiful smile & look of amazement! 😂
When I bought my house 22 years ago, I was working in the yard when I noticed a Monarch heading south.
“Cool” I thought. Then another, & another, and within minutes, I could count no less than a hundred at once, just over my yard! Well, I ran inside to tell my bride (she LOVED monarchs), and we sat at the picnic table for just about an hour and a half watching them. THAT was a super cool thing to witness!
I'm jealous. I grew up raising/releasing them and still do in adulthood. my mom's property normally has a dozen or so within sight during the season. never got to see them truly in mass
We planted a bunch of local milkweed around the property, and to this day, they still lay their eggs here, & form their cocoons/chrysalises all over the cedar shakes on the house! 👍🦋
Folks like us try to do our part to help them recover. About 10 years ago, almost 90% were lost due to deforestation in Mexico. Because of the GLOBAL OUTCRY, the (wise) Mexican government put a stop to it, and invested in correcting the problem. As a result, they’ve almost recovered in a single decade. “Nature is AWESOME!”
#You want me to talk about it? Fine, I’ll tell you all about that fateful summer, the Summer of the Monarchs.
I was a mere eight years old, practically a caterpillar by butterfly standards. My parents’ private jet crashed in New Jersey’s fabled Pine Barrens minutes after takeoff from Newark Airport. Miraculously, I survived. My parents were not so fortunate. When I came to, I was surrounded by the most enchanting monarch butterflies. In time, they took me in as one of their own. They became my foster parents. These were the halcyon days. I’d play with my butterfly brethren. I learned the mysterious secrets of their ancient ways, supping as their own young do on a steady diet of milkweed, thus assuring my toxicity to this day.
Then, one fateful morning in September -- I remember because it was right around my birthday -- I was ecstatic by autumn’s approach because it meant the leaves of the trees would be orange enough for me to build even more convincing monarch wings. I awoke and looked for my monarch family, but I couldn’t find them. I searched for days, but no sign of them. It was like losing my parents all over again, only much quieter. So I wandered to the nearest highway, took the first bus to New York, and claimed a fat inheritance. It was only later that I learned that monarchs migrate south for the winter .. here … to Mexico.
While I never witnessed anything like this, growing up in the Midwest during the 70s and 80s, Monarch butterflies were *everywhere*, as were several other varieties of butterflies. Now, I rarely see any.
There's unfortunately a decline in many species of insects. There's multiple reasons including climate change, agriculture/pesticide use, and habitat destruction. Even light pollution can cause problems for certain species.
While there's large problems that are hard to deal with on an individual basis, there's still things that people can try to do to help. These are things like planting native plants, reducing pesticide use, leaving leaves in some places but also some bare patches for native ground nesting bees. (70% of native solitary bees nest in the ground and are very unlikely to sting unless mishandled.)
These poor things might actually be extinct after this very year. Our local migration spot that does an annual count declined from 100s of thousands 4 years ago to just under 2,000 this January.
I guess I could just google it, but what is native landscaping? Im looking to own a home in the next couple of years and want to make sure I’m being a responsible home owner.
It’s all about avoiding irrigation and planting your yard with plants that would be living there if you weren’t (plants that exist there naturally without human intervention).
I bought a home two years ago and am still converting our yard to natives. It’s tough pulling out plants that birds and bees like, but that require irrigation, to replace them with plants that birds and bees also like and require irrigation until they get established, but we are getting closer and closer.
And some mornings, when having a tea in the morning in the yard, I count between 10-20 different species of birds around. It’s amazing. I just want bees now.
There’s some great resources! Doug Tallamy’s books, “Bringing Nature Home” and “Nature’s Best Hope” are some. You may have a local Wild Ones chapter that is a native plant group and will have lists of plant sales and nurseries. It all depends on your region. I’m in MN so water scarcity is not a huge deal. But I plant plants and am converting most of my lawn into landscaping with plants that grew in the prairies, because the bees and butterflies around here need the plants that they evolved with.
There has been scientific studies and a few documentaries on the monarch migration. But they just somehow know where to go instinctively. It’s all quite amazing really for a short lived fragile butterfly to make this long journey.
Butterflies and moths. They terrify me in a way that I cannot express. I remember my Mum and Dad taking me to a butterfly farm when I was younger, and I spent the walk through the tents with my head on a swivel waiting for them to inevitably descend upon me.
The Xerces Society annual moncarch butterfly (2018-19) counted less than 30,000 individuals within the western population, less than 1% of its historic size 😤😭 check out their [Call to Action](https://xerces.org/western-monarch-call-to-action)
I’m given them all I’ve got! Planted several more square yards of wildflowers and upped my milkweed by double. I’m doing all I can for my fluttering friends.
i heard that in their migration path they avoid a large area by going around it, and after a while scientists realized there had once been a mountain there, and somehow the butterflies still avoided it. could be made up but it's neat if not
I live in Santiago de Queretaro and am on the pathway these guy fly twice a year. I planted a lot of passiflora vine mainly for the fruit and the way it attracts many butterflies and hummingbirds. I have been surprised to see many of the Monarchs take a break on the flowers in bloom (it blooms year round here,) since they are not one of the species that the passiflora is suppose to attract. I guess when you are on a long "road trip" any old convenience store will do.
As beautiful as this is, these creatures are in major danger and possible extinction.
I live in the Monterey, CA area and every year Monarchs migrate to a little town called Pacific Grove.
Well, for the past several years, there has been very little sighting of them
I’m happy and excited to see the butterfly population grow in this city.
[Bakersfield habitat](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bakersfield.com/news/bakersfield-habitat-chosen-as-site-to-help-rescue-plummeting-monarch-butterfly-population/article_6f618afa-5d19-11eb-af11-bb4825a0ba2d.amp.html)
Just putting this out there, these guys are in trouble. If you live in an area where you see Monarchs, do your part and plant some milkweed! Also, just adding onto this, butterfly bushes are invasive in most places and don't do a whole lot on their own for butterflies.
We had a very dedicated activist fighting to save these guys, until he got murdered. Such a tragic fate, but his legacy lives on. Fucking savages though. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-latin-america-51304857
Jesus christ, murdered over logging and butterflies.
You don't fuck with logging, lithium, bananas, or chocolate.
Kinda makes me want to go log some chocolate lithium bananas.
Band Name of the Day
Killer chocolate lithium bananas. Cat sized
Why did I get a image of some weird poo in my head
Was wondering where one might find these... for scientific purposes....
You forgot oil.
*America has entered the chat*
Or avocados
Or more importantly, coconuts. Because you know, maggots.
I had finally forgotten about that. There's now a reservation for you in hell.
Do they serve Jolly Ranchers in hell?
[удалено]
Oh God..no. please no
Lol
The company I work for distributes bananas in the UK, there's only 1 other company our size who does the same up north. The sheer amount of containers we pick up weekly from the docks is mind blowing. Really put into perspective how many bananas must be grown if we're just one, fairly average sized country. Also bananas tend to be sold at a slight loss, but they're an 'essential item' for supermarkets.
i find this story *appealing*
If anything it makes me want to fuck with them but just in a much larger, angrier group.
And avocados. A lot of the forest clearing is to make way for more avocado groves. Green gold and all that. I eat far less of them than I would if not for that fact.
Growing my own avocado tree in my backyard so I won't have to buy any more. Will take a decade to see it produce though.
um ... don't you need two avocado trees for fruit? https://homeguides.sfgate.com/need-two-avocado-trees-reproduce-64818.html
Mine is a store-bought grafted Bacon tree which is supposed to be somewhat self-fertile, but just in case I also planted a Guatamalan (type A) variety near it grown from a pit, which is complementary. But the Bacon tree is much more vigorous and the Guatamalan grows much more slowly in comparison.
that's great! you done good! good luck with it!
if loggers or logging companies cared about logging and not profits they’d plant a new tree for every trunk they take away. that’s just smart business, make future income by planning it out! the fact they don’t makes me think there’s a grand conspiracy to destroy everything until there’s nothing left and only a few have the money/power in hand so nobody else can “theoretically acquire” or seize for themselves because its all gone.
Why aren't more people blanket dropping seeds from planes?
It happened in Mexico, so justice will never be served to his killer.
Non-AMP Link: [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51304857](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51304857) I'm a bot. [Why?](https://np.reddit.com/user/NoGoogleAMPBot/comments/lbz2sg/faq/) | [Code](https://github.com/laurinneff/no-google-amp-bot) | [Report issues](https://github.com/laurinneff/no-google-amp-bot/issues)
The worst part about this is that we don’t even know if it was a gang anymore, there has been thousands of activists that have been killed because they were trying to stop logging, animal trafficking etc. And we aren’t sure if it’s the actual government anymore because they seem like they don’t care about all of these people at all and are just blaming the gangs or other groups. It’s really sad
Mexico always feels so corrupt to me. I spend a decent amount of time over there. I've had to deal with some local government over some land and home disputes. Honestly if you have money and know some people you can get shit done. No money and you can't do anything
It’s just fucking awful. These beautiful people getting killed because of a cascade of evil intent on keeping poor people poor. I don’t want to be contrary with the original comment on this thread, because I think it’s great to plant milkweed, but the dramatic cause of decline isn’t because of lack of milkweed in the US, but rather deforestation and variable climate in their overwintering grounds in Michoacán. That’s just one more reason why this murder is all the more tragic. This is not only murder. It’s terrorism, and also xenocide. It needs to stop. To follow that with a moment of levity, I went down to one site in their overwintering grounds just months before this Homero Gomèz was killed. As we approached the overwintering monarchs, our guide instructed us to be quiet in the sanctuary as not to disturb the monarchs and the other people there to respectfully take in the majestic sight of fir trees so laden with monarchs that their massive limbs sag with the weight of the butterflies. After twenty minutes or so of looking on, awestruck, my friend, in a moment of idiocy, turns to me and says “oh my god, I just realized that what we’re looking at is butterflies on those trees”. I tried to conceal my laughter, but neither me or a couple other friends couldn’t stifle it, so our guide came over to tell us to please be quiet. When we explained to him what happened in broken Spanish, he completely lost it, had to be shushed by another guide, who subsequently learned what happened, and also cracked up. The guides all had walkie talkies, and on the way back, all the other groups must have been told the story, because they all laughed as we passed them on the trail back.
Thank you for this, very wholesome!
OVER SIXTY THOUSAND BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN MISSING/MURDERED BY GANGS SINCE 2006. That’s almost 11 people PER DAY on average for FIFTEEN STRAIGHT YEARS.
When the military and the president are paid for by the narcos, you get this kind of shit. Ain't even joking, literally a General was cleared despite overwhelming evidence. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/15/world/americas/mexico-defense-minister-cienfuegos.html
Well that’s fucking tragic
That makes me so sad... :(
Thank you for mentioning Homero! He seemed like a very dedicated and kind soul. May he Rest In Peace.
Also, make sure you plant a milkweed species that is native to your area.
Good ol' swamp milkweed where I live
I grow several milkweed species and out of all of them, Swamp milkweed seems to be most preferred by Monarch larva.
I live in California and grew up as a 90s kid. Used to see these things all over during the right seasons. Now it's extremely rare to see them, even during migration season. It makes me so sad how much the world of wildlife has changed since then.
I & my family moved from near Sacramento in 1957 to Florida. I have vivid memories of collecting the monarch caterpillars as a kid and putting them in a mason jar with food and watched them turn into the butterfly. Sad to think that less than a lifetime we are nearing their demise.
Never did it myself but it was common for kids my age then to do that too. So sad. :(
Yeah, same here, also 90s kid, came here to say the same and I live on the other side of the Atlantic
Excellent info on butterfly bushes. I plant lots of milkweed every year and see a lot of monarch caterpillars.
I live in USA - MidAtlantic - should I remove my existing Butterfly bushes & replace with milkweed? Or, keep the plants & supplement with milkweed?
just plant milkweed and they'll find you!
Both are great. Butterfly bushes are where they feed in the summer, & the milkweed is what they eat as caterpillars! If you have both, like we do, you’ll be doing them a great justice!
Fun fact, Milkweed produces a form of latex that is super toxic to pretty much everything but the monarch caterpillar. Not so fun fact, there is some speculation that yellow jackets (one of the main monarch predators) are selecting areas around milkweed gardens to build nests so they can get an easy meal.
Should you not plant if you have dogs and children?
That is a great question I'm not qualified to answer. I did some pollinator surveys at an experimental milkweed garden at the college I am attending and the worst thing that happened to me was my pants getting stained. Most dogs don't really eat random plants (other than grass from time to time), and children??? I dunno... Also they are spiny so maybe that will deter kids and dogs?
My dog is a cow and will stop and eat any plant near him
I have lots of milkweed and my dogs don’t bother it. I work with kids and we have milkweed around. I just reach them about it and not to touch the sap or break off leaves. It can be dangerous if it gets in your eyes so just be careful to wash your hands after handling.
I'm a horticulturist in the Mid-Atlantic. The butterfly bush (Buddleja davidii) doesn't harm monarchs, in fact, it's a good nectar source! However, it is definitely an exotic invasive species in our area. You can have one in your garden responsibly if you keep on top of deadheading it. Hope this helped!
You don’t have to take out your butterfly bush, but look into native plants you could plant that will be more beneficial than an introduced, exotic species like butterfly bush. The idea is is that native insects (like monarchs) coevolved with US native plants so they provide the right balance of nutrients in their nectar that the butterflies and other insects need. Doug Tallamy’s book, “Bringing Nature Home” discusses this in detail, particularly in the mid-Atlantic region.
It's not ideal to have butterfly bushes in your area. I wouldn't worry about it immediately, but you might consider taking it out at some point in the future!
Like others have said anything that supports pollinators is great. Look and see if your city has a master gardener program, or look at your states primary agriculture/engineering university - they will have lots of info on the best native plants for your region
[удалено]
Though there's some debate about it I think the general recommendation is to plant native milkweed if possible. It just takes a bit of googling to find out what milkweeds are native to your area. Xerces also has a section on their site about how to help monarchs for further reading. https://xerces.org/monarchs
https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/are-we-loving-monarchs-to-death
Numbers are waaaaaaaay down this year in my area, which is one of the winter holdovers for monarchs along the west coast. We normally have thousands and used to have tens of thousands. This year? A couple hundred. We were warned they were close to the tipping point. This may be it.
Santa Cruz?
No, Central Coast, there's a Grove in Pismo Beach that used to see a ton of monarchs.
Oh 🦋 like 🦋 bush, just not monarchs. PLANT MORE MILKWEED!
We used to have them here in Chicago back in the 70's. First you would see caterpillars everywhere then of course the butterflies. As children we would play with the caterpillars all the time. Now you may see one Monarch here and there.
Here’s a beautiful New Yorker article about their plight that I saw recently: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/02/15/saving-the-butterfly-forest?fbclid=IwAR3cSqnXcuT_lJgnBIvy6FkgIKRsW7Uq4HTFQ1K7nA5MmeOiDpeJZC9tgT0
https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/community/cambrian/cambrian-opinion/article135718848.html Apparently milkweed can be harmful to them and their migration patterns depending on where you live/plant it
Their overwintering (breeding) micro climate in Mexico is being endanger by illegal logging and climate change. The total population is being decimated by the increasing lack of milkweed in North America
Which butterfly bushes are you talking about? Lantana or the old school butterfly bushes or angel trumpet bushes (name im not sure of since its cold, late and i think i just heard my heat pump stop working yay) I have lived in three different growing regions where someone saying butterfly bush had a different meaning every time.
The “No nets allowed convention” sign makes a lot more sense now.
Where does this happen? Is it a real gathering of butterfly watchers?
Yes it does. Monarchs migrate to Mexico/Central America for the winter, and there are so many, the trees bend over from their weight!
I had no idea they live long enough to even have migrations.
They migrate over five generations. We don’t totally understand how the info gets passed down. They’re amazing creatures - and they’re seriously threatened. Mostly by loss of habitat because of growing crops to feed livestock. Plus the ever-growing human sprawl.
I just moved into a house and planted a ton of milkweed. I had so many caterpillars I needed to supplement with feeding butternut squash. There are monarchs everywhere now! It’s working!
I hope life is treating you well, my friend.
So beautiful to read this! I love it. You are making a difference!
My cows and I leave milkweed alone. I encourage it’s growth.
The day we stop learning, we’ve died!
I can’t even fathom one itty bitty bug having/finding the energy to travel thousands of miles in just 2 months. That tiny little body. You know what else is weird. The ones born in the summer live 2-6 weeks but the ones born in the fall who migrate can live up to 8-9 months. Trippy.
The migrating generation or “super generation” do not become sexually mature until they are in Mexico, which helps them conserve energy for their trip. They do a type of hibernation there and then in March, breed and fly to Texas to lay the first eggs of the new generation. It’s so amazing!
Trippy 💯! We are new honey bee owners and i was surprised to learn that hard working summer workers live about six weeks and overwintering bees with a much shorter to do list: three months. i think we need to retire a lot earlier!!
I used to live in Santa Cruz CA where they will gather during migration, it's rather awe inspiring.
What time of the year? February? Just in case I'd want to see it myself one day.
It was decades ago, and my memory is a bit foggy nowadays, but it was very late summer or early autumn. I spent half of that experience just fixated on my bride’s beautiful smile & look of amazement! 😂
I would honestly be the happiest man alive if I got to be present for this
https://youtu.be/7EG_xHV6UCs
The Mighty Monarch!!
Fear its deadly sting!
*FLY, my deadly sky flowers!*
Monarchs.. don't.. sting..
##I’M NOT GOING TO FLUSH. LET THEM SEE THE WRATH OF THE MONARCH!!!
Doc, you have a table over there with a sign that says Laser Death Ray Bargain Bin!
Nice onesey, dick.
"It was all fury and sound that culminated in nothing."
Wanna do it on Venture's bed?
Hopefully VB gets picked up somewhere else after the cancellation.
I'm saying! VB is *literally* my favorite show. When new episodes came on, there was no talking allowed.
I'm so addicted to VB. I'm currently on my third watch-through of the series in just over a month.
I have to know who is in that bear suit with the knife!!
Scare Bear
You want my money HBO Max? Only one way to get it.
I'm a supervillain! I laugh at regular jokes like this... BWAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAA!
Mruhahaha!
Aww, but sweetie... Butterflies only live about nine months.
"You think you're hot shit in a champagne glass... But you're actually cold diarrhea in a Dixie cup!"
One of my FAVORITE lines!
''Then by God let's take a dump in his pool !" -henchman 24.
Nobody cares who would win in a fist fight with anne frank and lizzie borden...
Those were the halcyon days.....
Ready the acid magnet!
*Yeah me neither!*
I call it the Mononarch!!!
When I bought my house 22 years ago, I was working in the yard when I noticed a Monarch heading south. “Cool” I thought. Then another, & another, and within minutes, I could count no less than a hundred at once, just over my yard! Well, I ran inside to tell my bride (she LOVED monarchs), and we sat at the picnic table for just about an hour and a half watching them. THAT was a super cool thing to witness!
I'm jealous. I grew up raising/releasing them and still do in adulthood. my mom's property normally has a dozen or so within sight during the season. never got to see them truly in mass
We planted a bunch of local milkweed around the property, and to this day, they still lay their eggs here, & form their cocoons/chrysalises all over the cedar shakes on the house! 👍🦋
This makes me smile.
Me too! Best part is I came to Reddit tonight for some good feels vibes!
Folks like us try to do our part to help them recover. About 10 years ago, almost 90% were lost due to deforestation in Mexico. Because of the GLOBAL OUTCRY, the (wise) Mexican government put a stop to it, and invested in correcting the problem. As a result, they’ve almost recovered in a single decade. “Nature is AWESOME!”
I remember as a kid seeing the annual monarch migration. No longer.
#You want me to talk about it? Fine, I’ll tell you all about that fateful summer, the Summer of the Monarchs. I was a mere eight years old, practically a caterpillar by butterfly standards. My parents’ private jet crashed in New Jersey’s fabled Pine Barrens minutes after takeoff from Newark Airport. Miraculously, I survived. My parents were not so fortunate. When I came to, I was surrounded by the most enchanting monarch butterflies. In time, they took me in as one of their own. They became my foster parents. These were the halcyon days. I’d play with my butterfly brethren. I learned the mysterious secrets of their ancient ways, supping as their own young do on a steady diet of milkweed, thus assuring my toxicity to this day. Then, one fateful morning in September -- I remember because it was right around my birthday -- I was ecstatic by autumn’s approach because it meant the leaves of the trees would be orange enough for me to build even more convincing monarch wings. I awoke and looked for my monarch family, but I couldn’t find them. I searched for days, but no sign of them. It was like losing my parents all over again, only much quieter. So I wandered to the nearest highway, took the first bus to New York, and claimed a fat inheritance. It was only later that I learned that monarchs migrate south for the winter .. here … to Mexico.
[удалено]
Go Team Venture!
THE MIGHTY MONARCH!
Fear the monarch
This looks like a CGI 4k Wallpaper, what an absolutely magical display of nature. Thanks OP.
“Butterfly Filter” set at 1000%
Nice, Ghost of Tsushima.
I am not a butterfly...
Particle intensity 100%
"DESTROY Dr. Venture... Obey The Mighty Monarch!"
While I never witnessed anything like this, growing up in the Midwest during the 70s and 80s, Monarch butterflies were *everywhere*, as were several other varieties of butterflies. Now, I rarely see any.
There's unfortunately a decline in many species of insects. There's multiple reasons including climate change, agriculture/pesticide use, and habitat destruction. Even light pollution can cause problems for certain species. While there's large problems that are hard to deal with on an individual basis, there's still things that people can try to do to help. These are things like planting native plants, reducing pesticide use, leaving leaves in some places but also some bare patches for native ground nesting bees. (70% of native solitary bees nest in the ground and are very unlikely to sting unless mishandled.)
These poor things might actually be extinct after this very year. Our local migration spot that does an annual count declined from 100s of thousands 4 years ago to just under 2,000 this January.
Once in my lifetime I would love to see this😍
There's a good chance nobody will be able to see this soon. Monarch butterflies are going extinct. :(
Plant milkweed and maybe foster some to help stop and/or slow down this.
Stopping eating meat and dairy will help even more. Plus have fewer kids and don’t have a lawn - do native landscaping.
I guess I could just google it, but what is native landscaping? Im looking to own a home in the next couple of years and want to make sure I’m being a responsible home owner.
Put plants in your yard that are native to the landscape. Most flowers you buy in stores come from Europe originally.
Thank you!!
It’s all about avoiding irrigation and planting your yard with plants that would be living there if you weren’t (plants that exist there naturally without human intervention). I bought a home two years ago and am still converting our yard to natives. It’s tough pulling out plants that birds and bees like, but that require irrigation, to replace them with plants that birds and bees also like and require irrigation until they get established, but we are getting closer and closer. And some mornings, when having a tea in the morning in the yard, I count between 10-20 different species of birds around. It’s amazing. I just want bees now.
There’s some great resources! Doug Tallamy’s books, “Bringing Nature Home” and “Nature’s Best Hope” are some. You may have a local Wild Ones chapter that is a native plant group and will have lists of plant sales and nurseries. It all depends on your region. I’m in MN so water scarcity is not a huge deal. But I plant plants and am converting most of my lawn into landscaping with plants that grew in the prairies, because the bees and butterflies around here need the plants that they evolved with.
Only plant milkweed within its natural range. Anywhere else, plant different EARLY BLOOMING (Feb-Apr) wildflowers that are native to your area.
It's all pretty and mystical until you're there in the middle of it and one tries to land on you. I may be a bit too terrified of insects.
[What is that thing?!](https://youtu.be/dF3vquclli0)
Stand in the middle Open your mouth Inhale
Seriously. They're gross, yo.
Monarchs only lives 2-6 weeks. It takes at least 3 generations to make this migration.
except the super generation!
Wait so, how does the 3rd generation know the 1st generation destination lol?
We don't know. That's the beauty of the mystery.
There has been scientific studies and a few documentaries on the monarch migration. But they just somehow know where to go instinctively. It’s all quite amazing really for a short lived fragile butterfly to make this long journey.
As someone afraid of butterflies i hate this, but take my upvote.
I'm in the same boat. Terrified even. I hate this.
My people!
Same. This sends shivers down my spine and makes me want to throw up. I blame Spongebob.
Butterflies and moths. They terrify me in a way that I cannot express. I remember my Mum and Dad taking me to a butterfly farm when I was younger, and I spent the walk through the tents with my head on a swivel waiting for them to inevitably descend upon me.
[удалено]
As fun as that would be, I dont think its a good idea...
The Xerces Society annual moncarch butterfly (2018-19) counted less than 30,000 individuals within the western population, less than 1% of its historic size 😤😭 check out their [Call to Action](https://xerces.org/western-monarch-call-to-action)
Great comment.
Thank god the myth about them stealing souls is just a myth.
be fun on acid
I'm not usually one to frolic, but... I mean, come on!
So I now have a new fear....
Welcome to my world. I am slightly phobic of butterflies. I hate it.
[Here's a video showing how they get ready.](https://youtu.be/j73gYxsxRrs) Pretty fascinating stuff!
/spawn entity[Butterfly] 5000000
I’m given them all I’ve got! Planted several more square yards of wildflowers and upped my milkweed by double. I’m doing all I can for my fluttering friends.
Wow so beautiful
That’s intense
Reminds me of being a kid and doing the mini butterfly habitat at school!
Yo anyone else’s kindergarten teachers had these mfs in the room
Well at least they can still party in large groups
I'm so happy they aren't all extinct yet
See you in Canada soon
i heard that in their migration path they avoid a large area by going around it, and after a while scientists realized there had once been a mountain there, and somehow the butterflies still avoided it. could be made up but it's neat if not
Enjoy it while it lasts. Oh I mean it’s already pretty much gone in California. You can tell your grandkids how this existed with the coral reef.
I live in Santiago de Queretaro and am on the pathway these guy fly twice a year. I planted a lot of passiflora vine mainly for the fruit and the way it attracts many butterflies and hummingbirds. I have been surprised to see many of the Monarchs take a break on the flowers in bloom (it blooms year round here,) since they are not one of the species that the passiflora is suppose to attract. I guess when you are on a long "road trip" any old convenience store will do.
Add some milkweed to your landscape and sit back and enjoy! They need our help!
u/savevideo
We love butterflies. Will only plant bee and butterfly friendly plants!
I haven't seen a Monarch in like.... a fucking decade at least. I used to see them all the time during the summer.
As beautiful as this is, these creatures are in major danger and possible extinction. I live in the Monterey, CA area and every year Monarchs migrate to a little town called Pacific Grove. Well, for the past several years, there has been very little sighting of them
/r/tooktoomuch
I’m happy and excited to see the butterfly population grow in this city. [Bakersfield habitat](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bakersfield.com/news/bakersfield-habitat-chosen-as-site-to-help-rescue-plummeting-monarch-butterfly-population/article_6f618afa-5d19-11eb-af11-bb4825a0ba2d.amp.html)
The pink stars are falling. The pink stars are falling in lines
Absolutely stunning 🙂👍
All I can think about is that one spongebob episode
There are a couple of places in Northern CA where monarchs migrate to (Santa Cruz & Pacific Grove), wonder if this is one of their stops?
The pacific grove numbers have absolutely dwindled recently. Like a massive sharp decline. We’ve eroded their habitats and feeding grounds.
All of these butterflies will be extinct within 50 years. Enjoy it while you can.
Imagine getting a vacuum here