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Welcome to our Blog!
Welcome to the
Monarch Milkweed Project
This new group seeks to increase the supply of milkweed available to monarch butterflies both along their migration path and here in Benicia, California. Monarch populations are rapidly dwindling – but simple actions on our part can make all the difference for this iconic and beautiful species.
Our site is currently under construction, and our newest posts are below.
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Fall in the Milkweed Garden
It has been a very successful spring and summer here in Solano County, spreading the word about how to support the Monarch Butterfly population locally and spotting many of these iconic insects floating through our yards this year. Fall is the season to clean up the milkweed garden, as the last few caterpillars pupate and…
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Monarch terminology— learning to speak “butterfly”
The monarch butterfly: Latin (scientific) name is Danaus plexippus – (duh-NAY-us PLEX-ip-us) The metamorphosis of a monarch takes place as it transforms from the stages of an egg, to a larva, to a pupa, to a butterfly. Larva – (LAR-vuh), plural, larvae (LAR-vee) the second stage, after the egg, in metamorphosis. Also known as “caterpillar.”…
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Please call to save the Western Monarch
CALL TO ACTION – w/phone numbers and call scripts. Added 9/21/21 – email addresses Monarchs play a crucial role in regulating our ecosystems and pollinating plants — including the crops we rely on for food. Indeed, one out of every three bites of food we eat is thanks to pollinators like the Monarch butterfly. Without…
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The Lifecycle of the Monarch Butterfly
With so many of us interested in following the progress of monarch caterpillars, chrysalides, and butterflies I thought this visual might be helpful to understand the progression and timing of their lifecycle. It comes from journeynorth.org, which tracks the migration of many species of butterflies, birds, and other species.
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Aphid Wars! How to control these milkweed-infesting pests
Have you noticed tiny yellow/orange dots covering the stems of your milkweed? They are oleander aphids, and a heavy infestation can have serious consequences. Sometimes called “garden vampires”, they drink the sap from the plant, weakening and sometimes killing it. The life is literally sucked out of the plant, and can reduce the viable seeds…
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Tropical Milkweed – Asclepias Curassavica – bad for western monarchs
Are we doing more harm than good by providing this non-native milkweed to the western US monarch population? We here at Monarch Milkweed Project strongly discourage planting Tropical Milkweed. Because this variety of milkweed doesn’t die off in the winter but survives the mild winter climate of the West, its year round availability encourages the…
