Milkweed in vase is wilting

When you raise the caterpillars, indoors, do
you put some water in the vase for the milkweed stem that they feed on and how often do you replace the stem? I have seven caterpillars on one large stem that I just started yesterday and it's wilting.

Karen says:
Yes, you put the stem in water. I would cut the stem a good inch or two and put it in fresh water right away. Then, every couple of days you can refresh the water and it the milkweed starts to wilt, cut the stem again. Hope this helps.

Comments for Milkweed in vase is wilting

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Milkweed in vases
by: Maureen

I cut my milkweed with long stems when bringing it inside for the cats to munch and grow. When it starts wilting I change the water, re-cut the stems and usually they will perk up. I also cut a hole large enough in paper or Styrofoam plates for the stems to go through, set them on top of vase so it will catch their frass and prevent small ones from falling water. When they get too nasty I changed to fresh plates.
let them be wild
by: Anonymous

I found five monarch caterpillars on one plant! After researching online, I found that a single caterpillar can devour one plant. This one was in my garden, with only one other milkweed nearby. I have hundreds of milkweed outside the garden. so I put them on their own plants...Left two small ones who were motionless underside the leaves. Time to shed, molt. One that is almost 2 inches long is in my house right now, protected from harm, with milkweed & places for caterpillar to attach. It pooped three times in less than an hour! Hope the butterfly emerges about 2 weeks after the chrysalis is formed.
Keeping cats out of vase water
by: Anonymous

A friend advised that you can crumple up wax paper around the stems of the flower/milkweed plants to keep the cats from drowning.
milkweed wilting
by: Susie

I have had good success with using green floral foam in a plastic container. I cut a piece of floral foam to fit the plastic container. Fill it with water until it's saturated. Cut a hole in the lid of the container and place it on the container. Then I stick the milweed stems through the hole and into the floral foam. The milkweed keeps for days in that, plus I don't have to worry about any cats falling into the water.

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