Monarch Release Question

by Ann
(Cary Illinois)

Releasing Monarch Butterfly on Flower

Releasing Monarch Butterfly on Flower


I have a question,okay maybe more than one. How specifically do you go about releasing Monarch butterflies. How long do you wait after they emerge? Do you put them on a flower they like and they will fly when they are ready or just take them out on your hand and they just fly away?

Karen says:
You should wait a couple of hours for the wings to dry after they emerge. Then just put your finger under their "legs" and they will walk onto your finger. Walk outside and either you can just let them stay on your finger and observe them until they are ready to fly or hold them next to a pretty flower and they will hop on it. This is a great time to get some beautiful pictures of your Monarch butterfly because usually they stay on the flower for a while!

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Butterfly Farmer
by: Chuck Sparks

We raised a dozen or so this year and just put them out on their favorite milkweed as soon as we find them out. Sometimes you just turn around and they're out. Try to get them in the sun but if not they'll just take a little longer to dry out and pump up. They normally leak a little brown fluid when the wings are full, but don't worry about it. I guess it's a pressure relief valve. Isn't inflatable technology cool?

We just gently roll a finger under them and they can release their grip one leg at a time until they are secure on your finger, then undo the process outside. They are pretty good at hanging on with those 2-clawed legs.

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