If it stops raining I would release it. If you have a sheltered porch that is open you could leave it there. I don't think it will nectar on flowers in the container but it doesn't hurt to try.

I fed rotten mine bananas with strawberry-kiwi gatorade poured over them. I think they drank some of it but not 100% sure. I would release her when it stops raining. Good luck, Tony

Thanks for the advice. I ended up releasing her this afternoon, so she was only contained for a little over 24 hours. She was VERY ready to get out of the cage and zipped immediately over to the lilacs and nectared for several minutes. My only concern is that there aren't really any host plants up yet (though should be soon) and I haven't seen any other BSTs around. Hope she can find love... :-)

Maybe I'll be raising her babies in the coming weeks!

Congrats! I'm in Mass. too and I'm waiting on 2 BST and 7 Spicebush Swallowtail chrysalises. Nothing happening yet!

Now I know that they certainly can take their own sweet time! I was just surprised that one that pupated in June would over winter, I figured it was just late summer cats that would do that. If it happens again, should I keep the chryslids in the house (like I did this time), or should I move them to a sheltered, outdoor spot?

Sitali, I'm not really sure, because I haven't done this successfully yet. The winter of 2010 I had 2 BST chrysalises that I kept in an aquarium tank in the garage, and apparently I spritzed them with water too much, and they didn't have enough airflow, so the chrysalises rotted.

This winter I kept them outside in a mesh container on the back side of the house. A couple weeks ago, I saw the first Eastern Tiger Swallowtail flying about, as well I sighted a black-colored swallowtail one day (not sure what species). Figured that was a sign that Swallowtail flight time has started, so I moved the chrysalises out of the mesh container and into the aquarium tank and put that on the deck (shaded).

Below is a link to a thread that I started asking the very same question, with some responses. Has some pics showing how I overwintered them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Overwintering Papilio chyrsalises

I'm sure they make due when there aren't blooms. The males get nutrients from soil...not sure about the females

I raise BST cats in plastic containers that I got at Walmart several years ago. They're shoebox size and I think they're Sterlite brand. I cut a rectangular hole in the middle of the lid and hot glued fiberglass mesh screen where I cut out the plastic. I raise all kinds of caterpillars in them and overwinter the Black Swallowtail (and Giant Swallowtail and Pipevine Swallowtail) pupas in these plastic storage containers. I store them in our tool shed (which is unheated, of course) on some shelves, and I don't mist them at all. I've always had good luck with them overwintering.

If you had your BST pupas in the house over the winter, I'm really surprised that they didn't eclose during the winter months, which wouldn't be good. I'm glad that they waited.
Cathy