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napapen

Questions and comments

napapen
11 years ago

I was given an article from Emory (RXon the wing) College that monarch cats who have been given a choice and have a parasite are able to cure themselves by eating Curvasvica milkweed. I noticed the scientist had each cat in a separate test tube so he could study each one. Do you keep your cats together or separate them as soon as they hatch? I have been keeping them in containers and they graduate to larger as they grow but the group stays together.

I don't have Monarchs yet but plenty of PVS eggs and cats of all sizes. However there is a problem this year with some of them being unable to shed their old skin. I had one pupate yesterday and it could not get the skin off. I helped but it was deformed. Is this the same type of parasite? I just gathered a group of eggs tonight and I am wondering when they hatch if I should put each in separate containers - anyone got maybe 80 containers where they have tried this? They start having problems with each time they change their coats as I call it.

Thanks for thoughts and comments. Penny

Comments (5)

  • KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
    11 years ago

    I could not find the article you are mentioning. I have seen studies where OE infected adult females prefer to lay eggs on curassavica when given a choice. Caterpillars making a choice is not a study I've seen.

    OE is not spread by caterpillars so keeping your monarch cats separated would not provide any benefit when it comes to OE. If you want to do something about OE, you need to sterilize the eggs and the leaves. Feeding your cats curassavica also helps.

    OE is specific to monarchs and queens so I guarantee your pipevines are having problems because of something other than OE. I have zero PVS experience so I'll end here.

  • Tony G
    11 years ago

    Here KC,

    http://earthsky.org/earth/jaap-de-roode-says-monarch-butterflies-use-plants-for-medicine

    The researcher is at the monarch conference. He definitely does NOT suggest planting the non-native curassavica and either do the majority of researchers here because they say it's changing the migration behavior. That being said, there have not been actual STUDIES on this subject and no one has been able to provide conclusive data on why this shouldn't be in the garden.

    There are so many factors affecting monarchs and they've needed to adapt. It's hard to believe A. curassavica is going to wipe them off the face of North America. who knows, one day it may be their saving grace. Tony

  • KC Clark - Zone 2012-6a OH
    11 years ago

    Tony,

    I was looking through old threads about OE. The one I'm linking has me posting a link to a study about how tropical helps control OE. So, I was pro-tropical on September 18th. :) Then Elisabeth linked to an article that talks about how non-native milkweeds are a problem because they are affecting the migration.

    Our migrating population has the lowest occurrence of OE. We are trying to get it even lower by planting tropical milkweed. This seems to be having undesirable side affects. Because of this, I won't be planting any more tropical. I will allow my old tropical to keep coming back up but I'll grab the pods before they open and cut the plants to the ground when my native plants die in the fall (my tropical outlasts the natives by at least 6 weeks).

    KC

    Here is a link that might be useful: All wild cats infected with OE. Will this always happen?

  • napapen
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Thanks for your link, it is the same study I quoted by deRoode.

    Right now I am trying to fight whatever is affecting my PVS.

    You put so much time into the rearing that it is discouraging when they look fine and then don't complete the cycle.

    Penny

  • Tony G
    11 years ago

    KC, if tropical MW is stopping them from completing the migration, it would stand to reason that planting it in places like Minnesota and Ohio is not the issue...but planting it in southern destinations where it's possible for them to remain through the winter is.

    You said: "this seems to be having undesirable side effects" and my problem with that is the word "seems."

    How many monarchs are staying in Texas? Is monarch disease more prevalent?

    I haven't seen/heard anything that convinces me that tropical milkweed is a problem for the monarch population. Please link to any research you can find on the subject. I would be interested in seeing it. Thanks, Tony

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