Where, where, where?! I love hops vine. I raised my first QMs this year from the one I have. I keep it in a large pot so it doesn't go crazy. Supposedly red admirals use it too but I had them in my yard this year and none on the hops. It is such an interesting plant.

By the way your zebras are eclosing. There was one in the house today. Thank you!

-Elisabeth

Jeanner......I have a new invasive here. Started up about 5 years ago, out of the blue. I really think its a hops vine.
Make sure it isn't another invasive! (Or if it is, its worth what it gives back to you.) :)

I planted hops vine, and it is a pretty agressive spreader in my zone. I guess it doesn't care for heat, obvious this summer. The heat has definitely stopped it. I did pull some new shoots up this spring, but have otherwise let it alone hoping that it will attract some Anglewings (Polygonia).

It has even sent vines up my crabapple tree, which I leave, hoping it will broadcast its presence from such a height and attract QMs or Commas.

Elisabeth - at the Dayton Mall store .... they are on the bottom shelf on one of the middle racks of clearance plants (the clearance racks are at the back of the garden center by the hard scaping materials).

I'm thinking maybe a big pot is the way to go for now .... now I just have to find a flat spot to put the pot!

Elisabeth - so glad to hear the zebras made it. I might have to come visit them!

I was watering my little hops vine last night and noticed some chew marks and sure enough, I have QM cats! Although the vine looks pretty good since I've been babying it along, I'm not sure it will sustain the 8 cats that I found. I wasn't sure if they would go for slippery elm but when I went to cut a branch to see, there was another QM cat already on it. I feel much better knowing I should be able to keep them all fat and happy!

Unless I raise them from eggs, most of my QMs end up dying from parasites during 5th instar (actually beat the odds on my last three - two made it to chrysalis three days ago).

If you aren't protecting them, I suggest you do.

KC

I posted my reply, got up, took my dehumidifier tank out to water my pots and there was a QM laying eggs on my stinging nettles. She was putting the eggs on the seeds so the eggs are nearly impossible to find. I found one when the sun made the egg sparkle. She apparently does not believe in stacking eggs since I should have been able to notice those.

KC

Thanks KC. I did have them protected when I put them on the slippery elm but when I had to move them back to the hops vine I didn't have a container big enough for the pot so then they were without protection. So I just went out and cut off all the vines and put them in water and in a protective container. These poor cats have been moved so many times!

Was there a particular predator that got them?

That's surprising, K.C. I've never had any problems raising QMs. They will use Elm, Hackberry, False Nettle, and Hops vine. I have all four so they have a wide choice. In fact, Mama QM was laying eggs this morning on all but the Hops. False Nettle is the best plant, IMO, because it attracts both the QMs and the Red Admirals. My patch has gotten pretty big over the last few years.

Susan

P.S. If your Hops vine gets big and ratty looking by summer, cut it back to the ground, and it will respond with lots of new, healthier looking foliage.

After reading all the posts I'm going to go out and check our hops vine for some activity. I never think of doing that, although we have had quite a few question marks since planting it four years ago.

Our vine grows along our deck railings and although pretty vigorous, is not much of a problem. We do cut it back mid-summer~~and I wonder how many cats we disturb by doing that...? must watch that next time!