Each autumn, something incredible, yet saddening occurs in the gardens throughout North America. Monarch butterflies embark on an incredible journey. They travel over 2,000 miles all the way to the central mountains of Mexico. They do all this with nothing but wings as thin as tissue paper.
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Check PriceSad to say, only 20% of the monarchs will finish the migration and reach their winter home. Most will die from storms, starvation, or toxic chemicals.
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Want to make a difference for our amazing traveling Monarchs? It's easy! Just a few changes in your yard this fall can help more Monarchs survive on their epic migration journey.
Stop the September Slaughter
Currently, hundreds of thousands of gardeners are doing exactly the opposite of what they should be doing, especially at this time of year. What should be left alone are the dead flowers, seed heads and the gardens that are left untidy. Monarchs need these gardens.
Those wild asters, sunflowers, and goldenrod are fuel stations for butterflies! One bloom of an aster gives a monarch butterfly enough energy for 50 miles of flying! If you cut the flowers down in early fall, then you are taking down rest stops when the roads are busiest.
As an alternative, let ALL late-season blooms stand until after the first hard frost. This includes coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, Joe Pye weed and, most importantly, goldenrod, which is a key late-season nectar source for the monarchs.
Make Your Yard a Zone Free of Chemicals
Did you know that the data neonicotinoid pesticides only 2.5 parts per billion are enough to kill a single Monarch Butterfly? That’s one drop of poison in an Olympic swimming pool!
Even treatments that are labeled "organic" can be lethal. For example, Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) spray is natural but kills ALL caterpillars, not just the ones munching on your tomatoes. Soap sprays can also coat the wings of butterflies and prevent them from flying.
For the next 2 months, DO NOT use any sprays, granules, or treatments. If aphids want to take your roses, let them. A few chewed leaves will help support one of nature's amazing migrations.
Plant the Fall Fuel Pipeline
Take advantage of September and October cool weather! Fall-blooming native monarch-supporting flowers establish better during the cool weather of late September and October. Focus on late-season bloomers that can tolerate a frost!
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New England asters produce thousands of flowers on each plant, and bloom until November. Even later, and often right up until the snow flies, Aromatic asters can be seen flowering. These beautiful blossoms aren't just for show, they also attract many Monarch butterflies during their migration.
Remember to include shrubs in your planting scheme. Fall blooming shrubs like abelia, autumn sage and late flowering sedum provide nectar sources at different heights, offering options to monarchs when lower level flowering plants die off.
Build Winter Homes for the Next Generation
The monarchs you currently see are on their way to Mexico. The monarchs that leave eggs and caterpillars behind will be the first generation of monarchs in the spring. These baby monarchs will need places to hide when winter's worst weather comes.
Did you know that leaf piles are not just lazy gardening, but are in fact nurseries for butterflies? Instead of bagging up your leaves, rake leaves under shrubs and in the corners of your garden. Many butterflies hibernate in the pupae stage of their life cycle and will spend the winter leaf litter. They wait for the warm weather of spring to emerge.
Even better than the leaf piles, the brush piles provide the right amount of shelter to insects during their overwintering stage. Simply stack some of the branches, stems, and other harmless garden debris in a secluded area of the garden, and you’ve created a perfect five-star apartment complex for the butterflies, native bees, and even predatory insects that will provide pest control for your garden in the following season.
Master the Skill of Strategic Milkweed Planting
Though most people know monarchs need milkweed, they don’t know the importance of timing and placement. Fall is actually the best time to plant milkweed seeds. Fall planting helps the seeds get the cold stratifications (a winter cold period) necessary to germinate.
Select the native varieties that are specific to your region. For Northern regions, common milkweed is suitable. As for Southern regions, you should avoid tropical milkweed as it may trigger confusion amongst monarchs and cause them to not migrate.
Milkweed should be planted in clusters instead of as single plants. A grouping of 10 milkweed plants will attract and support many more monarch caterpillars than scattered indivdiual plants in your yard. Think of it this way- you are creating monarch maternity wards instead of random baby cribs.
Become a Water Station Host
Flying 2,000 miles makes you really thirsty, but monarchs cannot just land anywhere for a drink. They need shallow water sources where they can safely land to drink and warm up their flight muscles.
To get started with butterfly puddles, fill shallow saucers with water and place flat rocks as landing spots in the puddles. Be sure to change the water every few days so mosquito larvae do not have the chance to mature into adults. For optimal results, place these water stations near nectar plants so butterflies can easily get food and water.
You can make mud puddles by keeping a section of dirt wet all the time. Male butterflies love these areas because they can collect the minerals they need for reproduction.
The butterfly migration process is truly astonishing, though, unfortunately, it's become more susceptible to disruptions. The advent of climate change, loss of habitat, and the use of pesticides has led to an 80% decline in the number of Monarch Butterflies over the last two decades.
But here's the amazing thing about butterflies – every little decision can lead to life-changing events. Every flower you let stay standing, any chemical you elect not to spray, and every native plant you put in your garden can actually save lives.
This fall, watching monarch butterflies get ready for their long journey to Mexico, your garden can become a way station for migrating monarchs. Just imagine fueling them up for the incredible trip they start every fall. Your garden can provide a safe place for the butterflies during their trek along the most dangerous travel routes in North America!
