Kid in a Candy Shop

I feel like a kid in a candy shop. Most of y'all know we have a butterfly garden. The other day I discovered that we have a new kind of caterpillar! Our old timers are Gulf Fritillaries, Monarchs and Zebras. We now have Queens - which are cousins to the Monarchs. I'm so excited.

We have 14 Monarch caterpillars, 5 Queens, 6 Gulfs and 55 (and counting) eggs!

They're in the aquarium in the house because we have wasps that like to eat them. Several months ago I counted around 150 caterpillars and eggs and within a week, they were gone. I finally realized what was going on but it was too late.

So every day, several times a day, we go out to the garden and pick leaves to feed them. In the process I watch the Mommy Monarch fly around laying more eggs!

When they start making chrysalises I'll have a little science class for everyone to show all the stages.

(Pictures to follow)