[BNS_members] Help on the Mission Monarch Blitz 24 Jul to 2 Aug

[Larry Bogan]

Monarchs are in the Valley and laying eggs at this time. I have surveying many plots of milkweed in my area over the last couple of weeks. There are fewer adult Monarchs this year than we have had in the last couple of years but I have found them in about half of the plots. 

Our large field of milkweed has at least 3 (maybe 4) this year and we have collected nearly 50 eggs and larvae for protection inside. At the present time the larvae are just emerging from eggs and are in the first or second instar and are very small.

In a week's time the caterpillars will have grown and will be larger and easier to see. It will be also the beginning of the annual Mission-Monarch Blitz that citizen scientists are asked to help with. The blitz is the week between 24 July and 2 August.  If you know of milkweed plots, I urge you to survey them and report all the Monarchs that you see, whether egg, caterpillar, chrysalis or adult. 

The Monarch Monitoring Blitz is international and information is available 
http://www.namonarchs.org/international-monarch-monitoring-blitz/
In Canada we are asked to report our results to Mission-Monarch at 
https://www.mission-monarch.org/

The Monarch is listed as one of the endangered species in Nova Scotia and we need to know how it is doing during its breeding season here. So please help. 

Larry

Larry Bogan
Brooklyn Corner, Nova Scotia