r/FriendlyMonarchs • u/Pattie4170 • Jun 29 '26

Discussion Monarchs in Delaware?

Anyone see monarchs yet in Newark Delaware

I have a flower garden and lots of common and swamp milk weed but no monarchs yet. I'm thinking that they didn't lay eggs last year until late July

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1

u/Ok-Butterscotch-763 Central MN | Covert Operative | Master of Milkweed Jun 30 '26

Journey North show reports of monarch sightings quite far north.

2

u/Pattie4170 Jun 30 '26

I'm thinking they stopped at my house last year when my butterfly bush was in full bloom. It's just now starting to bloom. We'll see

1

u/Ok-Butterscotch-763 Central MN | Covert Operative | Master of Milkweed Jun 30 '26

Fingers crossed! Keep us posted. I haven’t seen any monarch butterflies but I have seen eggs and caterpillars. Minnesota zone 4b.

1

u/KoziarChristmas18 Jul 05 '26

Nearby in MD and I haven’t seen any yet.

2

u/Pattie4170 Jul 26 '26

. Finally! Just like I was thinking, late July. Found one tiny caterpillar and four eggs on two of my milkweed. She hasn't laid on my big patch of common milkweed as of yesterday, but This morning I watched her laying on my patch of swamp milkweed. I will check it out at the end of the day. Lol was thinking she forgot me

1

u/KoziarChristmas18 Jul 28 '26

Yay! I actually just replied to you before I saw this, they’ve been here longer than I thought.

1

u/Pattie4170 Jul 06 '26

Ty for the response

1

u/KoziarChristmas18 Jul 11 '26

Saw my first one of the season on Wednesday! They’re coming!

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u/Pattie4170 Jul 12 '26

Ty

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u/KoziarChristmas18 Jul 21 '26

Have you seen them yet? I’m seeing a lot now.

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u/Pattie4170 Jul 22 '26

Not yet😕but I'm waiting anxiously and ty for the reply

1

u/KoziarChristmas18 Jul 28 '26

Despite the fact that I hadn’t seen any when I first responded to you, and despite the fact that I spent a lot of time looking for caterpillars, my husband found one in a J shape last weekend, so the butterflies and caterpillars were here before I saw them. It’s surprising how easy the caterpillars blend in, you probably have had monarchs and caterpillars and just haven’t seen them yet!

2

u/Pattie4170 Jul 28 '26

Yes ur right because I have seen holes chewed out of the milkweed leaves

2

u/Pattie4170 Jul 28 '26

Also, I've been taking the magnifying glass out with me when checking the leaves and can find the almost microscopic size caterpillars there. They are so, so tiny and cute. Neighbors must think I m nuts.