Monarch butterflies drop ominously in Mexico

[boilerman]

http://news.yahoo.com/monarch-butterflies-drop-ominously-mexico-023630858.html;_ylt=A7x9WciKikFRXBgA_gSs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNtcDBhcDBuBG1pdANUb3BTdG9yeSBGUARwa2cDODE1OWU2MGItNTRkZi0zOWNkLTk3YWYtM2I1NTFmNGQ4ZTdkBHBvcwMxMARzZWMDdG9wX3N0b3J5BHZlcgMyNjhiM2Y0My04YzZkLTExZTItYWY2OS1hMDk5YmQwZDY4NWU-;_ylg=X3oDMTFpNzk0NjhtBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANob21lBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25z;_ylv=3

[Connie]

My across-the-street neighbor, who last year saw the Monarch caterpillars in their yard. She watched about 4 of the cocoons hatch. She planted more milkweeds in anticipation of this years "crop" and so far has counted 50 cocoons. She is really into bird watching and now the butterflies and has purchased plants and made a garden just to atrack them. Maybe the Monarchs are staying at her place and not going further South.

[BarbCA]

Good thought, Connie. They are so beautiful. Their migration can last several generations according to the Nature program on PBS.

[JoGee]

I love watching butterflies! The Monarchs have been dropping for the past few years, at least. Those trees they depend on in South America have been being cut down in great numbers. (They call this progress!). I'm glad to hear someone is watching out for them! I know a bunch of people think butterflies are the destruction of their flower gardens.
I wonder if those butterfly plants would grow in my yard?

When I was little, I used to watch to see if any of those butterflies had fairy bodies. LOL

[boilerman]

And our agriculturists have been poisoning weeds including the milkweed the Monarch depends on.

[Maude]

Here in NZ we are all hoping for rain to end the worse drought in 70 years. it is sad for the farm animals and the farmers who tend them. This morning I heard on the radio that Monarch butterflies were having a bad time because they don't drink in tne normal way but rely on what they get from the swan plants that people grow. Many areas have a watering ban because of the shortage of water so swan plants and the monarchs are dying. Sad very sad. We need rain (I never thought that I would say that).