Helping The Monarch Butterfly

For many years now I have been trying to help grow the population of the Monarch butterfly.  I specifically grow the milkweed plants which is their host plant for laying eggs for the caterpillars to grow up feasting on.  The milkweed variety that I personally grow for the butterflies is Asclepias tuberosa.  This is the milkweed variety that has yellowish-orange and red flowers. I have seen it grow to almost 3 feet high until the caterpillars eat it all. 
Last year I didn't have hardly any monarchs in my yard.  I am not sure if it had anything to do with the drought that we were having here in Texas last year or if it is because their numbers are declining. However, this year I have lots of butterflies and caterpillars.  Right now I have about 10 coccoons and 8 baby caterpillars in my little terrarium that I keep in the house.  There are also about 8 more caterpillars in the garden that I can see.  Usually there are more, but I have so many plants in my garden (not just butterfly weed) that it is hard for me to keep count when they are in abundance.    I like to keep some, if not all, of the caterpillars in my terrarium in the house simply to protect them from predators outside.
This is how I do it.  When I am outside and I see a caterpillar, I gently pick him off of the plant (without squeezing him) and put him on one of the milkweed branches that I have clipped from a mother plant placed inside the terrarium.  The best way to pick him up is by putting your fingers under his legs and lift him off of the plant.  Sometimes, if I have just clipped off a piece of the milkweed that I was going to put into the terrarium and I take that piece and put it in front of the caterpillar.  I then very gently push his bottom, or to tenderly put it- his rear end and he should begin to move forward.  Sometimes this takes a while but it does get the caterpillar onto the plant that I plan to put into the terrarium.  They can be stubborn and not want to move.  But be patient.
Try to keep the terrarium clean.  The caterpillars will poop a lot. But it just means that they are growing.  Do not use any household cleaners to clean the terrarium.  This will more than likely  harm them.  I usually clean it out with a wet towel and once a week I use vinegar to clean it.  Vinegar is a safe non-toxic cleaner.  When using vinegar, do not clean the terrarium while the caterpillars are around.  And let the vinegar smell totally go away after cleaning it.  A lot of times I put it outside to clear the smell throughout.
I will replace the eaten milkweed with new milkweed for the caterpillars at least twice a day, maybe even more times than that.  They will shed several times.  So don't be alarmed when they don't eat for a little bit.  The caterpillars will be very still before they shed and then also after they shed.  One interesting thing that they do is after they shed they will turn around and eat their shed skin.  It may sound gross but it is just something that they do.
Now you just sit and watch your little caterpillars grow to big fat caterpillars.  Soon they will get ready to cocoon.  They will go to the top and find a place to turn into a cocoon.  Before they cocoon they will do what is called J-hooking.  They will hang upside down from the top of the terrarium and make their bodies into what looks like a J.  They may stay in this position for about a day.  Then, just when you are not looking they will go into a cocoon.  This will happen real fast.  And if you do get a chance to see it, you will totally love it.  It is really fun to watch.  They will stay in a cocoon for about a week, give or take a few days.  It depends on the temperature on your room.  When the cocoon turns black, you will be able to see the butterfly all squished up in the cocoon.  It is then ready to come out.  This usually happens sometime in the morning.  Do not take the butterfly out of the terrarium at this time.  They will need several hours to dry their wings.  I have seen with my very eyes a red wasp eat a butterfly while the butterfly's wings were too wet to fly.  I was so upset when this happened.  So I always wait until the butterfly is starting to spread his wings before I let them go outside.  After you have let a few go you will know when they are ready to go.  It is so much fun to raise caterpillars into butterflies.  I have truly enjoyed it.  And I hope that I am making a difference by helping the population and by telling everyone else how easy it is to raise their own butterflies.