Should I stop?
Should I release my caterpillars back into my yard?
I have spent the last few hours reading the arguments between people on if it is bad to captive raise. These discussions get very intense on both sides and I’m honestly not sure what to believe. I absolutely understand why mass rearing dozens or hundreds is bad, why captive breeding is bad, and why raising indoors is bad. I’m not sure how to apply what I have learned to my particular situation, though. Here is what is going on:
- For the past few years I have planted native milkweed patches in my yard, waiting for monarchs. This year, eggs were finally laid.
-After the eggs were laid, a family member rearranged the garden without asking and spread out the milkweed patch thinly out in open areas near bird feeders.
-I observed that almost all caterpillars were being predated due to lack of cover caused by the rearrangement. I felt responsible for this issue (although it wasn’t me who rearranged the garden) so when there were finally only 5 left, I stepped in.
-I put each caterpillar in an individual enclosure. I clean their entire enclosure and restock fresh leaves twice daily.
-recently had a few stormy days in a row and had to take the enclosures indoors (they would flood in the rain, they are plastic containers with mesh tops and clean paper towel floors
-today while I was researching indoors vs. outdoor rearing, I came across all the arguments about not captive rearing at all, even if done outside
Should I release my caterpillars back onto the plants they came from? I know if I do this, they will likely be eaten. But I don’t want to harm the population by captive rearing.
I know by next year, the milkweed patches will have regrown more densely again. So I would hate for the monarchs all to get eaten and then not see them again for another 4 years just due to my family member’s incompetent garden rearrangement this year.
Please be kind. I am trying to do what is right, but I genuinely have no clue what the right move is here. If you have trustworthy sources to back up whatever your argument is, please share them. Because I am struggling to differentiate opinion from fact in this debate.