There are reasons John rolls his eyebrows sometimes, this I know. And this would be one of those times! I returned to Struan Farm from a trip to New Plymouth a few days ago with some swan plants in the back of the car. Swan plants loaded up with Monarch Butterfly caterpillars!
I'd called into Big Jim's Garden Centre for some seedling beetroot plants and saw a Monarch butterfly flitting around the swan plants. Then saw that there were caterpillars all over the swan plants they were offering for sale. Which isn't a particularly good thing, since people who buy swan plants are wanting them to feed caterpillars at home, not to get more voracious swan plant eating caterpillars.
Except, that is, for Karen. I asked them if I could take the caterpillars home to Piopio, and they were overjoyed. I bought a few swan plants as transport media. One of the ladies and I spent about 20 minutes carefully pulling them off the plants and putting them onto the plants bound for Piopio.
One has already gone into chrysalis, so they seem to be doing okay. Doing what I can to encourage Monarch butterflies here at Struan Farm.
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