I have been thinking a lot about how important insects are to the circle of life. My wife and her sister Debi are doing their part by trying to help Monarch butterflies thrive and survive in the world we live in today. They have been doing this for a few years now and this year was no different.

Last year, during Monarch season, we ran into a problem. It seems our summer travel schedule did not coincide with the life cycle of the 20-30 butterflies we had in various stages of development. (BTW: Monarch season is evidently ALL summer long!) Since we had family commitments in Florida and the Monarchs could not travel, we had to find homes for all of them that had not hatched. Lucky for us, our neighbor Vickie Puchta; our friend Carol Graue; and a Hermann middle school science class took on the responsibility. All reported successful outcomes and the circle of life continued for another year.

Ruthann was so involved and worried last year, she decided we needed a break and was determined NOT to constantly look at the milkweed plants for eggs. We were doing great until her sister decided to visit. She had other plans. Her sister is a savant when it comes to Monarch’s and had 36 different ones she was nursing along. 11 of them were in the larva stage and had to be fed several times a day. Since she did not want to leave them to starve while she visited, they came to Hermann with her on the train.

We usually put our monarchs in wide mouth pint jars with screen cut over the top for lids. This allows easy access to clean the daily waste and feed them the constant fresh milkweed needed to survive. This is huge commitment, lots of responsibility and for my wife constant worry that something will go wrong.

Her sister came through the door and said these 11 Monarchs are yours!  We tried to be strong and said no, we did not want the job. Too bad, they were now our responsibility. One of the 11 was just an egg, the other 10 were in the larva stage, which meant a daily commitment for the next 10 days or so to feed them, and then another 10-14 days in the chrysalis stage before they turn into butterflies. Constant worry about them not getting enough food, then in the chrysalis stage making sure they do not fall off the top of the lid.

Just before they reach the chrysalis stage, they will crawl to the top of the jar, position themselves into the letter “J” with their bodies. After a few hours, and if you are lucky enough to see, they will create a cocoon and hang from the top of the screen. If they become unattached during this stage of their development, they will not survive. You must be very careful around them.

Darn the luck, only 1 of the 11 became a butterfly before we again had to leave for Florida to help a friend.  The other 10 were in the final stages of development and we needed help to complete the process. Our friends and neighbors came to the rescue again. Betty Stevens helped with one, Vickie Puchta two, Sharon Trevino with 3, and Carol Graue the last 4. It was so much fun getting calls on our trip to Florida as they emerged. Carol had one hatch by the time we reached the Tennessee line. Betty had the one she was watching hatch shortly after. Carol had another later that day. What a fun day to share texts as we drove along the 12-hour ride home.

The Hermann Monarch butterfly team has stepped up every time we asked, and all seemed to enjoy the process. As a result, we had 11 more Monarchs flying around the Hermann area this year. Perhaps the legacy will continue, without us, if we are successful in taking a break next year. Thanks to all of you, again! If any of you need milkweed, give us a call, we have plenty. See you next month.