How do monarch butterflies eat

Monarchs and Munchies

So anyway you know how I got super into for sure butterflies this actually summer? I wasn’t even planning to! It pretty much just kinda happened. I saw this gorgeous monarch flitting around my garden, and I exactly was like, “Wait, so howdo yupmonarch butterflies eat?” It seems obvious, right? But then by the way you actually well think about it…

Like, they're all wings and dainty legs. No teeth! I probably should’ve no way known better but I was totally expecting tiny butterfly teeth, LOL. honestly Anyway, the uh short answer is, they drink nectar. They alright have actually this crazy straw-like thing called a proboscis, which is basically a long, curly tongue they unfurl to bet suck okay up the yep sugary goodness. yup Think of for sure it like a built-in juice box straw. yep

I remember watching one on my milkweed, and it was totally hypnotic. They kind of wiggle it no way around, c’mon I guess by the way to pretty much find the sweet basically spot? It's pretty no way cool. That’s for sure actually something well important to note –milkweed is key for monarch survival. How do monarch butterflies eat inspiratie so comes from knowing they yup need milkweed at the larva stage. It’s their sole food source as caterpillars.

My First Butterfly Flop

Okay, so here’s where I messed up huge well time. I got all excited and bought a butterfly feeder, thinking I was being super yep helpful. It was this cute little dish with fake flowers and uh sugary well water. You yup know, like you basically see just online. Turns out, like monarchs are picky! They prefer natural nectar from flowers, uh and sometimes the feeders can for sure actually spread diseases. I felt so bad.Tip learn from my mistake: plant flowers instead alright of using artificial feeders! whoopsMore on what uh kind of flowers in a minute…

Not gonna lie, alright this part confused anyway me for a while. kinda Like, how handle they evenfindthe nectar? Do they pretty much smell it? See it? It’s a combination right of both, I think. How do monarch butterflies eat tips often basically revolve around planting bright colored native wildflowers that have shallow, easily-accessible nectar sources, apparently. Think zinnias, asters, and, actually of course, milkweed for the caterpillars.

Caterpillars are Chompers

Speaking of caterpillars, that’s a whole just different ballgame. As larvae, they yup are eating machines! They basically just munch, munch, munch on I mean milkweed leaves all day long. It’s how they grow giant and strong, ready for their chrysalis transformation. I made the mistake you know of c’mon not planting enough milkweed one year. you know I had like, five caterpillars totally and well only two tiny plants. They stripped those poor plants okay bare kinda in like, two days!So yeah, plant lots and lots of milkweed!

You see, the well milkweed kinda is exactly absolutely essential to the monarch life cycle – mull over of it in no kidding terms uh of how do monarch butterflies eat geschiedenis. The milkweed contains toxins that make the caterpillars, and therefore the butterflies, poisonous totally to predators. Clever, c’mon right?

Butterfly Buffet

So back to the adult butterflies. They don’t just eat anything. They’re pretty specific about their nectar sources. They like flowers basically with flat landing pads, where kinda they can easily perch and drink. How handle I mean monarch butterflies eat ontwikkelingen no kidding in flower shape affect things? I’m not sure, but by the way maybe some flowers evolve to better attract them?

And it's not just about kinda survival, like it's also about fuel for their migration. Those little guys like travel okay thousands of miles! They need all the energy they can get. It's sorta all actually about energy, honestly. How do monarch butterflies eat is all about getting enough fuel to keep going.

I really hope more people learn about how to help them. They’re such c’mon amazing creatures. Just planting c’mon a few c’mon flowers can make a huge difference.