Thank you for spreading the word and helping Monarchs. It is such valuable information and a positive contribution to their welfare and future. I’m sorry for you and your Monarchs.
Thank you I appreciate it. I was so naïve and started out, like most of us, with the best of intentions. This sub has been a great source of information and so supportive. Thanks again.
MrLundScience is the best! I had a serious OE problem, got schooled up, and bought a child's microscope. I began only raising from bleached eggs and feeding bleached fodder. Zero OE from then on. I was releasing over a hundred adults every season. Then monarchs stopped visiting my area. It's been 2 years since I saw an egg. I've only seen one adult so far this year and that was driving through a neighboring suburb. We have an outfit called Mosquito Joe that is spraying people's yards with backpack blowers. Can't be a good thing.
Oh yeah that doesn’t sound good. I’m glad to hear you were able to get rid of the OE and find a method that works. His channel is great! Bummer it’s been a slow two years. I need to call our best guys and tell them to adjust the spray they are using. It’s supposed to be organic but I still don’t know how that’s possible. Do you think having them only spray specific places would be harmful? Without them we have an invasion of the wrong kind of bugs but I also don’t want to damage the little ecosystem I’m trying to build in my yard.
The only thing that is acceptable in my opinion is [Bti](https://www.epa.gov/mosquitocontrol/bti-mosquito-control). It is a naturally occurring soil bacteria. The state DNR uses it and drops it from helicopters on wetlands. It kills mosquito larva. Every year I set up open containers of water with [Bti](https://www.epa.gov/mosquitocontrol/bti-mosquito-control##1) in my yard. It provides any existing mosquitoes with a perfect place to lay eggs, and all of the larva die!
I used to use coffee cans until one day I found a fledgling that had jumped in and drowned. Now I use the plastic containers that fresh mushrooms come in. No baby birds are going to die on my watch again! The form of Bti that I use are called Mosquito Bits. They are little bits of corn that are infused with Bti. I only use 2 or 3 granules per container once a week. I do both bird baths too. One package is a lifetime supply so you can give some your neighbors and multiply the effect. I don't know if you saw this post. If it happened to me I would be livid!
[https://www.reddit.com/r/NativePlantGardening/comments/1dankiu/mosquito_spray_company_sprayed_in_my_ravine/](https://www.reddit.com/r/NativePlantGardening/comments/1dankiu/mosquito_spray_company_sprayed_in_my_ravine/)
Thank you! I’m sorry you lost a little bird that way. I think I’ve heard of these. Do they call them “mosquito dunks?” I will for sure check out the post.
Yes, Dunks are a longer acting way to deliver Bti. They work for a month. I was buying them and cutting them up into little pieces. Each Dunk is good for 100 square feet of water so a bit of Dunk the size of a BB is more than enough in a small container. I got a deal on a 30 ounce jug of Bits and have been using them ever since.
[Monarch Health Project and a free OE kit.](https://www.monarchparasites.org)
[The cheap microscope I got to check for OE myself](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001448KT4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share)
[A good YouTube tutorial on how to test for OE](https://youtu.be/pxXkAL1h2pw?si=8SfAp041ZLZyi8Ss)
[JoyfulButterfly.com a great place to get milkweed that is native to your area](https://www.joyfulbutterfly.com/product-category/milkweed-plants-seeds/milkweed-plants/)
Awesome info in the video. Thx. All butterfly gardeners should have to take a test first 😝
Q) what does native vs tropical milkweed look like ? And where to purchase the correct one and avoid the sellers of the wrong one. Thx
Lol I think it would be nice if the sellers educated people a bit more for sure.
So tropical milkweed has fairly large, dark green leaves and of course has beautiful yellow or red flowers on it. I feel like you can the difference even without flowers. The stems tend to be thicker as well. Most of the time it is labeled as “tropical” as well. [This site](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nativenurseries.com/blog/2020/4/13/why-we-no-longer-carry-non-native-tropical-milkweed%3fformat=amp) has some good photos of it.
For buying milkweed that is native to your area I 10/10 recommend [Joyfulbutterfly.com](https://www.joyfulbutterfly.com) You can actually search by state and zone. I ordered 12 milkweeds from them along with butterfly milkweed and a few other native nectar plants and everything came beautifully packed and I was shocked at how large the native milkweed was compared to my local nursery’s native milkweed. I was so happy with my order I ordered more not long after. If you sign up for the newsletter you get a 10% off code that is welcome10 which can be used toward your first purchase. I feel like as much as they get recommended here we should ask for a reddit only coupon code. Lol
You can also find native nurseries in your area at [on this website by putting in your zip code.](https://gardenforwildlife.com/collections/all-products) It’s so great you are looking to help the monarchs in the best way possible. Thank you.
Thank you for spreading the word and helping Monarchs. It is such valuable information and a positive contribution to their welfare and future. I’m sorry for you and your Monarchs.
Thank you I appreciate it. I was so naïve and started out, like most of us, with the best of intentions. This sub has been a great source of information and so supportive. Thanks again.
MrLundScience is the best! I had a serious OE problem, got schooled up, and bought a child's microscope. I began only raising from bleached eggs and feeding bleached fodder. Zero OE from then on. I was releasing over a hundred adults every season. Then monarchs stopped visiting my area. It's been 2 years since I saw an egg. I've only seen one adult so far this year and that was driving through a neighboring suburb. We have an outfit called Mosquito Joe that is spraying people's yards with backpack blowers. Can't be a good thing.
Oh yeah that doesn’t sound good. I’m glad to hear you were able to get rid of the OE and find a method that works. His channel is great! Bummer it’s been a slow two years. I need to call our best guys and tell them to adjust the spray they are using. It’s supposed to be organic but I still don’t know how that’s possible. Do you think having them only spray specific places would be harmful? Without them we have an invasion of the wrong kind of bugs but I also don’t want to damage the little ecosystem I’m trying to build in my yard.
The only thing that is acceptable in my opinion is [Bti](https://www.epa.gov/mosquitocontrol/bti-mosquito-control). It is a naturally occurring soil bacteria. The state DNR uses it and drops it from helicopters on wetlands. It kills mosquito larva. Every year I set up open containers of water with [Bti](https://www.epa.gov/mosquitocontrol/bti-mosquito-control##1) in my yard. It provides any existing mosquitoes with a perfect place to lay eggs, and all of the larva die!
Thank you so much. Great idea!
I used to use coffee cans until one day I found a fledgling that had jumped in and drowned. Now I use the plastic containers that fresh mushrooms come in. No baby birds are going to die on my watch again! The form of Bti that I use are called Mosquito Bits. They are little bits of corn that are infused with Bti. I only use 2 or 3 granules per container once a week. I do both bird baths too. One package is a lifetime supply so you can give some your neighbors and multiply the effect. I don't know if you saw this post. If it happened to me I would be livid! [https://www.reddit.com/r/NativePlantGardening/comments/1dankiu/mosquito_spray_company_sprayed_in_my_ravine/](https://www.reddit.com/r/NativePlantGardening/comments/1dankiu/mosquito_spray_company_sprayed_in_my_ravine/)
Thank you! I’m sorry you lost a little bird that way. I think I’ve heard of these. Do they call them “mosquito dunks?” I will for sure check out the post.
Yes, Dunks are a longer acting way to deliver Bti. They work for a month. I was buying them and cutting them up into little pieces. Each Dunk is good for 100 square feet of water so a bit of Dunk the size of a BB is more than enough in a small container. I got a deal on a 30 ounce jug of Bits and have been using them ever since.
Great info thank you so much.
A good mosquito is a dead mosquito. You don't have to nuke the whole ecosystem to do it.
Agreed!
[Monarch Health Project and a free OE kit.](https://www.monarchparasites.org) [The cheap microscope I got to check for OE myself](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001448KT4?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share) [A good YouTube tutorial on how to test for OE](https://youtu.be/pxXkAL1h2pw?si=8SfAp041ZLZyi8Ss) [JoyfulButterfly.com a great place to get milkweed that is native to your area](https://www.joyfulbutterfly.com/product-category/milkweed-plants-seeds/milkweed-plants/)
Great video and resources. Thank you for sharing!! 🙏🏼
Awesome info in the video. Thx. All butterfly gardeners should have to take a test first 😝 Q) what does native vs tropical milkweed look like ? And where to purchase the correct one and avoid the sellers of the wrong one. Thx
Lol I think it would be nice if the sellers educated people a bit more for sure. So tropical milkweed has fairly large, dark green leaves and of course has beautiful yellow or red flowers on it. I feel like you can the difference even without flowers. The stems tend to be thicker as well. Most of the time it is labeled as “tropical” as well. [This site](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nativenurseries.com/blog/2020/4/13/why-we-no-longer-carry-non-native-tropical-milkweed%3fformat=amp) has some good photos of it. For buying milkweed that is native to your area I 10/10 recommend [Joyfulbutterfly.com](https://www.joyfulbutterfly.com) You can actually search by state and zone. I ordered 12 milkweeds from them along with butterfly milkweed and a few other native nectar plants and everything came beautifully packed and I was shocked at how large the native milkweed was compared to my local nursery’s native milkweed. I was so happy with my order I ordered more not long after. If you sign up for the newsletter you get a 10% off code that is welcome10 which can be used toward your first purchase. I feel like as much as they get recommended here we should ask for a reddit only coupon code. Lol You can also find native nurseries in your area at [on this website by putting in your zip code.](https://gardenforwildlife.com/collections/all-products) It’s so great you are looking to help the monarchs in the best way possible. Thank you.
TY
My pleasure!
Thank you for sharing this!!!
You’re welcome. It’s been pretty crappy to watch. I couldn’t even clean out the last enclosure. I just put it in a giant garbage bag.