Monarch Caterpillars in New York City

Baby monarch cats

If you look closely, you'll notice two tiny caterpillars on the undersides of these milkweed leaves. The eggs are no longer there. First thing after emerging, caterpillars turn around and eat their shells.

milkweed plants on a balcony in New York City

The urban habitat

I erected a makeshift barrier so the resident humans would not disturb the resident caterpillars.

Fat cats

The caterpillars do not stop eating.
In a matter of weeks they grow to something like 10 times their original size. These guys are seen on a fresh plant, after completely denuding the previous milkweed.

Aphid infestation

The health of my milkweeds was threatened by a severe infestation of aphids, which suck the juices out of plants. Pesticides were not an option— I was afraid they'd kill the caterpillars along with the aphids. So I chose to recruit a beneficial predator, the ladybug.

fat monarch caterpillar eating a milkweed to the core

One voracious larva

This fella completely devoured a young milkweed. And he didn't stop at the leaves— he continued eating through the branch and stems.

denuded milkweed plants on a balcony in New York City

Denuded milkweeds

By the time the caterpillars began to cocoon, little remained of the poor milkweeds. Those of you considering raising monarchs, be sure to have one sizable milkweed plant for every caterpillar.