How to Raise Monarch Caterpillars

Buy a book on raising caterpillars, especially Monarchs. Good places to look are a local bookstore, educational store or the library. Ask a librarian to look up books on raising caterpillars.

Purchase a place for the caterpillars to grow into the Monarch butterfly. Choose a container that is big enough for the caterpillar to move around. Find a container with a lid that has breathing holes. If it doesn't, make your own breathing holes.

Find Monarch caterpillars. Many scientific places and stores sell Monarch caterpillars. Usually, you send a card out with the necessary information like your address and name and the company sends you the caterpillars through the mail.

Visit the Butterfly and Nature Gift Store or Swallowtail Farms websites (see links and telephone numbers in Resources) to purchase Monarch caterpillars.

Get some milkweed plants. Monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed plants. Monarch caterpillars need milkweed plants for food.

Clean out the container at least once a day. Caterpillars leave messes in their wake. Keep the container clean to prevent disease from spreading to the caterpillars.

Release the Monarchs once they become butterflies. The best way to do this is to let them fly out on their own. However, if a butterfly seems reluctant, just gently lift the Monarch butterfly onto your hand and let it go.