I have always been fascinated by monarch butterflies.  They are beautiful creatures, and, migrate further than any other species of Lepidoptera (butterfly and moth). While many other species of butterflies migrate, none migrate further than the monarch.

Monarchs west of the Rocky Mountains, migrate each year to southern California.  Monarchs east of the Rocky Mountains make an annual migration down to Mexico.  The migrating butterfly’s subsequent generations return to the same area every year and are even known to roost in the same area or even the same trees.  Each butterfly will only make the migration one time, but their children and grandchildren amazingly know how to make that trip. While most monarchs only live a short period, the final generation of each year is the migrators.    The amazing part is that these migrators survive the winter and actually return north, some trekking over 3,000 miles in total.

It’s now Monarch butterfly migration time. You may see them fluttering through our area in higher concentrations than other times during the year. The peak migration period for our latitude is October 10th through October 22.

Spend a little time outside in the next few weeks and look for these beautiful creatures. You can turn your yard into a monarch waystation for the travelers by planting host plants for them to feed on while they are passing through.   You might even catch a glimpse of a tagged monarch.   You can learn more at https://www.monarchwatch.org.