Kansas is in the middle of monarch butterfly migration. How soon will they be gone?
If you see a monarch butterfly in your Wichita yard, you might want to take an extra long look, because this may be the last month of the year you’ll see them flying around your garden.
The monarch butterfly, known for its bright orange patterned wings, is in the middle of its migration from the northern U.S. to Mexico. Once the migration is complete, the species will not be seen in Kansas for at least five months.
“We’re seeing them right now, and then probably, you know, April, May, you’ll start seeing them in parts of Kansas [again],” said Raymond Cloyd, entomology professor at Kansas State University.
Monarch butterflies, scientific name Danaus plexippus, overwinter from November through mid-March. There are two waves of monarch butterfly migrations: the eastern and the western populations. The eastern population, which is what Kansas sees every year, overwinters in Mexico, while the western population overwinters in parts of California.
Where can I find monarch butterflies in my Kansas yard?
Monarchs can usually be spotted in meadows, grasslands or prairies that offer a large variety of flower and milkweed plants. The larva feed primarily on milkweed, while adult monarchs eat nectar from a number of flowering plants.
“The monarch butterfly adult feeds on a lot of flowering plants right now ... on lantana [butterfly bush] and anything in bloom,” Cloyd said.
The lantana butterfly bush is known for its bright colors and its ability to tolerate heat. The plant usually blooms from late spring through the first frost and also attracts bees and humming birds.
Monarch butterflies receive protein through nectar.
“They use it for energy to get their wings moving,” Cloyd said.
Unlike other butterfly species, monarchs are poisonous to birds.
“That’s why birds don’t eat them, because they evolve to know that they’re toxic,” Cloyd said.
The typical adult monarch usually lives for a just few weeks, while the last generation, born in late summer before migration, can live around eight to nine months while overwintering.
How to attract monarch butterflies in your Wichita garden
The monarch butterfly population has decreased in recent years. In fact, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services proposed naming the monarch a “threatened” species, a step ahead of the “endangered” classification. The Wildlife Federation credits the declining population to excessive pesticide use, habitat loss and climate change.
To help attract butterflies to your garden, and potentially help increase the population, Cloyd recommends you pollinate your gardens.
“I would recommend people pollinate their gardens for monarch butterflies ... to enhance the food source for their survival,” Cloyd said. “If you want to have monarchs in the area, put in milkweeds for the larva and then flowering plants for the adults.”
The National Wildlife Federation recommends to feed monarchs, you avoid pesticides and plant native milkweed.
Other common butterflies that can be seen in the Wichita area are skippers, painted ladies, swallowtails and parsley worm caterpillars, Cloyd said.
