There have been reports of 3 Monarch butterflies in Loudoun so far – two in Purcellville and one in Round Hill. So — keep an eye on your milkweed patch!
The aroma of the milkweed wafts up into the air and Monarchs flying by smell it. Check your milkweed for eggs and caterpillars. Monarchs are moving through albeit at very low numbers. If you have any sightings, report them to Journey North by clicking here
Chip Taylor of Monarch Watch just put out a very insightful and data rich report of the Monarch population, giving us an idea of what to expect this year. It’s well worth the read:
Monarchs are off to a slow start this year, with the number moving north in May at an all time low. Chip Taylor, Director of Monarch Watch, provides detailed analysis, explains why we will see very few monarchs this year and predicts that the wintering population in Mexico could be lower this coming winter than it was in 2012-2013.
Read the full report here:
http://monarchwatch.org/blog/2013/05/monarch-population-status-19/