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Milkweed seeds are not hard to crop
Specialists released a call to arms at the beginning of autumn addressing people who want to save the monarch butterfly populations. What people have to do is collect milkweed seeds and give them to authorities. The plants will attract the colorful insects in the next season and will help them recover after the severe decline they have recently experienced.
September and October are the best time for harvesting milkweed seeds. All you have to do is collect the brown seeds, store them in dry recipients, and take them to the Soil and Water Conservation District in your town. Specialists announce that green pods are not what they are looking for.
There is an initiative, called Milkweed Seed Pod Collection, which promotes people’s active participation in the process of saving the monarch butterflies. It has been going on throughout September, and it will continue this month too. Their aim is to raise awareness among people that they can help environmentalists protect a wild species. What’s more, the action doesn’t require much effort from people.
Experts explain that there are several ways in which monarch butterflies use milkweed. An initial phase implies that the caterpillars feed on the plant’s leaves. Adult butterflies lay eggs on the leaves of the plant, so that caterpillars should have easy access to food. When they evolve into butterflies, the airy creatures are attracted to the milkweed flowers, which they pollinate.
The Ohio Pollinator Habitat Initiative, as well as other environmental organizations, are in charge of informing people and collecting the milkweed seeds. Specialists claim that the drive is an extremely important part of the process of saving this delicate species. They estimate that the butterflies won’t survive if they face another natural calamity.
The life cycle of butterflies includes spending the winter in warm regions in the South. They usually pick Mexico, and in the spring, they return in the North of the United States. However, their migration journey is not an easy one. Unpredictable climate conditions also affect the butterflies, by confusing them and killing the individuals.
Monarch butterflies are famous for their bright patterns with black and orange stripes. The coloring also helps them keep enemies away, as predators associate them with poison. However, their remarkable defense mechanism doesn’t help them much against climate change or habitat loss. This is where you interfere. Have you already taken your small bag of milkweed seeds to local authorities?
Image courtesy of: Wikipedia
