How to care for Monarch Butterfly Caterpillars at home.

Follow-up to earlier episodes on identifying and finding Milkweed and finding eggs and caterpillars. Now you have a caterpillar! Now what? How do you care for it? In this video I show you different ways you can rear caterpillars in different kinds of containers, on leaves or on plants with full stems. I discuss the importance of keeping caterpillars in well-ventilated containers. I explain how best to cut milkweed stems to keep them in a container with water. I explain how you can keep milkweed leaves in a refrigerator. I explain how to use a paper towel on bottom of containers to help keep containers clean. I show how much caterpillars eat and consequently poop! Caterpillars eat a great deal of leaves as they mature. I show close-ups of caterpillars eating. I show you different ways to move caterpillars from old leaves to fresh leaves. I stress the importance of providing caterpillars fresh leaves and keeping cages clean. Cages are best kept outdoors in natural light but must always be sheltered from direct sun. In future episodes I will show you how to make critter cages from plastic jars. In the next episode I will discuss, molting, instars, and diseases. I encourage viewers to get a tagging kit from www.monarchwatch.org.