Random crap with Uno.

[Unorthodox]

We've got forest fires all around us, ash falling from the sky, and this has inspired an arsonist in the town who has now set 10 more.  Awesome. 

[Unorthodox]

I don't know. 

I went to my childhood collection site, and it wasn't a pretty sight.  There were a few signs that there may have been some caterpillars there once upon a time (caterpillar poop, yes, I can tell).  Then, there was a big release of monarchs today at a wildlife refuge, so mine just might be the tail end instead of the start.  So, we'll monitor what we got, if I see another big site, I'll do a check, but we'll set up to check earlier next year.   

[Geo]

So, open question. 

Set the butterflies free, or keep them overwinter?  (yes I can do that, and have)  Assuming we have a male/female we could even mate them in the spring...

Let them decide. Open up the caches. They'll find their way.

[Unorthodox]

Sign 2013

Not the best led setup, since the local costco stopped carrying the strips I wanted to use and this is what I could find.  Room to improve in the future. 

[Unorthodox]

Wiggles, as Talia puts it, "Getting Huge-er."

[Dio]

How long do you think until it becomes a pupa?

[Rusty Edge]

Uno, I'm enjoying the new count-down board.

I'm also interested in the insect report. How are Chompy ( love that name  for  a caterpillar ) and the other one doing? Parasitized or not?

[Unorthodox]

Chompy is living up to his name.  Unfortunately, Stripes didn't make it.  If I had to guess I'd say fungal infection, but don't really know too tiny for me to do a biopsy, I don't have so much as a decent magnifying glass.  He went a little bonkers, quit eating, just wanted to climb.  Whatever it was, it's a good thing I kept everyone quarantined in their own containers. 

Wiggles...lessee, he's older 2nd instar, should molt in the next day or two, then another several days as a 3rd instar, another day to molt, couple days as a 4th instar, molt, day or 2 as a 5th instar to find a site to make his cocoon.  A lot depends on temperatures.  Since I have them inside, it's a little slower than outside.  The typical collection is as a 3rd or 4th instar, and it usually only takes a few days from there.  (they are tiny and hard to find before that)   So, I'd say another weak or so. 

Chompy is getting ready to molt into 2nd instar. 

I need to find/make a new container for the 5th instars/chrysalis/adults though.  It's best to keep the adults overnight before releasing.   

[Buster's Uncle]

I'm enjoying follow the wormy chronicles, too.

[Unorthodox]

Let them decide. Open up the caches. They'll find their way.

It's actually not as easy a question as it sounds. 

Yes, if released they will start back towards California.  Or Mexico.  Not sure. 

If I have a male/female, however, it might be more responsible to overwinter them and produce a generation of monarchs in the spring.  In the controlled environment here, I could turn 2 butterflies into 30 or so. 

30 released in June here, any offspring would have a head start on most the predators. 

[Unorthodox]

Farming news.

Stopped by the farm I collect corn stalks from on the way in this morning.  The overall thought was that this year, between my own corn, and his, I wouldn't need to go cut up reed grass this year.  Being that the reed grass makes me miserable thanks to allergies, it was a win-win. 

It's a small family farm, as in it feeds about 5 households for the year.  They can their stuff for the winter, and all.  Anyway, no corn.  No tomatoes.  Both vicims of the drought.  Instead he doubled up root crops that are more drought tolerant, try again next year. 

This is the 2nd or 3rd person I've hear struggling with corn and tomatoes this year.  I'm feeling pretty good about our setup as a result.  However, on the way in, I also heard that Pineview is cutting back to 50% irrigation.  This is my uncle's farm, which would be my pumpkins.  Hadn't checked how it's going there, they are fairly drought resistant just by location, and a cut back this late might not do a whole lot to the crop, stunt some growth maybe, but need to check on how it's going. 

Get here, I see my county has been declared a disaster area thanks to the drought.  Not sure what that means to farmers. 

[Dio]

I can assure you that water rationing and being in a severe drought are terrible. Especially since my fine city likes to issue fines and increase water rates for its residents during droughts.

[Rusty Edge]

I'm not sure what that means to farmers these days either. It used to be that it simplified crop insurance claims, as there was no burden of proof for an insurable cause of loss. The other benefit was that there were emergency low-interest loans available, to get them through another season.

[JarlWolf]

And back in my day it meant that there'd be some more government spending on keeping farms irrigated/maintained. But the government has changed since then and there is barely any state support for the farms.

[Buster's Uncle]

Robust agriculture is a national security issue - I would have thought Putin would be more on top of it.