Creepy Crawlies

We have a bumper crop of caterpillars this summer. We have found lots of monarch caterpillars on the local milkweed besides our 2 black swallowtails. Both of the swallowtails are now in chrysalis. Interestingly, the second caterpillar chose to change on a stick, and that chrysalis is brown.



A couple of the caterpillars we found were teeny-weeny. They are quickly making up for lost time...chomping down the milkweed, and getting fat.



This one is getting ready to change into the chrysalis.



This is what he will look like soon. The monarch chrysalises are so beautiful, with their touch of gold.



In the meantime, the queen apparently kicked most of the workers out of the hive for several days last week while it was very hot. The Bee Man told us that they do that to cool off the hive.