Authorities in Mexico City have announced that the size of the eastern monarch butterfly population that spends winters in Mexico is the second smallest on record. The numbers are so low that few monarchs will be seen this coming summer in many parts of the U. S. and Canada. They say there is a 59.3% decrease from last year.
Orley Taylor, founder of “Monarch Watch” says the news was shock to monarch followers . He says the all time low numbers are due in part to drought conditions last fall, which reduced the flowering and nectar production needed to fuel the butterflies into migration with fat reserves to get them through winter. He says monarchs are resilient and numbers have been low in the past and they have recovered. But to recover, monarchs will need an abundance of milkweed and nectar sources. He encourages people to plant more milkweed and nectar plants in the ground, saying everyone needs to contribute to this effort.
