My children think caterpillars are wonderful treasures. I agree. They have little bug boxes that Ed bought them this spring and they have been putting the caterpillars that they find inside. I put some leaves and I sprinkle some water in there every day or two. Miss A has three and Miss J has one. I figured they would die, being yard critters afterall, and the girls have been carrying the bug boxes around on their shoulders like handbags or something. I keep reminding them... "how would you feel if you were in a small space and your world kept bumping and spinning? Be gentle." Yesterday we woke up and I'll be damned... the one started to cocoon. This morning? The other three got busy. One is completely cocooned under a leaf. The two with him are further along than the one by himself in the other box. He started tonight. It's amazing to watch and when I mentioned how I wondered where they got the "material" to make their cocoons. Miss A knew and explained the whole thing to me. Basically it is body hair and spit. Yum. I will be very surprised if these turn into butterflies. I am thinking moth is more likely. Should I put some sugar or something syrupy in there? I seem to remember that they need that for something. It's been a long time since I watched larvae. It is a nice change for my youngest... trapping them instead of smooshing them. This is progress.
Tomorrow I have Miss A's IEP meeting. I expect to hear that she is being released from speech therapies, although it won't surprise me to hear otherwise as she still struggles a little with some processing in my opinion. This year was a "safety net" for her, but she is doing very well as far as I can tell and as far as her progress reports have stated. Other than my meeting at the school, I plan to clean house, keep my daily date with the laundry machine and make a nice dinner. Fish, gnocchi, or steak (for Ed)... I can't decide yet and it will depend on what Ed's schedule looks like as the day progresses. Can you tell I went grocery shopping today?
Nick would like to know if you can send a caterpillar to him and Jack, because they don't have one, and he'd like to see it :)
I remember when I was very little and we had a cocoon, but I don't recall anything happening ... I'm afraid what happened is that I got impatitent.
Good luck with the IEP. Search google for "raising butterflies" and you'll find a wealth of information on what to put in there and how much.... I know I have heard sugar water, Karo syrup, fruit juice, Gatorade... etc. I had a craft-closet-turned-butterfly-farm for a few months a million years ago and though I've forgotten everything I once knew, I would love to do it again with the kids. I used 100% fruit juice, btw. Seemed the closest thing to "natural" that I could imagine. Such a fun thing to watch the process, even if they are moths instead of butterflies.
I think you just inspired me for a fun summer learning project for the kiddos. Thanks! :)
The key word here being Metamorphasis! Woot!
Wow..........
I remember catching little caterpillars in shoeboxes when my sister and I were younger. I'm pretty sure you are supposed to give them sugar water..but it's been forever so I'm really not sure...if you google it I bet it will come up. Good luck! <3
i always wanted this to happen but it never did. keep us up to date!
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Good luck with the IEP. Search google for "raising butterflies" and you'll find a wealth of information on what to put in there and how much.... I know I have heard sugar water, Karo syrup, fruit juice, Gatorade... etc. I had a craft-closet-turned-butterfly-farm for a few months a million years ago and though I've forgotten everything I once knew, I would love to do it again with the kids. I used 100% fruit juice, btw. Seemed the closest thing to "natural" that I could imagine. Such a fun thing to watch the process, even if they are moths instead of butterflies.
I think you just inspired me for a fun summer learning project for the kiddos. Thanks! :)