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Welcome To Our General FAQs

Welcome to our FAQ page, where we provide answers to some of the most frequently asked questions we receive about raising and releasing monarch butterflies. To help you find the information you need, we’ve organized our FAQs into specific categories related to our online store, products, and other services.

For more detailed information about each topic, be sure to visit our blog, where you’ll find a wealth of resources on butterfly care and conservation. And if you can’t find the answer you’re looking for, or have a question we haven’t addressed, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at info@monarchbutterflies.ca. We’re always happy to help!

How do I feed my butterflies?

Please see our blog post for that goes over this information in detail: How to Feed your Butterflies: A Simple Guide

How do I know if my insects have perished?

If you suspect that your insects may have perished, we understand your concern and want to assist you promptly. To address this issue, please follow these steps:

  1. Email our team at info@monarchbutterflies.ca with your concerns about the well-being of your insects.
  2. Our dedicated butterfly specialist will carefully review your email and respond to your inquiries. To help us better understand the situation, please provide clear and visible photos of all the insects, even if it requires submitting multiple photos. High-quality images can aid us in assessing the condition of the insects.
  3. Along with the photos, please include a detailed description of the insects’ current state and any relevant observations you have made. The more information you can provide, the better it will help us in our assessment.

Our team is committed to ensuring your satisfaction and the health of our butterflies. We will do our best to address your concerns promptly and provide you with appropriate feedback and guidance.

Can I use your butterfly kit at home or in the classroom?

Absolutely! Our butterfly kits are specifically designed to be used in various environments, including homes, classrooms, senior homes, or any setting where you wish to experience the magic of butterflies up close.

Whether you’re an educator looking to enhance your classroom’s learning experience or an individual fascinated by the wonder of butterflies, our kits offer an excellent educational and immersive opportunity.

To learn more about the proper care and usage of our butterfly kits, we encourage you to refer to the product’s care instructions. These instructions will provide you with all the necessary details on how to set up, maintain, and ensure the well-being of the butterflies throughout their life cycle.

Can I select a specific date for your monarch or painted lady kits?

We understand your desire for flexibility in choosing a specific date for receiving our monarch or painted lady kits. However, due to the unique nature of our products and the consideration for the well-being of the butterflies, we are unable to accommodate requests for selecting precise shipment dates.

The shipment of our monarch or painted lady kits depends on several factors, including the prevailing weather conditions at the time of shipping, ensuring the insects safety and health during transit. Additionally, to maintain fairness for all our valued customers, orders are processed and shipped based on the order they are placed in.

Rest assured, we are committed to providing you with the best possible experience, and we will make every effort to ship your order promptly and ensure its safe delivery.

Before we ship your order, we will send you an email notification to inform you of the estimated shipping date, giving you ample time to prepare for the arrival of these delightful butterflies.

For more comprehensive information about the shipping timeline, kindly refer to the ordering page and click on the “Shipping” tab. There, you will find the most up-to-date details available. In case you choose to follow up with our team via email regarding shipping, please be informed that the information provided on the shipping tab will be identical to the response you receive via email. We strive to maintain consistency and accuracy across all communication channels.

Why do some butterflies hatch with crumpled wings?

In some cases, butterfly wings may not fully expand or may remain crumpled after hatching from the chrysalis. There are several reasons why this might happen:

  1. Genetic or developmental abnormalities: Sometimes, a butterfly may have genetic mutations or developmental issues that affect the proper development of its wings. This can result in wings that do not expand fully or do not develop normally.
  2. Environmental factors: The conditions inside the chrysalis or the surrounding environment during the pupal stage can impact wing development. If the chrysalis is subjected to stress or suboptimal conditions, it may affect the wing expansion process.
  3. Injury during emergence: The process of emerging from the chrysalis can be challenging, and the butterfly may encounter difficulties while pushing its way out. In some cases, this struggle can lead to wing damage, causing them to remain crumpled.
  4. Premature emergence: If a butterfly emerges from the chrysalis prematurely or if the chrysalis is accidentally damaged before the butterfly is ready to come out, its wings may not have had enough time to develop fully.
  5. Inadequate time for wing expansion: In some species, the wing expansion process can take several hours. If the butterfly is disturbed or disrupted during this time, it may not have sufficient time to complete the expansion, leading to crumpled wings.

Butterflies with crumpled wings may have difficulty flying or may not be able to fly at all, which can significantly affect their ability to forage for food, escape from predators, or find suitable mates. Unfortunately, butterflies with severely deformed wings may have reduced chances of survival in the wild.

If you encounter a butterfly with crumpled wings and want to help, it is essential to handle them with care. However, in many cases, the best course of action is to allow nature to take its course, as attempting to intervene may cause more harm than good.

Do you offer any other insects other than monarchs and painted ladies?

No, we do not offer any other insects besides monarchs and painted ladies. Our focus is on providing experiences centered around these two beautiful butterfly species. We take pride in offering monarch and painted lady butterfly kits, as well butterflies for release including various related products and services to enhance your butterfly-raising and releasing experiences.

Monarchs and painted ladies are popular choices due to their accessibility, adaptability, and significance in butterfly conservation efforts. Both species are known for their fascinating life cycles, captivating colors, and their ability to bring joy and wonder to people of all ages.

Do you offer orders for pick up?

We currently operate as an online store and do not offer orders for pick up. All orders must be placed through our secure online platform on our website.

Our seamless online ordering process allows you to browse through our diverse range of butterfly-related products, including live butterflies for release, butterfly rearing kits, butterfly frames and more. Once you have selected the items you desire, simply add them to your cart and proceed to checkout.

During checkout, you will provide your shipping address, and we will take care of the rest. We entrust the reliable services of Canada Post to ship your order directly to your designated location, ensuring safe and timely delivery.

We understand that some customers may prefer to pick up their orders in person for various reasons. However, at this time, we are unable to make an exception to our shipping policy, as it enables us to efficiently serve customers across different regions.

Do you offer monarchs in egg or caterpillar stage?

We do not offer Monarchs in the egg or caterpillar stage. Our focus is on providing monarch pupa (chrysalis) or fully developed adult butterflies for release, as this ensures the best results and contributes to the well-being of the butterflies providing the highest success rate.

While we understand the appeal of witnessing the early stages of a monarch butterfly’s life, offering monarchs in the egg or caterpillar stage presents unique challenges. The larvae require specific care, habitat, and diet to develop successfully, which can be complex and sensitive to manage. To ensure the highest success rate we only offer monarchs in the pupae state or butterflies for release.

To maintain the highest standard of care and minimize any potential risks to the butterflies, we specialize in providing healthy and vibrant pupae or adult butterflies for your butterfly release event. This approach allows you to enjoy the mesmerizing transformation of the pupae into magnificent butterflies and participate in their release, creating a magical and memorable experience.

Regrettably, we are unable to make exceptions to our policy and offer monarchs in the egg or caterpillar stage. However, we assure you that the butterflies you receive will be in prime condition for a successful and joyful release.

Does the monarch kit include food or do I need to have milkweed available to feed to them?
We are delighted to inform you that the kit includes pupae specifically intended for hatching and releasing only. As a result, there is no need for milkweed, as these pupae have already completed their caterpillar stage and do not require additional food.
The Monarch Kit provides a wonderful opportunity to witness the fascinating process of butterfly metamorphosis and contribute to monarch conservation efforts. By releasing these beautiful butterflies into the wild, you are actively supporting their natural life cycle and helping to maintain their populations. If you have any further questions or require additional information about our Monarch kit, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
What is the webbing in the Caterpillar – Build a Painted Lady Raising Kit cups?

The webbing observed in Caterpillar – Build a Painted Lady Raising Kit cups is a natural behavior of the caterpillars as they grow and develop. Painted Lady butterfly caterpillars (Vanessa Cardui) are known to produce silk-like threads, which they use to create webbing in their containers. This behavior is commonly observed in various butterfly species, and it serves several essential purposes:

  1. Anchoring: Caterpillars create webbing to anchor themselves to the sides of the container. This allows them to crawl upward, downward, or sideways without falling off or getting injured.
  2. Molting and Pupation: As caterpillars grow, they undergo several molting stages, shedding their old exoskeletons to accommodate their increasing size. The webbing provides a stable platform for the caterpillars to attach themselves securely during the molting process.
  3. Pupation Site: When the caterpillars are ready to pupate and form their chrysalis, they will attach themselves to a suitable surface using their silk threads. The webbing provides a strong foundation for the chrysalis to develop safely.
  4. Protection: Webbing can also offer some protection for the caterpillars against predators, as it creates a physical barrier around them.

If you have a Caterpillar – Build a Painted Lady Raising Kit, observing the caterpillars’ webbing is a natural and fascinating part of their development. It’s a sign that they are actively growing, molting, and preparing for their transformation into beautiful butterflies. The webbing is harmless and part of their natural behavior as they progress through their life cycle.

Still have a question, fill in the form below and someone from our team will get back to you.
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