By MARY ELLEN KALUZA
Minnesota’s State Butterfly
Autumn. We love the colors, mourn the waning daylight, and turn on the furnace. But we rarely give a thought to the small critters (i.e. insects) preparing for the upcoming cold, despite the royal status some might have. Some insects dig or build shelter to keep warm for the winter. Others, such as the monarch butterflies, migrate to avoid the cold winter.
Monarchs are common immigrants to Minnesota, arriving mid May to early June. Entice them to your garden with tithonia (aka mexican sunflower), zinnias, asters, and other yummy looking flowers. Milkweed is particularly appreciated as monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed leaves exclusively and the emerging caterpillars feast on the leaves.
Monarchs in our area east of the Rocky Mountains travel to Mexico for the winter, a trip of well over 2000 miles to the mountains in central Mexico. They need to eat and drink on the way. That’s why clearing farm land of native vegetation like milkweed, or introducing insecticides that poison their food supply, greatly reduces their populations.
It is not terribly warm high in the mountains of central Mexico so butterflies stay close to each other in the trees for warmth, stirring only as the sun gets higher in the sky to refuel on local flowers. With the warming weather in spring, they depart in large groups to return to the north. But those butterflies don’t make it back to Minnesota! Their great-grandchildren do make it to the same place the parent monarch left the previous fall. The return trip of monarchs is completed by 3-4 successive generations. Eggs are laid enroute before the female monarchs die. Those great-grandchildren have never been to that northern location, yet they know exactly where to go! Scientists can guess how they know, but it is still largely a mystery. Remarkable!
The Common Eastern Bumble Bee
Common eastern bumble bees have been plentiful in the garden this season, often sharing the same flower with a monarch. I love how the bees just bury their heads right in the center of the flower, so adorable! They aren’t aggressive bees – respect their personal space and peace is maintained.
The common eastern bumble bee is an important pollinator in Minnesota. They are abundant, and active later in the fall than other bees. The old queen will die along with the workers and other male bees. The new young queens survive the Minnesota winter in underground burrows, along with a natural chemical in their body that works like antifreeze. Isn’t nature great!
Inspired? It’s not too early to start planning your flower garden for 2027!
Mary Ellen Kaluza lives, works, and gardens in Phillips.
