If you like butterflies, especially Monarch Butterflies, you may want to plant some native milkweed on your property to attract them.
Bonnie Bradt, a UCCE Master Gardener with degrees from UC Davis in Zoology and Entomology will be talking about the relationship between Monarch’s and Milkweed at a seminar this (Thursday) evening.  She says annual counts of Monarch Butterflies began about 20 years ago when people started noticing the Monarchs were disappearing.

click to listen to Bonnie Bradt

The Monarchs both Eastern and Western populations have a very specific need for milkweed because its the only plant that baby monarchs will eat.

click to listen to Bonnie Bradt

The chemicals in the milkweed get into the tissues of the larvae and protect them from being eaten by predators,  like birds for example, but they do not harm the larvae. Bradt says because of more and more fields being tilled over to plant commercial crops, milkweed has been disappearing.

click to listen to Bonnie Bradt

During the seminar Bradt will go over the types of native milkweed that people in Nevada County can plant and where to get it.
The Seminar is Thursday June 9th from 6 to 8 pm. Contact the Resource Conservation District at 273-3417 to register for the event.
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