CHICAGO — In the next four months, Chicagoans might see four generations of monarch butterflies in their midst.
The first butterflies should be arriving within city limits, said Elizabeth Howard, founder and director of Vermont-based Journey North, a nonprofit site that tracks their migration. Those butterflies will lay eggs and die, two more generations will live about a month each before laying eggs and dying, and, finally, a fourth generation will embark on a multi-thousand-mile journey to their winter grounds in Mexico.
Justin Breen discusses the insane butterfly migration:
"They have very short lives, and most people don't realize that," Howard said. "All their energy goes toward laying eggs. One female will produce hundreds of eggs."
Butterflies live only about a month. Four generations will be in Chicago this year. (Journey North)
Attracting the butterflies is rather simple, Howard said. The females are attracted to milkweed plants because that's the only place they'll lay eggs, and males hang out around milkweed because that's where the females are. Monarch caterpillars also only eat milkweed.
Adult monarchs also will feed on nectar from a variety of flowers, and additional gardening tips can be found here.
The life of a butterfly is a lot shorter than many people think. (Journey North)
"It's amazing how well they can find a garden," Howard said. "Even if you're in a city, it doesn't mean they won't find you."
Howard encourages to people to share their butterfly sightings on the map below because it helps monitor the insect's population.
"We always want people to report what they see," Howard said.
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