Grandmother-granddaughter pair rescue, raise and release monarchs

CROOKSTON -- Mckinley Isakson and her grandmother, Patti Tiedemann, have been busy this summer. The pair took walks along rural road ways seven days a week, scouring nearby plants for their quarry.

Isakson, 5, and Tiedemann were on mission to find caterpillars. And not just any caterpillars, but those of the monarch butterfly. The pair collects the larva and raises them until they transformed into butterflies. Once the insects are mature, they are tagged and released.

From mid-June to August, Isakson and Tiedemann found about 100 caterpillars.

"Her eyesight is beyond perfect," said Tiedemann.

Isakson can spot the insects from across the road by looking for their antennae that often peek out from the leaves of the milkweed plant, the caterpillars' only food source.

Caring for caterpillars

So where do you keep 100 caterpillars? In two large fish tanks, of course.

Tiedemann said they started with one large aquarium but had to find another to house the growing numbers.

Once in captivity, the caterpillars are fed milkweed leaves, the only type of plant the species will eat. The leaves have to be replaced frequently because they dry out, Tiedemann said.

"It's quite a process," she said.

After the caterpillars consume enough food, Tiedemann said they scale the side of the tank and form chrysalises on the lid. After about two weeks, a butterfly will emerge and spread its wings for the first time.

Throughout the process, Tiedemann said she and Isakson have learned a lot about the colorful insects, including how to tell the genders apart.

"The boys have spots," said Isakson, referring to the large black dots located on the insect's hind wing.

Until they are released, Isakson and Tiedemann feed the butterflies watermelon. There's only one downside.

"Sometimes when they're feeding, their wings get in the juice," said Tiedemann. "Then you have to pull them apart."

Catch and release

Upon reaching maturity, Isakson and Tiedemann release the butterflies. Aug. 29, the pair released 42 butterflies at the June Shaver Butterfly Garden in Crookston. About 50 more remain at Tiedemann's home.

Last year, Isakson with help from Laura Bell, a naturalist at the University of Minnesota-Crookston, released 11 monarch butterflies.

Before they are released and begin their migration to Mexico, they are tagged. The tags have contact information researchers in Mexico can use to alert taggers they've found one their butterflies.

"It sure would be neat to find out if any of Mckinley's butterflies made it to Mexico," said Tiedemann.

She is certain the tradition will continue for summers to come.

"I think our goal for next summer was 200, right Mckinley?" Tiedemann asked Isakson.

"No," said Isakson. "I said 800."

"We'll see about that," said Tiedemann.

Reach Jewett at (701) 787-6736; (800) 477-6572, ext. 2736; or send email to bjewett@gfherald.com .