How many can you see?

Can you count how many catepillars are in this first picture? Whoever guesses correctly first and leaves a comment with your guess will get a butterfly released in honor of anyone of their choice. I will then email you pictures of the butterfly too. Double click on the picture and it should open up larger. If that doesn't work save to your computer before opening it up.

There are so many catepillars this month which is amazing. I have never seen this many. I think this time many more survived since I have been collecting them and placing them in our protected cage no matter how small they were. I used to wait until they were "big fatties" before I collected them off our larger un-caged milkweed. The baby lady bugs instars I think were eating the smaller catepillars prior to this. Unfortunately, I believe many of our cats are diseased and will eventually die which I hate. There is a parasite that is invisable to the naked eye that can be on the milkweed. They then eat the milkweed and digest this awful parasite. After they chrysalis, they die. It will turn a dark brown and is filled with nasty smelling sludge. Many of our cats now do this twitch that makes me think they have it. I have seen others do it before. :(

Here are some other photos of our beauties...