This butterfly's caterpillar feeds on milkweed. when the plant is available, it is an easy butterfly to raise. Like all butterfly rearing, the caterpillars do better in a natural environment. So if you can raise the caterpillars directly on the plant in a 12 inch pot covered with fine netting, your butterflies will be healthier.

Otherwise, if you raise your caterpillars in rearing boxes, you might end up rearing their protozoan parasite also. Dont let it stop you, if you raise only one generation you probably will not encounter this problem. To avoid this one must take the monarch eggs that he as carefully collected by hand put them all in a metal screen coffee filter to soak exactly 60 seconds in 5% solution of javel water, then rinse and dry.