{"id":504886,"date":"2010-04-02T10:11:45","date_gmt":"2010-04-02T14:11:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/green.yahoo.com\/blog\/guest_bloggers\/29\/monarch-butterflies-under-seige.html"},"modified":"2010-04-02T10:11:45","modified_gmt":"2010-04-02T14:11:45","slug":"monarch-butterflies-under-seige","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/504886","title":{"rendered":"Monarch butterflies under seige"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\"Monarch
\n
(Photo: Getty Images)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

This year may be one of the worst for the monarch butterfly, experts
\nare reporting. <\/p>\n

Severe hailstorms in Mexico (one of the monarch\u2019s winter
\nhomes) followed by fifteen inches of rain has left the population
\ndecimated by up to 50 percent this year. Add to that the ongoing issue
\nof habitat destruction, and the future of the monarch begins to look a
\nlittle shaky.<\/p>\n

Unlike most other insects in temperate climates, monarch
\nbutterflies cannot survive a long cold winter, according to MonarchWatch.org. Instead, they spend the winter in roosting
\nspots. Monarchs west of the Rocky Mountains travel to small groves of
\ntrees along the California coast, while those east of the Rocky
\nMountains fly farther south to the forests high in the mountains of
\nMexico.<\/p>\n

No other butterflies migrate like North American monarchs. They are the only butterflies to make such a long, round
\n trip migration of up to three thousand miles every year. It\u2019s like
\nThe Odyssey of the insect world. <\/p>\n

Amazingly, they fly in masses to the same
\nwinter roosts, often to the exact same trees. Part of the problem
\nmonarchs are facing is the longevity of the trees within which they
\nroost: Illegal logging in Mexico has destroyed the butterflies\u2019 mountain
\n habitats, while property development in California threatens the
\neucalyptus trees where they roost there.<\/p>\n

\n

In addition to habitat issues and the increasingly severe weather, there has also
\nbeen a significant increase in the Midwest of planting corn and soybeans
\n that are genetically engineered to be herbicide-resistant. That allows
\nfarmers to spray weed killer without hurting the crops, but it has meant
\n almost no milkweed survive in the fields. No milkweed means no place
\nfor the butterflies to breed along the way, a crucial step, obviously,
\nin the survival of the species.<\/p>\n

That’s where we can help. An advocacy group is encouraging the public to create monarch habitats by planting milkweed<\/a> in home gardens. They’re also encouraging schools, zoos, farmers, and anyone else with access to unused land to grow the perennial plants. <\/p>\n

Visit Monarchwatch.org<\/a> to find out what else you can do. For more ways to help butterflies see First Aid for Butterflies<\/a>, and How to Make Butterfly Food<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Melissa Breyer is a senior editor for care2<\/a>, where this post originally appeared.<\/em>\u00a0<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n

More from care2<\/strong><\/p>\n