What a crazy caterpillar weekend! As you know, we have hundreds of caterpillars. We had to buy plants to feed them because they were running out of food. On Friday, I took a bunch home with another net to transfer them into for space and feeding. On Friday evening I moved them all into their cozy, new home. Early Saturday morning I was up to get Emily a bottle, I took one step into the kitchen and noticed something on the floor. I flicked on the light and {*sigh} there were about 10 caterpillars crawling all over the kitchen! I quickly scooped them up and put them back in their net. Then I noticed some on the counter, climbing the cupboards, much farther away in the dining and living rooms and even one all the way downstairs in the basement! Sheesh! Thank goodness I noticed when Emily found a few before she was able to get them in her mouth or squeeze them too hard.
I fixed up their net to make it more secure, and hopefully escape-proof. No such luck! Through the weekend I continued to find caterpillars here and there. I even found one attached to a thank-you card that eventually went into his chrysalis.
I went to school early this morning to get some work done. When I arrived, the caterpillars there needed new plants to munch on so I started dealing with them. As I walked down the hall to our classroom, I saw a caterpillar crawling down the HALLWAY! Upon closer examination, there were about 5 in the hallway and 10 in the classroom, inching their way around. Once the children arrived and heard there had been an escape mission, they scoured the classroom and found a few more, including 2 hanging in chrysalids from tables and 2 chrysalids in the middle of the floor! Geez Louise!
Things are back under control now and everyone is safe in a place. That is, until the chrysalids around the room start emerging and we have to chase down loose butterflies!
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| Their new home, before it went into lockdown mode with tape and numerous clothespins. |
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| The first escapee - notice his friends further along the floor. |
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| This guy made down three steps and was headed out the door. |
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| In the bathroom... |
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| The first escapees I found, I thought THIS was a lot. I also thought I had caught them all. Silly me. |
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| In the kleenex. |
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| Now that is talent. Climbing the wall! |
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| When Emily got up there were a couple more out, looking for a challenge. She won, easily! |
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| Point, Emily. |
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| Later in the afternoon, this is clear across the house. |
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| All the way downstairs in the basement on some smelly socks! |
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| This guy hid from me long enough to attach to this card. This is where he remains, in his chrysalis. It will be a nice surprise when he emerges as a butterfly and wakes us up! |
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| I was able to watch this one change from caterpillar to chrysalis! LIVE! |
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| This morning at school, across the room, out the door and two classrooms away from his net! |
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| Sneaky, this guy attached to the baseboard. Great hiding spot! |
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| A chrysalis on a table. |
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| And another table. |
