Migration Monitor

March-August

Monitor flowering and non-flowering milkweed for monarch eggs during monarch breeding season

Follow the monarch migration through North America by keeping an eye on local milkweeds during spring and summer.

If you’re in the southern U.S., you might see monarch eggs earlier in the year, starting in March. Up north, start watching for eggs in late spring and summer. You can help us understand the important relationships between monarchs and milkweeds by determining when and where monarchs around you are laying their eggs!

How to observe and report:

Log into your Budburst Account

Submit a milkweeds and monarchs observation following the project protocol using your handheld device or record your observations on a milkweeds and monarchs observation sheet and post your findings later.

Track your data

Check your data from previous years in your Budburst Account, or view data from other observers using the Data search page. Do you think monarchs are choosing to lay eggs on flowering or nonflowering milkweed plants? Are you seeing monarch eggs around the same time as previous years?

All observation reports are helpful in understanding the important relationship between monarchs and milkweeds.

The goal of this challenge is to collect at least 500 observations from around the country (that's only 10 per state!). Watch for updates and track observations as they are reported.

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