Protecting Pollinators: Where do monarch butterflies go during winter?

For several years KDOT has been taking great strides to protect our pollinators. Last spring, in cooperation with the Monarch Highway Project, KDOT crews planted 23 varieties of wildflowers that enhance our roadsides and provide beneficial nectar sources for pollinators such as bees, beetles, moths and of course, butterflies.

Providing a habitat full of wildflowers and milkweed for monarch butterflies is significant step we can take to protect these important insects and animals.

The Monarch Highway Project consists of other state DOTs, organizations, private entities and local agencies that work together to protect bees and monarch butterfly populations that are declining.

The Monarch Highway, or a path that monarch butterflies seem to take when they migrate to Mexico, runs through the I-35 corridor and the butterflies pass through several states including, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

Have you ever wondered why and how these amazing insects migrate?

The annual migration of North America’s monarch butterfly is a unique and amazing phenomenon. The monarch is the only butterfly known to make a two-way migration as birds do. Unlike other butterflies that can overwinter as larvae, pupae, or even as adults in some species, monarchs cannot survive the cold winters of northern climates. Using environmental cues, the monarchs know when it is time to travel south for the winter. Monarchs use a combination of air currents and thermals to travel long distances. Some fly as far as 3,000 miles to reach their winter home!

Monarchs can travel between 50-100 miles a day; it can take up to two months to complete their journey. The farthest ranging monarch butterfly recorded traveled 265 miles in one day. It is crucial to the survival of the monarch butterfly to have pollinator habitat to feed on as they travel southward. A wide variety of fall blooming nectar sources on our roadsides provides the food source necessary for the monarch to successfully complete the journey.

Directional Aides:

Researchers are still investigating what directional aids monarchs use to find their overwintering location. It appears to be a combination of things, such as the magnetic pull of the earth and the position of the sun..

Overwintering in Mexico
Monarchs roost for the winter in oyamel fir forests at an elevation nearly 2 miles above sea level. The mountain hillsides of oyamel forest provide an ideal microclimate for the butterflies. Here temperatures range from 32 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature is lower, the monarchs will be forced to use their fat reserves. The humidity in the oyamel forest assures the monarchs won’t dry out allowing them to conserve their energy.

As the winter ends and the days grow longer, the monarchs become more active and begin a 3-5 week period of intense mating activity. In Mexico, they begin to leave their roosts during the middle of March, flying north and east looking for milkweed plants on which to lay their eggs.

For more information on what KDOT is doing to protect these pollinators check out http://pollinatorpartners.ksdot.org/. 

Pollinator Preservation Part I: KDOT plants wildflowers and more

A Monarch Butterfly rests atop a flower. Courtesy photo

There is a lot of buzz going around about the fact that several pollinator species are declining at surprising rates. The Kansas Department of Transportation, along with many other state DOTs in the Midwest, are doing something to change that.

KDOT’s Environmental Program Administrator Scott Shields said that KDOT is planting wildflower seed and milkweed plugs to benefit many pollinator species such as bees, wasps and butterflies.

“We have a pilot project and have planted approximately 15 acres of wildflower seed on the three plots around the safety rest areas southwest of Ottawa along I-35,” Shields said.
Engineering Technician Specialist through KDOT Right of Way Melissa Davidson said that this project is part of the Monarch Highway.

A poster illustrating the Monarch Highway. 

“This is an initiative launched in 2015 to create a multi-state partnership that brings together state transportation agencies and other partners along I-35 to catalyze conservation actions along the I-35 corridor and its neighboring communities that enhance habitat and engage people,” Davidson said.

Davidson said that KDOT was awarded a grant from the Monarch Joint Venture, a partnership of federal and state agencies, non-governmental agencies, and academic programs who are all working together to protect monarchs and their migration.

KDOT planted a wildflower mix which consisted of 23 different species. 

According to Davidson, the Monarch Joint Venture provided KDOT with 1152 milkweed plugs, consisting of three varieties: common, butterfly and antelope horn milkweed. Feyh Farms out of Alma provided KDOT’s wildflower mix, which consists of 23 different species of wildflowers and legumes.

Davidson said that the site will attract many pollinators such as butterflies, bees, hummingbirds, beetles, moths and even bats.

“These pollinators are necessary for crop and native plant pollination, which is crucial to the ecosystem,” she said. “Several butterfly and bee species are in decline, or have disappeared from parts of their range because of habitat loss. It is imperative to protect our natural environment to ensure the success of pollinators.”

Pollinators may not be the only ones who benefit and enjoy this site.

“The mix, once established, will provide a year-round color and blooming enjoyment for the traveling public,” Davidson said. “Patience is key when planting native wildflowers. It may take two to three growing seasons for them the be fully established and blooming.”

Check back in a few weeks when we see how some of these plants are doing! 

Kansas joins the Monarch Highway

A monarch in Topeka. 

           Last week, KDOT along with five other state departments of transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, signed an agreement today that will improve pollinator habitat along Interstate 35, a key migratory corridor for Monarch butterflies.

            In the past year, I-35, which passes through Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, was identified as a corridor that could be enhanced as butterfly habitat through the increased planting of vegetation that provides refuge and a food source.

           

Kansas roadside on I-35. 

 “Kansas roadsides have been a haven for Monarchs since 2008 when KDOT started planting butterfly milkweed and other native wildflowers on the roadsides,” Scott Shields, KDOT Environmental Scientist, said. “We are excited to partner with other states on I-35 to provide education and habitat for these important pollinator insects.” 

            This agreement establishes a cooperative and coordinated effort to establish best practices and promote public awareness of the Monarch butterfly and other pollinating insects.

Wildflowers growing on I-35 in Kansas. 

            Monarch butterflies hatch in late summer or early fall, wintering in Mexico. In the spring, butterflies begin their 2,000-mile trek north. Along the way, they lay eggs that develop into butterflies that finish the trip and begin the cycle again.

            “We are trying to build awareness about the best practices for pollinators,” Shields said. “We are hoping that we can create a habitat that benefits the Monarch butterflies and other critically important pollinating insects so that they can thrive. This benefits everyone in the long run.”