Monarch butterfly caterpillars
This seems very unlikely but if anyone has any spare room on a swan plant or two, there are a dozen or more monarch caterpillars about to starve on the corner of Bella Grove and Rimu St in Naenae. A single, small, swan plant on the public side of someone's fence on that corner has had the butterfly eggs laid on it.
Now the stripey wee things are all over it, it has zero leaves left, and only maybe two of the caterpillars are big enough that they will be able to go and metamorphose into butterflies if they are lucky.
It's a dire situation that probably doesn't have a happy ending. Maybe it is survival of the fittest but it's sad.
I'm not on Neighbourly heaps and won't check my messages or the replies, but I'm just putting this out here in case anyone can rescue the caterpillars by taking them to the only food they will eat: swan plant.
Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.
When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?
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83% Yes
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14.5% No
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2.5% Other - I'll share below
Poll: When should the tree go up? 🎄
From what we've heard, some Christmas trees are already being assembled and decorated.
What are your thoughts on the best time to get your Christmas tree up?
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4.6% Second half of November
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43.6% 1st December
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17.8% A week before Christmas
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33% Whenever you wish
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1.1% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.