Over the Hedge by T Lewis and Michael Fry for September 04, 2022

Hammy a butterfly magnet.

Never underestimate the power of Hammy!

All I can think of when I see Hammy and the butterflies is the opening of The Moody Blues song “Higher and Higher” (from the “To Our Children’s Children’s Children” album)“Blasting, billowing, bursting forth,With the power of Ten Billion Butterfly Sneeze’s…”

Just make sure you DON’T plant the non-native tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica. Unlike native milkweeds, which die out in late summer, forcing the monarchs to move on, their tropical cousin lives year-round, which can lead to them being infected with a protozoan parasite called Ophryocystis elektroscirrha, that shortens the butterflies’ lifespan and makes it difficult to fly. When native milkweeds die off, the parasite dies with them, meaning there’s fresh, uncontaminated milkweed each spring. Since tropical milkweed doesn’t die off, the parasites keeps spreading. Researchers suggest replacing tropical milkweed with native plants. And if that’s not appealing, they recommend cutting the plants down to six-inch stems in the late summer and fall, which will not hurt the plant as it will quickly regrow, but will encourage monarchs to continue on their ancient journey to Mexico rather than making a parasitic pitstop.

Monarch butterflies were quite common when I was growing up. Now I can’t remember the last time I saw one.

I hope he can breathe underneath all those butterflies.

Aren’t butterflies omnivores? There was a bones episode where they ate someone

Hammy the meat market. He doesn’t need a pickup line because they’re usually fine with picking him up and flying him around.

We need more Hammys’ in this world.

https://www.growmilkweedplants.com/map.html

Thanks for the interesting milkweed facts! Monarchs in the USA get protection under the Endangered Species Act. They are not yet listed and so are not a protected species here. They are ‘warranted but precluded’ due to other species being more important.https://www.fws.gov/initiative/pollinators/monarchs

Hammy, south is thataway —>

Funny, I just planted some milkweed today before I even read this. Fate is playing games again

We plainly need a whole lot more Hammeys.