Our Science Project

Last month my nieces were over for a Saturday swim and we all noticed that there were TONS of caterpillars crawling around outside our house. It was so exciting...but we really had to watch where we stepped because one wrong step and it meant...less caterpillars. On Sunday there seemed to be more. When they came over for Sunday dinner we counted them. About 32 total and some were already in position to start up their cocoon. The next few days we saw 25 caterpillars building their new home all around our home, 10 on our front porch. My mom told the girls that soon they would come out as beautiful butterflies. Well, we watched them day after day. We called it our science project. It was really amazing to watch the process unfold. I took note of the 1st caterpillar that built his cocoon and a few others soon after. I watched them each day as I knew they would obviously be the first to become butterflies. I noticed that the cocoon was getting really dark black and I knew within the next 24-48 hours the butterfly would be "born". One day I went to take my sister to work and there were 3 I had been watching closely. I was disappointed as I left to take her cause they weren't out (I was leaving out of town the next day and was anxious to see these particular 3...not sure why...I had already seen 2 but I HAD to see these 3). When I got home 15 mins later...they were all out (See 1st pic). I was so excited. It was interesting to know that they bleed just like a real birth and it was kind of gross because we would have blood dripping down our walls and drops on our porch. The butterflies would stay by their cocoon for hours and finally fly away. I know it sounds cheesy but it was such a cool and beautiful experience. I loved it.

They were so new that you can seriously see the fresh fuzz on their bodies.