As monarchs move rapidly across the United States, the MLMP team wanted to answer some of our most frequently asked questions as we begin the 2026 monitoring season. We hope these quick reminders help you jump-start your monarch monitoring!
When do I start monitoring?
Now! Journey North reports document monarchs in most of their northern breeding range. Begin monitoring as soon as your milkweeds emerge! We recommend monitoring weekly, and remember, zero is an important number. You will likely have some monitoring days without seeing any eggs or larvae.
Do I need to take training yearly?
The short answer is, no! But there are a ton of great resources on the website that we recommend you review to prepare for your monitoring season, particularly the MLMP Activities and Datasheets.
If you are looking for a refresher, great news, you can join any of our upcoming trainings! We offer three training opportunities: live courses, instructor-supported hybrid courses, and self-paced courses. You can find them all here.
You can also join us for our Monthly Q&A sessions. Register here.
Is my site one or two sites?
You define your site, but we can always help if you have questions! We recommend keeping your site as a single larger site rather than many small sites. Consider if a monarch can easily travel from one site to another. If so, you can call this one site, potentially with multiple patches of milkweed to monitor. Do not create too many sites in one small area.
When do I count pupae?
Generally, you will record very few pupae. Only record pupae that are on milkweed plants in your site. If you find a pupa elsewhere, you can add that to the notes section on your datasheet.
Once you’ve collected a monarch from your site, you no longer record it for any Activity 1 data collection. Consider this monarch “graduated” to Activity 3.
I put a mesh cage around milkweed plants to protect them from predators. Can I still record data for Activity 1?
No, once you have influenced the monarch's natural habitat and their survival, you will no longer record data for Activity 1.
How can I stay in touch through the monitoring season?
We love hearing from our MLMP volunteers! You are a vital part of the successful data collection efforts over the last 30 years, and we hope you will continue to be. Here are ways to stay connected!
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Follow along with us on Facebook and Instagram.
Email us anytime! info@mlmp.org
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Happy monitoring, and we look forward to another great year with you!
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