And then there were none

We lost all the cecropia caterpillars. :(

The day after I wrote the last entry four out of the 10 died so I went searching for answers. I had done a lot of reading when we first brought them home and knew it was normal to lose a lot of them, but nearly half in one day was rather upsetting. I found a reference to a bacterial infection that makes it hard to raise this kind of caterpillar inside. It makes them spit up or have runny poo and then it kills them. Many of the caterpillars that died had seemed to be in a "puddle." Aha! It would have been nice to read that little tidbit the first time I did my research! I quickly quarantined the rest and hoped there were at least one or two who had not been infected. Most of them showed symptoms quickly but one lasted for nearly a week, eating nonstop and seeming very healthy. Until it just wasn't... 

Definitely a bummer, but you live and learn right? I hope we get to try again, maybe they will hand them out at Science Night again next year. I did take some pictures of them in the various stages and if there are good ones I will post them. They were really cool looking caterpillars.

For future reference though, the painted lady caterpillars that you get with the butterfly kits are much, much easier and quicker to raise!