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As we approach the end of March, we can see signs of Spring popping up across North America. As Spring approaches, we can see trees and flowers starting to bud, birds beginning to sing, and bumblebees and butterflies returning to the landscape.<\/p>\n
One telltale and beautiful sign of Spring in North America is the appearance of Monarch butterflies, who travel north from Mexico during mid-to-late March. For many, the colorful migration of monarch butterflies can signify the start of spring and the transformation of seasons.<\/p>\n
The eastern population of North America\u2019s monarchs spends their winters in Mexico, specifically in the State of Michoacan and the Sierra Madre Mountains. Monarchs that populate the western regions of North America spend their winters in California.<\/p>\n
Using environmental clues, monarchs know when to migrate south to seek warm temperatures and when to migrate north during the spring and summer. Monarchs begin to leave their Mexican wintering sites in mid-March and have usually all departed by late March.<\/p>\n
Many monarchs have already mated, but mating continues throughout the journey north in March and April. The Monarchs that populate Mexico during the winter fly north to repopulate the southern half of the United States. Then their offspring will complete the journey north up to Canada. The general patterns of Monarch spring migration and recolonization across North America occur over two generations.<\/p>\n