08/27/2026
MONARCH BUTTERFLIES on the move! One of natures most delicate and incredible creature is now on the move for the start of the annual fall migration. These butterflies are often some of the first to take flight ahead of the change in season.
Each fall, North American monarchs travel from their summer breeding grounds to overwintering locations. East of the Rocky Mountains, monarchs travel up to an astonishing 3,000 miles to central Mexico.
Decreasing day length and temperatures, along with aging milkweed and fewer nectar sources trigger a change in monarchs. Starting in late Summer, from across the eastern U.S. and southern Canada, monarchs initially start to funnel toward Mexico in search of the overwintering grounds where they have never been before.
Along the way, they face many obstacles, which can include extreme weather events, predation, collisions with vehicles, insecticides, parasites, and limited nectar availability to fuel their flight The timing of migration is another factor that may influence their migration success. If monarchs leave too late in the year, their flight will not coincide with blooming nectar plants, and the monarchs will have nothing to eat during the migration. Monarchs cannot fly if their body temperature drops below 55 °F, so if the weather cools before they reach the safety of the overwintering sites, they may be unable to continue flying.
Ultimately, millions of Monarch butterflies end up in a specific area in central Mexico for overwintering. Their exact orientation and precision in navigation are not fully understood and remain somewhat a mystery to scientists!