Help Save My Monarch !

Please help save my monarch butterfly! I was cooking dinner and looked out the kitchen window and saw something moving in the gravel near the herb garden. I thought it was a little bird eating seeds, but it didn't fly away. Then all of a sudden I thought, Oh no, I hope it isn't a butterfly that has opened up at this time of year. I ran outside and sure enough it was a monarch butterfly struggling to warm inself in the cold air. We are expecting almost freezing temperatures tonight of 34 F and today it only got up to 50 F. Most butterflies need at least 70 F or so to even warm their wings up enough to fly.


I ran into the house to get my camera and try to think what I could do. I decided to get a box and put some of my rosemary that is blooming inside the box. I got a small stick to put up next to the butterflies legs to get him to climb onto the stick so I wouldn't touch his wings. Once the butterfly grabbed onto the stick I put him in the box and brought the monarch butterfly into the house to warm up. But now what do I do? I am going to quickly research on the interet, but I thought someone out there might know what do do.


Maybe you're thinking I should just let nature take it's course, perhaps. But once I saw the butterfly trying to live, I just couldn't leave him out there in the cold weather to struggle needlessly. Please help save my monarch butterfly, by letting me know what to do or who to contact to advise me what do. Thanks.

Update: I read I can keep him in the house for a couple of days, but then I have to release him. Luckily I have some nectar plants blooming and I will bring him some of them. Perhaps tomorrow I will release him onto the Cape Honeysuckle, Tecomaria capensis, which still has a few blossoms since it is growing under the eaves of the front of the house.