Why people raise monarch butterflies in captivity — and why scientists advise against it

Why people raise monarch butterflies in captivity — and why scientists advise against it

Author: St. Louis Public Radio September 17, 2026 Duration: 28:22
Populations of migratory monarch butterflies have declined by an estimated 90% since the mid-1990s due to the loss of their natural habitat along their migration route. As monarchs fly through St. Louis on their way to Mexico, we hear from a St. Clair, Missouri, resident who is attempting to boost monarch populations by rearing them in enclosures in her backyard. We also talk with an entomologist who is concerned that captive breeding programs may produce weaker, disease-prone butterflies that aren’t equipped to complete the journey. And, a Missouri Botanical Garden botanist shares the best ways to support monarch butterflies, including when to plant milkweed, which is the only host plant on which monarchs lay their eggs.

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Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

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Mike Bush looks back on a 41-year career at KSDK [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:01
When Mike Bush came to St. Louis in 1985, he thought it would be a stop on the way to working in his hometown of Chicago. Instead, St. Louis became home, and Bush spent the next 41 years at KSDK Channel 5. He started in…