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March 3, 2025Jefferson City, Mo. |  By: Jeremy Werner

MU encouraging gardeners to protect monarch butterflies

monarch butterflies

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - With spring on the horizon, the University of Missouri Extension Office is encouraging gardeners to take steps to help protect monarch butterflies, a species facing significant population decline.

The MU Extension Office says habitat loss, pesticide use, and extreme weather have all contributed to the monarch’s struggles. However, gardeners can make a difference by planting milkweed, the only plant monarch caterpillars eat.

Creating pollinator-friendly gardens with a variety of native plants and reducing pesticide use can also support the species.

Officials say protecting the monarch's fragile habitats is essential, as they face threats from deforestation and political unrest in other countries.