These adults live on moisture and flower nectar. In early spring, after they have mated, they start their long trip north, following the milkweed plant as it begins its spring growth. Females lay their eggs on milkweed. As Monarch larva eat the milkweed, poisons are stored in their bodies. This helps to protect them from predators like birds.
Monarchs follow spring north.
Once they arrive in your neighborhood, there will be 1 to 3 generations before fall. Butterflies who are born around your home know precisely where, in California or Mexico, their great, great grandparents come from. They return to their traditional roosts. Then, in the spring the migration begins again.