Lately, many of us have been noticing monarch butterflies continuing to visit our pollinator gardens, even though it is already fall. While the unusually warm weather we have had recently could explain their lingering presence, there are probably multiple other reasons we are still seeing them.

To understand natural order, we must become aware of various reasons behind adaptation. Phenology is the study of timing and cyclical patterns of our natural world, relating to the annual life cycles of plants and animals.

Examples of seasonal biological patterns occurring are our spring / summer flowers, changing leaf colors in fall or migration.

Monarch migration typically begins in mid- to late August and continues through September as the final “super generation” of monarchs emerges. Unlike earlier generations, these butterflies enter reproductive diapause, which is a temporary pause in reproduction until the following spring, allowing them to conserve energy for their long journey. Using stored fat reserves, they migrate up to 3,000 miles to spend the winter in the mountain forests of central Mexico.

The planet’s changing seasons determine migration time with the length of days becoming shorter and temperatures lowering. Monarchs, using the sun for navigation, also take advantage of thermal air currents to aid them during their long-distance flight.

Some monarchs may be migrating from beyond Lake Erie and Canada, and we might be observing these late butterflies on their journey south. Keeping blooming flowers into late fall will provide them needed nectar — a good reason to delay cutting or removing flower heads.

Climate change could also contribute to delays in monarch migration. According to the World Meteorological Organization, the decade from 2015 to 2024 was the warmest on record, though not all regions experienced this heat equally.

According to the United States Forest Service, in 1986 Mexico recognized the importance of the oyamel forests and created the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.

Continuation of the survival and protection of the monarch butterfly is vitally important. One significant way each of us can help is by planting milkweed in our gardens — the only plant upon which they lay their eggs. The Ohio State University Extension office, 490 S. Broad St., Canfield, has free milkweed seeds available.

To learn more about monarch butterflies, go to monarchwatch.org, where you can read about education, conservation and research, as well as how to create a waystation, classroom information, how to grow milkweed, gardening tips and following the path of the monarch from Mexico up north in the spring.

Due to an unusually warm autumn or during a robust ‘super generation’ of monarchs, we might see more than in typical years. But many factors influence the phenology of migrating insects from day length, temperature shifts and food availability to internal physiological cues and habitat changes.

Kane Shipka is an Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer in Mahoning County.