How do you care for monarch caterpillars?

Is it safe to pick up monarch caterpillars?

• I've recently noticed a bunch of monarch caterpillars crawling on the plants outside. I know they're poisonous to ingest due to their consumption of milkweed, but are they safe to pick up? And will picking them up cause any harm to the caterpillar?

• Answer:

  It is safe for humans to hold and touch the Monarch caterpillar but it is not always safe for the caterpillar. When they are young/small they are quite delicate but as they grow it becomes safer for them to be handled. The one time that no caterpillar should be handled is when they are preparing to molt. They will molt several times as they grow. Prior to their molt they will stop eating, lay down some silk (which you may or may not be able to see), and stay still for around 24 hours then split their old skin and wriggle out. During this time, and for several hours afterward, they should not be moved or touched.