The Swallowtail Dilemma

This isn’t anything earth shattering, but I’m having a bit of a dumb dilemma. We found a caterpillar on Labor Day {swallowtail} and brought it home to watch something different after all of the Monarch hatchings we’d had.

He ate. He grew. He made his cozy home. He hasn’t come out yet.

Much of the research I did pointed to him emerging between 2 and 3 weeks later, and we are well passed that time frame. Of course, the research ALSO says they can stay in their cozy home all winter long.

Which means I have a bug container sitting out on my counter – ALL WINTER LONG.

I’m tempted to stick him up high, but then what if I forget about him, he emerges and then dies because I didn’t notice?

Or worse, what happens if he emerges in the middle of the winter and I have no way of keeping him alive because I can’t release him outside?

Or what if it’s a dud?

What, oh what, is a mom to do? Would you keep it? Be a brute and ‘dispose’ of it outside?

Help a mom out and give me some ideas!!! What would you do?