Insects are milking my milkweed -- help!

[Mmathis]

I just found these one 3 of my milkweed plants -- clustered around the newest growth areas, if that means anything. What are they and how can I eliminate them?

BTW, I snipped off the plant parts that were covered with the bugs and swooshed them in the pond for the fishies to eat!

 

[michey1st]

Check out this article... looks like Oleander aphids and they seem pretty benign: http://www.ourhabitatgarden.org/creatures/milkweed-problems.html

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Yup, aphids.

 

[Mmathis]

@michey1st Thanks! I read that link then followed with a few others. The general consensus was that all would be OK if you left them alone...... They look bad, but generally don't cause that much trouble.... Many methods you would use to eliminate the aphids could also have an effect on any Monarch eggs or larvae that could be present.

One article stated that though the plants with aphids did OK, when they harvested seeds the following years, seed production was down. Another article said that they noticed infestations teneded to be worst during the first year of the plant's growth.

Insecticidal soaps and parasitic insects were the top ways to eliminate them. They said the problems with soaps were that you had to apply them frequently, and mostly, that by eliminating the aphids, you were interfering with the natural cycle of prey & predator insects.

I'm not sure what I'll do.

 

[Tula]

I know I'm behind, but I planted my milkweed seeds today. I planted them in a container, as I have a lot of shade and want to be able to move them around, so they get sun. I'm sure hoping to attract some monarchs....saw my first hummingbird last night

 

[michey1st]

You're welcome, Mmathis! I thought those bugs looked familiar... turns out my milkweed had those aphids last year, and then went on to bloom like gangbusters. Then, the milkweed beetles settled in in late summer/early fall. My 2 year old plant hasn't shown any life yet this season. =/ I did try to salvage some seed last year, but didn't do anything with them, mostly because i'm lazy >.< Good luck! I'm sure the monarchs appreciate you!

 

[Mmathis]

Just thought I would post a follow-up.....

I chose the do-nothing route. All I did was pinch off portions of the 2 plants that had the most critter-coverage. I swished those in the pond for the fishies to eat. Then, quite frankly, I totally forgot all about the plants ....

....until a few days ago. There are no critters of any kind to be found, and no evidence of any damage. So I guess Mother Nature stepped in and did her "thing."

 

[michey1st]

Yippee! I'm sure the fishies appreciated the treat! My milkweed was late to wake up this year for some reason (thought it was a goner) but it's putting out new stems FINALLY!

 

[MitchM]

Does your local garden center sell Ladybugs?
They will eat aphids.

 

[Mmathis]

Does your local garden center sell Ladybugs?
They will eat aphids.

Well, the aphids disappeared on their own

 

[MitchM]

They'll be back, trust me.
I'm always battling aphids here.
I've noticed the populations constantly rise and fall.
I was wondering if you could buy ladybugs down there because you live in such a warm climate.
Wasn't sure if they were native to your area.

 

[Mmathis]

They'll be back, trust me.
I'm always battling aphids here.
I've noticed the populations constantly rise and fall.
I was wondering if you could buy ladybugs down there because you live in such a warm climate.
Wasn't sure if they were native to your area.

I honestly don't know, but we usually have a decent population of them. There's always mail order....

 

[max384]

You can buy ladybugs online at Amazon by the thousands

http://www.amazon.com/500-Live-Lady...=UTF8&qid=1434149412&sr=1-5&keywords=ladybugs

They're native to the entire contiguous US, so no problems there.

 

[HARO]

While there may be native ladybugs, the variety sold to gardeners (at least around here) is a Chinese variety. Unlike the native ones, the imports will bite, which is the best way to tell them apart. Be careful what you put in your garden!
John

 

[max384]

Hmmmm. I didn't know that. Thanks for the info.