pests on milkweed

[fl_mariposa]

Does anyone else have problems with pests on their milkweed? It hasn't bothered my cats but they gross me out. I'm not sure what they are-they're tiny orange bugs, usually on the underside of the leaves close to the base or all around the flowers.

[Keith Petrosky]

Aphids. Strange because by me we have black and green aphids, and none attack the milkweed. Then suddenly orange aphids are on it, and I never see them by me. I wonder where they come from because I grew my milkweed from seeds inside, no aphids there! I'm trying a new milkweed to see if they wont attack it.

[fl_mariposa]

Ok, but there's no way to get rid of them without hurting the cats, correct? Guess I'll just have to deal with them. In case anyone wondered, I am growing tropical milkweed.

[Keith Petrosky]

The only way is pesticides, but that will kill caterpillars. Just leave it as it is.

[Jacqui_in_NZ]

You can squish the aphids -- go all over pinching the stems where the aphids are, not tightly enough to break the stems, just to kill off most of the aphids. Also, ladybirds will help to control the aphids, and there are wasps too which predate them.

Your fingers will get very stained, so wear gloves!

I was told that ants bring aphids on to the plants -- so if there are ants nests nearby, you could put poison out and kill them off. Ants "milk" aphids.

Hope that helps!

Jacqui

[pianopete]

I keep a spray bottle handy that contains a water and dish detergent (soap) solution. About 1 tsp per qt. Every time I see any aphids or other nasties on the milkweed, I give a spray in the evening and by the morning they are all dead.... works great, and doesn't harm the plants or cats. Lady bugs work great to keep the aphids under control also, but I can seem to keep enough of them in the garden.

[Jacqui_in_NZ]

Thanks PianoPete - I will give that a try, I used to do it when I had my little farm (organic) and it worked well too. Better than having orange fingers, which I get when I squash 'em.

Launched our monarch site last night, http://www.monarch.org.nz if you want to take a look.

Cheers

Jacqui

[Wendy]

I have spider mites on my milkweed, any ideas on how to kill them without killing the cats?

[jemas]

Milkweed only have oleander aphids. Other kinds of aphids won't be attracted to it. These aphids are only on milkweeds and oleanders, I believe.

[harpo787]

On our recently obtained scarlet milkweeds (in the ground now for a bit over a week), I've spotted something odd.

I've seen what I thought were dancing yellow bugs. They seemed to bob up and down a bit.

Well, as I was reading this thread, I started looking up the various pests being mentioned. Sure enough, I've got aphids. Apparently there are several kinds, and we have "gold aphids", apparently a group that can be DEVASTATING to whatever plants they get on to.

Being that I'm no fan of chemicals/poisons (even if I wasn't attempting to promote butterfly grown in our yard), I've managed to locate Nature's Control dot com. If I'm unable to locate any ladybugs locally, I'm going to order from them.

And to think, I remember seeing a ladybug about two weeks back just hanging out on one of our giant milkweeds....

[psi_chemie]

Some of the wild milkweed I harvest for larvae is aphid infested, but they rinse off easily. I think a hose with some pressure would be even better. The ladybugs sound like a good idea. You'll have to see if they eat monarch eggs or young larvae as they would other prey..

[harpo787]

psi-chemie: an interesting thought...I don't THINK they do, but I'll have to do a bit more research. From what brief amount I read, I don't think they'll be a problem. I'll post about it when I read more, and of course if we actually obtain them and go through with it, I'll post about the results.

[harpo787]

Well, I obtained my ladybugs ($8.99 for 1,500 of 'em) and let them loose. The lady at the nursery said they definitely won't eat the caterpillars, she wasn't sure about the monarch eggs. From what I observed, they seemed to leave the eggs alone.

[psi_chemie]

Jeez.. so was it like just a bag of 1500 ladybugs??? I wonder how much space that many take up. Also, are they eating the aphids?

[harpo787]

Yup, it was a bag of 1500 ladybugs. I got 'em for 8.99 at that store...found out about them at http://www.naturescontrol.com (where they're available for 7.99 for 1500, but I'm not sure about S&H). From that site I also found a few local dealers who purchase from the site.

Last time I was in the garden (it's not at my home, but at my mom's) there were still a few hanging around. They stick around and investigate/eat. When there's nothing left, they move on.

When I got to her place with them, I didn't see any aphids (I had clipped the twig or two that had what I DID see previously) but went ahead and released them anyway.

The bag looked like this (this is almost life-size, maybe smaller by an inch or so):


It didn't look like it could be 1500 to me, but once I opened it and they were all over my hand, I had little doubt! Good times though! It was very fun...I may obtain more every few months!

[pinkbungalow]

I got a similar bag at Home Depot in Orlando for 4.99! They took care of almost all the aphids.... there seem to be a few stragglers.

[harpo787]

Didn't realize that Home Depot sold ladybugs!

I just picked up another bag today, as we obtained two new milkweeds (and I just got one for my patio today for my set up...more on that soon) and they are just "swimming" with aphids.

It's a bit frustrating to buy a plant with aphids, but at the same time, it also says to me that they're not spraying the plant down with pesticide either...(or are aphids immune to such sprayings?!?)

[John Beaulieu]

Interesting to read about the aphids. I had mentioned about my pot of yellow tropical milkweed that had not produced pods by the frosts last fall (photo included in the 'Will Mexican Milkweed grow here?' message). Well, I chopped it all back to about 1 in. stems and placed the pot indoors in a sunny bay window. It resprouted but was plagued by aphids all winter ...photo in my milkweed album at http://photobucket.com/albums/a240/JohnBeaulieu

I had little luck with soap sprays, and more luck with Safers Endall. It was interesting that the aphids never appeared on any of my other plants, but kept re-appearing on the milkweed, even after a good spraying. I started putting the plant out on warmer days a few weeks ago, but forgot to bring it in one night which dipped to -6 C. The foliage was killed, and I chopped it back again hoping that it will once again resprout.

John

[harpo787]

John B: what size pot is the milkweed in in that pic? That seems like a TON of milkweed in one pot! How many shoots are in there?!? Right now I've got about 7 shoots from one pot that's either 12 or 14 inches.

I've got two other "batches" of milkweed (perhaps 7 or so more in each pot) and the pots are quite small...they're the original pots the plants were purchased in. I wonder if I could afford to take both of them and put them in one 12-14 inch plant.

[Paul Cherubini]

Some big educational and commercial monarch breeders like the Monarch Program http://www.monarchprogram.org/greenhse.htm use Malathion insecticide to control yellow aphids on milkweed. One product, Ortho Malathion Plus, is available in the gardening section of Walmart and Home Depot and similar chain type stores.

Malathion is favored by some big monarch breeders over home remedies and safer soap type products for three main reasons:

1. Malathion kills the aphids much more thoroughly for much longer lasting control.

2. If the Malathion treated plants are rinsed off with fresh water 10 minutes after spraying there won't be hardly any malathion residue left on the milkweed leaves that could harm monarch caterpillars. To be extra sure there are no harmful residues, wait a few days before offering the treated plants to your monarch caterpillars.

3. The use dilution of Malathion used to control aphids ( 1-2 teaspoons per gallon of water) is not real dangerous to people or pets so if you accidentally get a small amount on your skin or even in your eyes or mouth you won't notice hardly any irritation (because the actual use dilution contains approx. 99.9% water)

[John Beaulieu]

harpo787: Yea, I guess I did sow a lot of seeds in the pot. It is a 15 inch urn-like planter. I did one pot of yellow flowered tropical and another pot of the regular red (orange) variety. The red flowered and set seed pods which I harvested for this year. For some reason the yellow was later and I needed to keep the plant alive since I had no more yellow seeds. I just dumped out the remains of last years red tropical and noticed that the roots only filled half the pot. It did not seem to hurt them being so crowded. I guess the tropical milkweed has less of a root system than the native milkweeds. They don't have to endure the tough winter weather.

John

[Mona Miller]

Make sure you read pesticide label directions and follow the directions carefully because doing otherwise is against the law and can also cause problem for you and the environment. Spraying on pesticides and washing them off can cause potential problems with runoff and ground water pollution.

http://www.epa.gov/nps/MMGI/Chapter2/ch2-2d.html
Polluted Runoff (Nonpoint Source Pollution)

[Paul Cherubini]

Spraying on pesticides and washing them off can cause potential problems with runoff and ground water pollution.
http://www.epa.gov/nps/MMGI/Chapter2/ch2-2d.html
Polluted Runoff (Nonpoint Source Pollution)

Edith Smith, the founder of the Association For Butterflies http://www.forbutterflies.org/conservation.htm and a high volume monarch breeder also recommends rinsing the Malathion off treated plants. However, after conducting some tests, Edith found monarch caterpillars weren't harmed even if the treated plants weren't rinsed. On Dec. 19 & 20, 2007, Edith wrote the following on the "'Butterfly farmers and enthusiasts mailing list'" <butterflyfarming@butterflymarket.com>

"We use Malathion all the time. We have dunked milkweed into mixed Malathion and fed it directly to caterpillars, they pupated, and emerged with no problems. We don't guarantee it to other people, of course, as you never know what other 'inert' ingredients are in some Malathion mixes."

"Since we use Malathion and recommend it for milkweed aphids, we did a test with a few caterpillars to be sure that what we recommended wouldn't harm them if they didn't rinse well or something like that. Of course, you never know about the carrier agents in sprays ... sometimes a carrier or 'inert' agent might do harm."

"I have talked with people who thought their caterpillars were diseased so they sprayed them with Malathion and it never hurt them. They were shocked... two ways. One was that it didn't hurt them, the other way was that they were wrong; their caterpillars weren't diseased!"

~Edith

[Mona Miller]

Spraying on pesticides and washing them off can cause potential problems with runoff and ground water pollution.
http://www.epa.gov/nps/MMGI/Chapter2/ch2-2d.html
Polluted Runoff (Nonpoint Source Pollution)

Edith Smith, the founder of the Association For Butterflies http://www.forbutterflies.org/conservation.htm and a high volume monarch breeder also recommends rinsing the Malathion off treated plants. However, after conducting some tests, Edith found monarch caterpillars weren't harmed even if the treated plants weren't rinsed. On Dec. 19 & 20, 2007, Edith wrote the following on the "'Butterfly farmers and enthusiasts mailing list'" <butterflyfarming@butterflymarket.com> "We use Malathion all the time. We have dunked milkweed into mixed Malathion and fed it directly to caterpillars, they pupated, and emerged with no problems. We don't guarantee it to other people, of course, as you never know what other 'inert' ingredients are in some Malathion mixes." "Since we use Malathion and recommend it for milkweed aphids, we did a test with a few caterpillars to be sure that what we recommended wouldn't harm them if they didn't rinse well or something like that. Of course, you never know about the carrier agents in sprays ... sometimes a carrier or 'inert' agent might do harm." "I have talked with people who thought their caterpillars were diseased so they sprayed them with Malathion and it never hurt them. They were shocked... two ways. One was that it didn't hurt them, the other way was that they were wrong; their caterpillars weren't diseased!" ~Edith

http://butterflymarket.com/pipermail/bu ... 05010.html
Malathion is a restricted use pesticide here. (Michigan) As a licensed applicator I will not use it because of the wide spectrum of the foodchain it affects. It is harmful to a wide array of living things including humans and pets. This is why they do not make this class of pesticide anymore. I would tend to look for a more narrow spectrum product to get the aphids. Malathion will kill bees, birds, butterflies and can cause problems in mammals. The following is an exerpt from the PAN pesticide database.

Cholinesterase Inhibitors
Proper functioning of the nervous system requires an enzyme called cholinesterase (ChE), which facilitates the transmission of nerve impulses. ChE-inhibiting pesticides disable this enzyme, resulting in symptoms of neurotoxicity---tremors, nausea, and weakness at low loses; paralysis and death at higher doses. Most of these pesticides are insecticides with a similar mechanism of action in both insects and humans.

Exposure to cholinesterase-inhibiting pesticides has been linked to impaired neurological development in the fetus and in infants, chronic fatigue syndrome, and Parkinson's disease.

About the Data: Accuracy, currency, comprehensiveness and source
Our list of ChE inhibitors was constructed based on the California Department of Pesticide Regulation's list of ChE-inhibiting pesticides (1). For pesticides not registered in California, the chemical structure or Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) was used to classify the pesticide as a cholinesterase inhibitor. This data was last updated July 10, 2000 by PAN Staff. This list is relatively static, since few newly registered pesticides are cholinesterase inhibitors.

References:
Summary of Pesticide Use Report Data, 1998, Table 5A, California Department of Pesticide Regulation (Sacramento, CA, November 1999). Viewed on October 31, 2002. PAN staff evaluation of chemical structures and toxicity using: Chem Finder, Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), and The Pesticide Manual, 11th edition, C. D. S. Tomlin, Ed., British Crop Protection Council (Farnham, Surrey, UK, 1997).

[Paul Cherubini]

http://butterflymarket.com/pipermail/bu ... 05010.html
Malathion is a restricted use pesticide here. (Michigan) As a licensed applicator I will not use it because of the wide spectrum of the foodchain it affects. It is harmful to a wide array of living things including humans and pets. This is why they do not make this class of pesticide anymore.

According to the Michigan Dept. of Agriculture http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch_ ... 7200_7.pdf
"Malathion is a general use pesticide considered by the EPA to be slightly toxic." So this means garden centers and retail stores in Michigan sell products like Ortho Malathion to the public just as is the case in the other 50 states.

The Michigan Dept. of Agriculture has also approved a 0.5% strength Malathion formulation for use on childrens heads to control head lice:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Final ... 3750_7.pdf
"The lotion is applied to the hair, left to air dry, then washed off after 8 to 12 hours."

The 0.5% strength approved for use on children's heads is 5 times stronger than the 0.1% strength used to control aphids, spiders, etc. on milkweed plants.

[Mona Miller]

I recently tried Murphy's Oil Soap. The recipe calls for one tbsp. to a gallon of water. I divided this down to fit my quart bottle, add 3/4 tsp. of soap to 1 quart of water.

This worked better than safer, but I have no idea how long it will take to get the oily residue off the plant for it to be ready to feed the Monarchs.

I'm just trying to keep a few pots alive inside and keep the aphids at bay. I'm having the same problem with the aphids.

[freda]

http://butterfliesetc.com/aaspidermites.php

More from Edith's Shady Oak Butterfly Farm resource on aphids, spider mites and more. Very interesting about the Malathion!

[Paul Cherubini]

http://butterfliesetc.com/aaspidermites.php More from Edith's Shady Oak Butterfly Farm resource on aphids, spider mites and more. Very interesting about the Malathion!

Here are two more big monarch breeders with huge greenhouses that have used Malathion for more than 10 years:

http://www.utterbackfarms.com/products.php
http://www.monarchprogram.org/greenhse.htm

Since the label directions on Malathion say you can spray a whole yard with it, it is not illegal spray just the milkweeds and then wash it off with fresh water 5 minutes later.

[Mona Miller]

Can you imagine the accumation of pesticides from a continual spraying and washing off of the Malathion at a huge greenhouse, which grows thousands of plants? The major problem would be the damage this type of use would cause to amphibians. Have these businesses checked to see what they are doing to the environment?

http://www.epa.gov/nps/MMGI/Chapter2/ch2-2d.html
Polluted Runoff (Nonpoint Source Pollution)

http://sunsite.utk.edu/ncedr/casestudie ... yoming.htm
"Malathion, an organophosphate pesticide, came on the market in the late 1980s, replacing another organophosphate pesticide (Baytex) that proved harmful to human health. Both pesticides are highly toxic to amphibians. Also, several characteristics of malathion complicate risk assessment. First, while laboratory studies are conducted using pure malathion, most malathion currently used to control pests contains approximately 3.5% contaminants, which can be up to 500 times more toxic than malathion itself. These impurities increase with time and with exposure to heat over 100 degrees Celsius, two common storage conditions for the pesticide. The price of purifying malathion is prohibitively high. Second, malathion breaks down into chemicals more toxic than the pure pesticide. Though still inconclusive, many studies indicate that malathion may cause a host of serious health problems in both humans and animals. "

http://www.chem-tox.com/malathion/default.htm
Citizens for responsible alternatives to malathion

Can you imagine the collective use and the potential damage done by the use of malathion by homeowners and large businesses?

[Paul Cherubini]

Can you imagine the accumation of pesticides from a continual spraying and washing off of the Malathion at a huge greenhouse, which grows thousands of plants? Can you imagine the collective use and the potential damage done by the use of malathion by homeowners and large businesses?

What specific "damage" are you refering to? Your references didn't present evidence of dead frogs or toads after spraying. One said: "The connection between the use of certain pesticides and the decrease in the Wyoming toad's population is not proven". The authors of the article didn't even do basic research like putting some caged frogs outside during the Malathion treatment to see if it was capable of killing them.

The concentration of Malathion used in greenhouses is extremely diluted - more diluted than the concentration the EPA has deemed safe to use on the heads of children to control head lice. The Malathion breaks down within a matter days; that's why the EPA says you can eat sprayed fruit and vegetables 3-7 days after spraying even if you don't wash them. Also why repeated Malathion spraying in a wooden greenhouse wouldn't be sufficient to protect the greenhouse from termite or powderpost beetle infestation damage. Or a frog or toad infestation.

I would be much more concerned about the accumulation of natural milkweed toxins in a milkweed greenhouse. Just think of all the extremely toxic milkweed sap that drips onto the soil of a greenhouse when the stems are harvested to feed monarch caterpillars. I think it will be interesting to see whether or not monarch farmers who raised greenhouse milkweed for 10-30 years end up with serious milkweed exposure related health problems in their old age.

[Mona Miller]

http://sunsite.utk.edu/ncedr/casestudie ... yoming.htm
Read this article for yourself. Malathion spraying was linked to decreases in toad populations.

http://www.chem-tox.com/malathion/research/index.htm
"The medical research below was located from the University of Florida and University of South Florida Medical Libraries. As can be seen clearly from the research summarized below, contrary to what the public is being told by the Agriculture Industry and some governmental agencies, scientists are stating that malathion (even at low levels) is in fact, a harmful chemical."

Paul Cherubini is a pesticide sales man.

[Paul Cherubini]

http://sunsite.utk.edu/ncedr/casestudies/cases/wyoming.htm Read this article for yourself. Malathion spraying was linked to decreases in toad populations.

Linked by coincidendal evidence only, not by direct evidence such as finding dead toads, frogs or tadpoles after spraying. The article said: "the connection between the use of certain pesticides and the decrease in the Wyoming toad's population is not proven"

Malathion has been registered by the EPA for home yard, greenhouse and mosquito spraying uses for more than 30 years. In all that time the label directions on the Malathion have never been modified to state the product, when use as directed, is a hazard to amphibians. That means the EPA hasn't received any convincing evidence the product is a hazard to amphibians.

[Mona Miller]

Anyone wanting to raise butterflies should know that a "no pesticide" policy is imperative.

http://www.monarchwatch.org/garden/creating.htm
Monarch Watch Butterfly Gardening
As you maintain your garden, DO NOT USE ANY PESTICIDES OR INSECTICIDES on or near your garden. Insecticides kill butterflies too. If you spray nearby areas, the insecticide may drift into your butterfly garden. Planting a diversity of species will keep pest levels down, but sometimes it's best just to tolerate a few pests. Avoiding insecticides also allows the populations of natural predators to increase, and these hunters will help reduce the number of unwanted pests.

http://users.sitestar.net/butterfly/bfg ... LYTIPS.HTM
Washington Area Butterfly Club
Butterfly Gardening Tips
1. Do not use pesticides and herbicides
a. Most kill butterflies, caterpillars and beneficial insects.
b. Harmful insects quickly become immune.
c. Predatory insects and birds will control pests, given time.
They may sometimes snack on your butterflies and caterpillars,
but you can protect caterpillars by hand-raising them in a cage or
enclosed area.

Use some common sense where pesticides are concerned. All animals and plants will benefit from an organic environment.

[Paul Cherubini]

Anyone wanting to raise butterflies should know that a "no pesticide" policy is imperative.

I agree that's good advice for the butterfly gardener who has no experience using pesticides around caterpillars.

That advice applies to organic pesticides too. For example, in a post above you said: "I recently tried Murphy's Oil Soap... but I have no idea how long it will take to get the oily residue off the plant for it to be ready to feed the Monarchs."

However, some pesticides - both organic and non-organic - can be safely used in butterfly gardens if the gardener is aware of potential problems and knows how to mitigate them. The water dilutable, pure glyphosate forumulation of Roundup herbicide, for example, won't hurt caterpillars or frogs that are accidentally sprayed whereas while vinegar would hurt or kill them.

[Mona Miller]

I have been practicing organic gardening for 20 years now. I am a master gardener and a VA Master Naturalist.

I read the oil soap contents before I used it. This plant is located inside away from wildlife. I was experimenting on the use of the oil soap, but knew that any type of oil residue would kill a caterpillar or a butterfly because it would clog up their breathing tubes. Inside the plant will not harm wildlife. Later, I will wash the plant off inside for several weeks before I return it to the outside in the spring.

Inside the Murphy's Oil Soap was more effective than Safer on aphids, but outside this product will kill butterflies in all stages if sprayed on the adult butterfly or other butterfly stages.

I still recommend "NO PESTICIDE" and so does Monarch Watch and the Washington Area Butterfly Club.

[Mona Miller]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/ho ... icides.htm
Note in the chart that some of the organic pesticides kill butterflies.

[sbannister]

I've been hosing the aphids off but they come right back and we are getting a lot of rain - too much is not good for the tropical milkweed. I tried a very weak solution (one drop of dishwashing liquid to a pint container) and it did not seem to work at all. If I use a little stronger solution, will it hurt the cats/eggs?

[Mona Miller]

Soapy solution can kill caterpillars and other benefical insects. I've had some luck cutting back the tops where the aphids seem to be more prolific.

Try soaking the soil with the soapy solution. You know they winter over in the soil.

[Mona Miller]

I was just thinking. The problem is that some of the aphids are winged so that they can fly right back on the plants and continue duplicating.

I read an account some where of someone putting their plant into a bucket of water to drown the aphids. I haven't tried this.

[Mona Miller]

http://www.northfortynews.com:80/News/2 ... erding.htm
Aphid herding: as sweet as manna from heaven

We wash them off the ants pick them up and take them to new plants.

[Vicki]

I have seven pots of milkweed and yellow aphids are a big problem. I've tried soap solution a few times but it doesn't seem to do one thing. The best way I've found to get rid of them is to cut the branches that have them and get rid of them! I've also used the smash em between your fingers technique and of course that works really well. It is just that you can't always smash them all!
I don't like the thought of using any type of pesticide as it could cause disease and death to the caterpillars. Could it be the generations of butterflies to follow could show some problems from pesticide spray or dip?

[Mona Miller]

Oleander Aphids. Try putting your pot of milkweed into a pot of water. If you don't have pots, then squishing is the best method, but you have to keep a check on them. They multipy very fast. As you mentioned, taking the top off is another good method. I have no idea what pesticides are doing to future generations of monarchs or people.

[Paul Cherubini]

Proper use of synthetic pesticides can help keep both the caterpillars and milkweed plants healthy. That's why professional commercial monarch breeders who rear 2,000-3,000 monarchs per week use Malathion and a few other synthetic pesticides on their milkweeds if necessary. If you don't want to use a synthetic pesticide then consider using a horticultural summer spray oil which has a smothering effect on the aphids, but is not as effective as Malathion. Most major nurseries carry such oils.

[Mona Miller]

All of those will kill the aphids, plus any Monarch life. They will kill everything on the plant. They also last several days, even weeks for some sensitive creatures like ladybugs. Someone had asked how pesticides are affecting the genetic makeup of insects? I know that they are making the mosquitoes more resistant.

[Vicki]

Thanks for the replies! I am not a professional monarch/money generating person. Just a backyard hobbyist. As far as Malathion goes...I wouldn't touch it. Too bad anyone has to resort to synthetic pesticides. I'm not in it for the money so that is not a resort for me to consider.

[sbannister]

I've been hosing the aphids off but they come right back and we are getting a lot of rain - too much is not good for the tropical milkweed. I tried a very weak solution (one drop of dishwashing liquid to a pint container) and it did not seem to work at all. If I use a little stronger solution, will it hurt the cats/eggs?

Well I am happy to report that my aphid problem is improved. I did the squishing and hosing for awhile which probably helped some. Then I noticed some ladybugs and their larva and eggs, so I let the aphids be for a while. The ladybugs now do the job and I have very few aphids. I am not a professional either, so I could afford to "wait and see" to avoid using a pesticide. Thanks, ladybugs!

[Mona Miller]

I raise many species of butterflies and moths for conservation, I do not use pesticides in my garden.

[Paul Cherubini]

A problem with lady bugs is they eat monarch eggs and small caterpillars as well as aphids. Below is what Edith Smith, owner of Shady Oak Butterfly Farm in Florida recommends for controlling aphids on milkweeds.

http://www.butterfliesetc.com/faqbutter ... faa9f60166
QUESTION: How can you control aphids on milkweed?

ANSWER: Monarch caterpillars are resistant to Malathion to a certain degree. Remove the caterpillars from your milkweed and spray the plant. Cover the plant for an hour (to keep butterflies off the plant) while the malathion does it's work. Uncover the milkweed and rinse well, preferably with a water sprinker on for an hour or so. Replace the caterpillars and they will safely continue to eat.

[Mona Miller]

Edith has a huge commercial farm. I'd tried to tell her that she is polluting her ground water, but she just won't listen. Not using pesticides is sometimes a hard thing to change. It is the responsible thing to do though because we should care about the future generations of children, butterflies, and other wildlife who will have to deal with how we are polluting our environment right now.

Try telling a smoker that tocacco will kill them. They will rationalize their use, but there are too many facts that state there is a connection. There is also a connect between pesticide use and cancers. Try telling a family that lost a 4 year old to cancer that you were just trying to kill a few aphids.

[sbannister]

Sure, the Ladybugs are going to get some eggs and small larva, but there is no way all the eggs are going to survive outside anyway, and I am not equiped to raise hundreds of cats at a time indoors. The most I bring inside are 10-12 at a time. I usually gather the eggs right after I see the female Monarch ovipositing.

I have to agree with Mona re: pesiticides. I wouldn't judge anyone who used them but I prefer not to and do try other methods of controlling pests. Another consideration is that the milkweed community ecosystem is balanced so only 1% or so survive in the wild. Rather than tilting the system radically with pesticide, I am just giving the Monarchs a little better survival rate by bringing some inside to rear.