How can I get rid of the aphids w/out hurting the cats?

[JoAnn_B]

The latest milkweed I bought is covered with the yellow aphids.

I clean the leaves with bottled water and paper towels. Is there another way to get rid of the pests while leaving the plant safe for the caterpillars?

Thanks!

[psi_chemie]

Yes, take the plant outside and use a hose with adjustable hand nozzle to spray off the aphids.

[shelley]

I just cut what I am going to bring in the house to feed and wash it off by hand in the sink. More time consuming, but it cleans well and it was pouring outside when I had to get leaves. I had bought 2 more plants and put them right outside the garage door for easy access.

[mmmatthew]

I read somewhere plain rubbing alcohol kills aphids and flies
Will this harm the caterpillars?

[aphid]

As long as you know there aren't any monarch eggs on the leaf, why not just smash them with your finger?

I did this on a honey/sand/blue vine milkweed, and for the following weeks, I barely had any. It was quicker than using a spray bottle to knock them off. Why, is the residue from a smashed oleander aphid bad for a monarch caterpillar?

[aphid]

Grr, I should have mentioned in the previous reply. I read in the "Milkweed, Monarchs, and More" book, that black and brown (motionless and wingless) oleander aphids are parasite-ized, and will yield more aphid parasites, so best not to smash them. However, some of the oleander aphids generate wings and they are light brown (and active).

[Andrew]

I believe the ones with wings are males, and only appear late in the season. The males will mate with the females who will then lay fertile eggs, which will hatch the next spring.

Read that somewhere, but can't remember where.

[aphid]

(I'm not trying to make this a pissing contest. Just sharing what I've read.)

Everything that I've read has said the oleander is thought to have originated from somewhere in the mediterranean. As far as it exists in north america, it only exists as females, reproducing asexually.

"through a process called 'parthenogenesis' in which the production of offspring occurs without mating."

I suppose the winged ones could be males, but I thought I remember reading somewhere that the winged kind were also females.

[aphid]

I found this text here:

"It is thought that the oleander aphid is an obligate parthenogenetic species; thus the adult aphids are all female and males do not occur in the wild. Adult females may be winged or wingless. The winged adult females (alata) are yellow and black with dark wing veins while the wingless forms (apterae) are yellow with black cornicles, antennae, legs, and cauda (tip of abdomen)."

http://creatures.ifas.ufl.edu/orn/shrub ... _aphid.htm
http://woodypest.ifas.ufl.edu/images/oleande2.jpg

but if you look at the provided image, you can see two winged oleander aphids mounting two wingless oleander aphids.