HELP -red spider mites or rust fungus on Milkweed leaves?

[ButterflyLady_IL]

HELP WANTED, I have for the first time an infestation of red spider mites or some kind of rust spots on the underside of common milkweed leaves.
The leaves get almost completed covered over the space of a few days. Then dry on the stem, and fall off.
Sorry I don't have a digital camera to give you a "look see".
What can be done to stop or halt the spread?
Eggs hatch and small caterpillars don't seem to be bothered- BUT the plant is loosing it's vigor and no large cats are on the plants with this problem. Only on the cleaner plants.
I don't want this to spread to the other plants.
Any help appreciated.
Thanks,

[Mona Miller]

Rust is a fungal disease that attacks the leaves and turns them rusty brown in late summer. Mildew turns the leaves grayish-white. You can help prevent both rust and mildew by spacing plants to allow good air circulation after they are full grown. This might make them look a little sparse when first planted, but they quickly fill-in.

Rust: It usually looks like leaf spotting that's followed by small masses of rust-colored powder on the leaves. Infected leaves die by the end of the season.

Fungal diseases: To avoid fungal diseases, prune plants to encourage good air flow, water at the base of the plant to keep the foliage dry, and mulch the soil around the plants. Dispose of leaves by throwing them into the garbage, do not compose the leaves because the disease will winter over in the compose pile.

If your other plants are not diseased and you continue to have problems you can either throw the diseased plant away or spray it with a fungicide.

http://www.planetnatural.com/site/safer ... icide.html
Fungicides

[freda]

Hi ButterflyLady! I just TODAY read a reference on Shady Oak Butterfly Farm's web site, to red spider mites! (Also aphids, which were a serious problem on the asclepias I planted just before we left Florida)

http://butterfliesetc.com/aaspidermites.php

Worth reading....

Freda

[Mona Miller]

I noted at the end of that webpage that they talk about using Malathion at their farm. One thing that I do not recommend is any use of Malathion, if one is serious about butterfly gardening. Butterflies are incredibly sensitive to pesticides.