Johnny's offers information, tools and supplies to help you prevent, identify, and control many pest and disease issues. Although i know some of the MW coming up is from last year. Pest resistance: very sensitive to one or more pests or diseases which can affect plant health or aesthetics. Whitefly is a common pest in western states, Hurts milkweed by sucking sap from leaves, Stop them by spraying leaves with water or using an insecticidal soap, Spray isopropyl alcohol on eggs and/or flies…this has worked well on our, Blow on them and they’ll fly away…but will likely return when the coast is clear. Euchaetes egle (order Lepidoptera, family Erebidae). I’ve tried everything & finally, I found something that works & wont harm my cats. Like monarch butterflies, large milkweed bugs sequester toxic cardiac glycosides from the milkweed plant. Other birds, rodents, wasps, parasitoids, dragonflies, mantids and even automobiles will kill or injure adult butterflies. These beneficial insects have voracious appetites and aphids are one of their favorite meals. The pests will die within a few days…. It is big enough to host a whole crop of caterpillars and the adults love the flowers. So far 3 years and not one caterpillar found but a new set of other bugs stopping by..
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Hi Colleen, the caterpillars should be able to find milkweed plants in close proximity. It has eaten all the flowers and leaves and has even been munching on the stems. Watch Reply. Pls advise.
Still not sure if I should feed the plant to the cats (not all leaves are affected). Mark unread; Skip to new; Mark unread Print Skip to new. by looking at my plants it looks like they are killing them! Views: 2235, Replies: 6 » Jump to the end. The other 5 plants show no signs of this.The kidlets compare them to tiny acorns. We don’t typically have Monarchs here until next fall but I still want to have them available. The plants grow to two- to four-feet-tall and flower from spring until fall. They prefer common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) but will settle for other milkweed species or even dogbane where common milkweed isn't common. There’s not a lot to know about milkweed bugs. He is happy in his ignorance. She lived only about a week. Like monarchs, they have many predators in the garden and can disappear very quickly.
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Hi Tony,
What will consume serious amounts of tiger milkweed caterpillars? Many gardeners choose to leave this insect alone, as it is part of the ecosystem. Is that the weevil doing that or just the way the milkweed is growing? Pests and Diseases. Thank you!!! The young plants coming up are drooping and dying. Only my 3rd year in this garden bee balm, black eyed susan, pye eyed joe, mums and a few other things. If spray drift is unlikely the cause, there are many different diseases that affect milkweed, including everything from fungi to viruses. So far, they all look fine.-
Hi Connie, it’s hard to say. What are these things? The red milkweed beetle is a longhorn beetle, so named for their unusually long antennae. Many gardeners choose to leave this insect alone, as it is part of the ecosystem. Matt.
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Hi Matt, there are insect pests and then there are also larger pests that can inflict instant damage like rabbits or deer. She is believed to have mated 60 times. It didn’t work; apparently, my ants like a jolt of caffeine.
However, I’ve managed to get the aphid problem under control, which was leading to the ant issue. Then you know your’re getting the variety that work well in your climate.
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My milkweed plants leaves are being completely stripped by a wormlike, 1/2″ long, black bristles sticking out and some orange on it. What can I do to save the 2 milkweeds and get rid of the insects? In fact, most fungal, bacterial and viral plant diseases are spread naturally by wind currents, rain, soil seeds, insects and other animals. I’ve heard from many gardeners this isn’t very effective. I will add more info about them to the page soon.
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I have planted my first ever milkweed plants that I raised from seeds in February. I’m in Southern California, so I guess this is common. It’s late in the season, should I just leave them or would it be best to get rid of them? It shares the orange and black color scheme of the large milkweed bug, but its marking is different. I am not sure which type I have of the milkweed, but I reside in zone 10 in San Diego, CA. I do notice munched leaves and some plants are looking skinny from the nibbles of leaves from the caterpillar. Rabbit/Chicken fencing might help, depending on who the culprit is…
When I plant the seeds about how many month do I need to keep it inside ? Oleander aphids (Aphis nerii) are probably the grand daddy milkweed pest of them all. In the garden, less than 5% of monarchs survive to reach butterhood, while the indoor rate can soar to above 90% if you have a good system in place…
Hi Tony,
I love the information you provide on your website. As specialized feeders, monarch caterpillars require a specific host plant—milkweeds—on which to feed. They have a luring fragrance that will make butterflies love your garden. The best advice you give is to plant as many milkweed plants as you can, keeping in mind that you should only plant species native to your area, so that there is enough for everyone. The it I am referring to is, of course, milkweed…the lifeblood of monarchs! They’re growing big & strong right now. If the current milkweed has been treated with systemic pesticides, the chemicals are inside the plant and can’t be rinsed off.
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Hi Gabby, I would try planting several milkweed species and spread them around a bit. In the case of animals, fencing is the best option if possible.
Thanks very much!
Colleen