Milkweed Pests

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amybunny Alexandria, VA(Zone 7a) Feb 22, 2018

Hi all,

I love growing milkweed, and have both the orange “butterfly weed” Asclepias tuberosa and “swamp milkweed” Asclepias incarnata. They both grow well. However, the past 2 years I have struggled with pests stripping them bare in late August or so. Until then, I am able to keep them mostly at bay. Last year was the worst, with all my milkweed becoming infested with both oleander aphids and the swamp milkweed leaf beetle. I couldn’t keep up with them and they decimated my milkweed.

My question... since these plants were so infested, should I pull my current plants and start fresh crops in a different location? Or just take stronger measures? I like to raise the monarchs so am hesitant to use any pesticides.

Thanks so much for any advice. I live in zone 7a in northern VA.

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Handroanthus Lynnwood, WA Feb 22, 2018

That’s a tough call. You may opt to leave the current planting and plant a new crop elsewhere. Your current planting may be just enough to feed the pests or a new planting may just bring more pests. Do you have other flowering plants to draw in more beneficial insects which could In turn strike the balance? Have you looked into lacewings and potentially buying and releasing them in your garden? There are both green and brown lacewings and Virginia Tech has used them in research to control fruit tree problems. Finally, if you could keep up with the aphids you could use a soapy water mixture and a spray bottle 10% dish soap

This message was edited Feb 22, 2018 4:25 PM

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amybunny Alexandria, VA(Zone 7a) Feb 22, 2018

Thank you, Handroanthus,

With the soap mixture, would that effect the monarch caterpillars or other insects? I’ll also look into specific plants and the lacewings.

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Handroanthus Lynnwood, WA Feb 22, 2018

Yes it is likely that the soap mixture would be an irritant for the caterpillars. So you will want to consider some other options. Perhaps the use of additional plants to draw more beneficial insects to your garden as well as releasing some beneficial insects to help balance the populations would be the better route.

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treckymom77 Saint Augustine, FL Aug 09, 2021

Is this what I am seeing on my plants that is being discussed above?
I am hoping you can help me identify what is happening on my butterfly bush. One leaf will be wrapped around what looks like a long reddish-brown string of perfectly laid out seeds and then all but closed with white gossamer threads. the stalk below this will be wilting and dying back. I'm new to Florida and am seeing lots of new things happening to some familiar plants.

Thumbnail by treckymom77
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