I have several asclepias which are infested with aphids. The plants are in and amongst my roses which are just now leafing out. The asclepias are also full of big healthy monarch larvae. Does anyone know how I can get rid of the aphids without hurting the monarch larvae???? The larvae don't seem to be eating the aphids. I don't want the rose growth eaten by aphids!
What to do, what to do...HELP !!!!!
JD
How do I save Monarch larvae????
JD - I can only tell you what I did in a similar situation. I took the larva in to my screened in porch in a big plastic bin, fed them fresh milkweed leaves on some stems and cleaned out the bin daily so the waste did not accumulate. When they got big enough, they climbed the screen to hang and form chrysallises. They all emerged safely and then I carried them outside.
I don't know of anything other than just pinching them or rinsing with a spray of water that will kill the aphids and not the cats, but maybe somebody else does.
Good luck, Sheila
There is nothing that you can spray that will kill aphids and not monarch cats. I've found that the orange aphids that eat the milkweed don't bother my other plants, if that helps.
Neither will they harm the cats. I just squish them. When they come back, squish them, too!
John
Thanks to all who responded to my dilemma. I really appreciate it!
Heres what I did...
I collected all the larvae and put them in a clean bucket. Then I hosed off all the aphids, let the plants dry and put the larvae back on the plants. They seem happy and the aphids are gone...I hope !!!
JD
Yeah JD!!!!
;)
JD, the aphids shouldn't hurt your roses. I planted asclepias in my rose bed to draw the aphids aways from the roses. They will munch and munch the milkweed to the exclusion of your roses, they won't hurt the milkweed or the cats, and they will attract ladybugs.
I guess I just assumed that since there were aphids on the asclepias they would move on to the roses. I think Callalily is right. These aphids are orange. Normally I find the GREEN aphids on the roses. I didn't know that the different color ones ate different plants. Good to know and keep an eye on.
Thanks, Maggiemoo, Callalily, 2 Dumb(love that name !!!!), Sheilalarry and sugarweed.
Does this mean I just commited aphidicide???? lol
JD
I have this same problem every year. I don't mind some aphids on the milkweed, but when the number aphids start to threaten the food source of the caterpillars, I get out a paper towel and wipe the aphids off.
I've also had orange beetles and tussock moth caterpillars on my asclepias as well.
Last year I had too many caterpillars on my milkweed. I only have three asclepias incarnarta plants. And we had a drought last year, so they did not get as big or as leafy as they normally do. I had over twenty caterpillars plus thousands of aphids and my plants were down to a few twigs and couple of leaves.
I do have a few asclepias tuberosa, but the monarch caterpillars did not care for those. So i went and gathered a bunch of asclepias speciosa from a nearby road ditch. I was able to feed the rest of the caterpillars with a bouquet of common milkweed in a bucket of water until they formed their chrysalis...
I have started putting the caterpillars in insect containers just before they are aready to make a chrysalis... so I can make sure they hatch.
I think we hatched about fifteen monarchs last year.
Dear Joe...
Now I have another problem with the monarch larvae/aphid situation.: Today I noticed several birds carrying off the larvae...if in fact I DO collect the larvae and quarantine them how do you know when they are ready to form their chrysalis' ???????? Somehow the darn birds discovered the larvae and I'm afraid they will eventually eat all of them!!!!!
JD
Oh no! That is what happens unless you want to bring them inside to raise. I usually start snatching mine up as soon as I find them to avoid this, but I like raising them inside too.
You'll need a quick cage for them unless you are very handy and can build one. You can try and cover the milkweed where the cats are, if that's possible. If you have a tomato cage you can put that over the plant and cover it with a fine netting. You could just move all the cats to the plants that will be covered and move it when they start dwindling.
If you want to bring them inside you can get a pop-up type hamper or basket that's mesh and put something over the top of it if it doesn't have a lid. The Monarchs are going to attach to whatever is on top tho. The only bad thing about bringing them totally indoors is that you need a good supply of milkweed since you are going to be cutting it down. They don't do well just eating leaves laying flat.
Just a few ideas...
Paige
So true! I'm hoping I'll have enough milkweed for them this year! Monarchs don't always come to lay eggs here in spring, so may be late summer before those caterpillars are here. Queens, however, show up here in early summer so the milkweeds will be used by some caterpillars about then. I put in a new raised bed for milkweed right by the back door. Very convenient for me to water and also to watch for visiting butterflies.
I was so disappointed, I had a huge stand of milkweed (asclepias tuberosa) coming on strong, then we had a harde freeze one night and freezing temps at night for the next 4 days while I was out of town. They look like mush now, I'm hoping they'll still come up from the roots. :-(
It is so sad to see it turn to mush. I guess those up North don't have much sympathy for us tho. lol I can never remember which milkweed is which. Some plants are mislabeled and that added to my confusion. What color flowers does yours have? I have the Mexican Milkweed which might be the tuberosa. It has red, yellow, and orange flowers and mine came back last year. woohoo! I had a lot of babies too so even if they don't it reseeds enough.
I am beginning to see lots of newly emerged Monarchs !!! Yea!!!!!
I guess my efforts paid off thanks to all the advice from everyone...
I just can't figure out WHERE they spun their cocoons...I never saw any...(must be a secret !!!)
Isn't nature amazing !!!!
Maggie, A. tuberosa is hardy, it will come back from the roots but can be a bit slow to emerge. A. currasavica is the Mexican milkweed. It blooms the first year from seeds. I have seeds for the yellow one if you need them. They look great mixed with zinnias.