Bugs on milkweed

This is only the second year that I have grown milkweed. Last year, there were no pests on my milkweed. This year that aphids have found them. I decided to leave the aphids alone, since I had read that they don't hurt the catepillars, and I didn't want to use chemicals on the plants, but now I have another bug that I am not familiar with.

I'm not sure that these orange bugs are. Do they eat aphids? Are they eating the milkweed? And most importantly, will they harm the cats? I have at least a dozen catepillars that I need to protect.

Here's another shot.

Here's the last picture.

i think that's some kind of milkweed bug. i doubt they will hurt the cats. see if you find yours here. http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=milkweed+bug&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2

This message was edited Sep 14, 2008 11:27 AM

Tracks,

This is the one that they look like. It is the right one on the second row of the link that you posted. Do I need to do anything?

i don't think so. i would ask on the pest forum just to be sure. also, someone on this forum will know, i'm sure. it seems you could hardly do anything to stop them without injury to the cats, so i would let them be.

The aphids become the milkweed bugs, I'm pretty sure. I've read that they eat the seedpods so I cut them off as much as I can. Also, you can just take a hose and put it on jet spray and blast them off. Just make sure there are no caterpillars in the way first.

Melanie

no, aphids are aphids and milkweed bugs are bugs, unless i'm hugely mistaken.