Treating bright orange aphids on milkweed isn’t always needed, but these monarch-safe methods can help.
What Are Milkweed Aphids?
Are Aphids on Milkweed Harmful?
Credit:Annie Otzen / Getty Images
If youregrowing milkweed for monarchsand are worried that aphids will interfere with monarch caterpillars, dont fret.
These two species usually coexist just fine.
Milkweed aphids are typically much less damaging to monarchs than pest control treatments, including organic treatment protocols.
Credit: Bob Stefko
This task can get messy, so put on gardening gloves before you jump in.
Rinse the plants with water.
Washing milkweed plants with a strong blast from the garden hose can dislodge milkweed aphids and reduce heavy infestations.
Experiment with companion plants.
Rely on beneficial insects.
Just know that they may not stick around.
Healthy milkweed plants can withstand an invasion of aphids.
Milkweed aphids taste foul to many predatory insects because of the compounds they ingest from the milkweed plants.
