Got weed?

[Beeman]

We humans may not like it but the monarch caterpillars love the milk weed. With dish boy taking a break on me.

 

[Orggrwr]

They sure do

 

[Pyrokill]

I just check some of my pets also, good numbers this year. I usually find a handful of the caterpillars but this year I've found way more. Hopefully they are doing better each year. I've been saving seeds and passing them out to help spread some of the weed for a lot of years now. I sprout them in the winter grow tent and plant seedlings each year also.

Now if I can find a way to keep the aphids and what I think are boxelders off the plants I'd be in better shape. Some plants didn't have mature seed pods and I'm thinking the aphid numbers have something to do with it.

 

[Beeman]

I just check some of my pets also, good numbers this year. I usually find a handful of the caterpillars but this year I've found way more. Hopefully they are doing better each year. I've been saving seeds and passing them out to help spread some of the weed for a lot of years now. I sprout them in the winter grow tent and plant seedlings each year also.

Now if I can find a way to keep the aphids and what I think are boxelders off the plants I'd be in better shape. Some plants didn't have mature seed pods and I'm thinking the aphid numbers have something to do with it.

Yes Every year the aphids seem to like the milkweed I’m not sure how to keep them off perhaps I should look into getting some ladybugs to cut them back? I have also grown from seed the orange milkweed butterfly weed. The aphids don’t seem interested in the orange. But have not seen caterpillars on those but the all pollinators bombas,honey bees and and other bees like them.