Have you considered voles. They don't attack my milkweed but I hear they will eat nearly anything.

Penny

I don't have much of a taste for it, even though it's poisonous. You'd think a person who developed a taste for cigarettes would find other poisons equally attractive, but not me.

Seriously- it's most likely monarch butterfly caterpillars that are eating your milkweed. You'd think a bug with black and white stripes would stick out like a sore thumb, but they are very hard to spot on the plants.

Renee

Well, I don't know about biting the stems off, but if your leaves are stripped,most likely the Monarch caterpillar is your culprit. That's their main food and I'm glad they found some at your place. If you want to help the Monarchs, plant more asclepias, especially the native asclepias group.

wow- thanks, renee and gypsy. good news if it IS monarch caterpillars, and i would be thrilled because that's exactly why i planted them!
i can't imagine why i haven't ever seen any caterpillars on the plants tho, because they were always bright and very visible on the wild milkweed in the southeast. we would keep an eye on them and eventually watch them hatch. this morning i will go out and really search for any chrysalis(eses)(ii?) in the area.

yes these are native asclepias and i will plant some more, unless i discover that i am feeding some unwanted critter. min

I am having the same problem, milkweed only, cut it clean like a knife

I have discovered that gophers love narrow leaf milkweed and they have just about eaten it all.