My big patch of milkweed is completly covered in aphids, and its so sad, the monarchs wont lay eggs because of the ants that are farming the aphids.

Same here in Florida. My milkweed is decimated by milkweed beetles and aphids. I have so many Monarchs flying around but they are not laying.

Jane

i did start a thread "what's on my milkweed". Since you all have plenty of aphids I was wondering if you have noticed new weird critters, too. With the help of the people here, I think they are hoverfly larvae. After years of aphids it's the first time I have those.

It's my fourth year for milkweeds of various types and I have yet to see aphids on them this year. It's still a bit early, but in seasons past at least the swamp milkweeds were already starting to be attacked by this point. Each year it's been a little better. Last year I saw none on the butterflyweed.

My theory is that having lots of other native plants around the milkweeds, all filling in a little more each year, has helped build up a population of aphid predators. I see all sorts of tiny insects like hoverflies, long-legged flies, lady beetles, etc. throughout the season on the milkweeds and the plants around them.

I haven't removed/killed aphids except in a couple of cases where they were getting so bad all the way down the stems so that the plant looked to be in danger (hosed them off). I avoid doing things that would encourage a flush of tender growth -- no fertilizer or pruning or additional water unless it gets very droughty.

More help is on the way! At least these were easy to figure out.

Woohoo - lacewing eggs! Great!

After happily reporting a few weeks ago that a lady bug had eaten all the aphids off my milkweed, I have to report that my MW is as covered in aphids as the rest of yours. I'll probably hose them off soon - I've delayed putting any more water on my waterlogged plants.

Sherry