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Category: Insects

Milkweed, a Caterpillar, and Lots of Aphids

Last week I noticed that my milkweed wasn’t looking quite right. The lower leaves were turning yellow and dropping. And most of the flowers had gone missing. The heat of the past days?

Milkweed and aphids

I took a quick look and one of the problems seemed to be aphids. When I was nearly finished spraying the aphids, I saw a caterpillar. Concerned that I might have accidentally sprayed the caterpillar, I gave the it a bit of a shower. Shortly after its shower, the caterpillar began to move quickly down the stem. And then it seemed to disappear.

Caterpillar

I looked for it for three days. Couldn’t find it until maybe today. I found this caterpillar in the same location.

Caterpillar

Coincidence or the same caterpillar?

I would like to believe that it is the same caterpillar. That the spray that I used on the milkweed had not harmed it. And it appears that the caterpillar loves the milkweed flowers.

Caterpillar

Unfortunately, the spray didn’t take care of the aphid problem. This is what I found today.

Aphids

Gosh there are a lot of them, but it is interesting that the bodies are yellow with black legs.

Previous posts on Milkweed and caterpillars–

Monarch Caterpillars and Milkweed

Milkweed and Ants

Aphids and Other Damage

Recently noticed that this plant had aphids.

Plant with Aphids

Aphids

I sprayed the plant with a solution of 8 ounces of water, 8 ounces of alcohol, and 1 tablespoon of Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Castile Soap.

Succulent Damage

After the Application of Alcohol/Soap Solution

Other Damaged Plants

Succulent Damage

A ding and Suntan

Succulent Damage

Leaf Tip Damage

Succulent Damage

Sun Damage and More

Succulent Damage

Accidentally bumped this plant and two section fell off. But that isn’t really damage.
It is one way succulents can be propagated.

Succulent Damage

Popped the two pieces in the ground. Now I wait for them to root.

Milkweed and Ants

I visited a friend’s garden on November 1, 2016 to look at his milkweed plants covered with Monarch caterpillars.

Monarchs on Milkweed

While there I collected milkweed seed pods.

Milkweed Seed pods

On November 3, 2016, I popped some of the seed in soil and today two of the plants are blooming.

Ants on Milkweed

Curious why there are ants. Need to take a better look. It doesn’t appear that there is some other insect activity which is often the case. Ants are known for herding aphids for their honeydew.

My hope is that the milkweed can help the Monarch population. Recently I saw a sign posted at a local nursery that stated the exotic milkweed should be cut to the ground in the fall to prevent protozoan infection by Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE).

To read about the possibility of attempting to do something good that could have unwanted consequences, check out the Monarch Joint Venture site.

Post Written on Day of Planting

Casemaking Again

I am in the process of making a trellis for the courtyard wall. It will be similar to the trellis on the wall that wraps around the corner. I needed a piece of 1″ fence to use as a support for the vertical bamboo pieces.

Trellis

I found a piece of fence that was to have been used in a project with cotton twine. The cut bits are sharp unless they are ground down, so the edge was taped until a border was attached.

Taped Fence

When I flipped the piece of fence over, I noticed casemaking moths attached to the tape. For insects that are supposed to be particularly fond of animal fiber, they sure seem to show up on loads of surfaces.

Casemaking

Not sure if they are alive. Seeing them did remind me to try placing items that may have been exposed to casemaking moths in the trunk of the car. An entomologist that I met while hiking, mentioned exposing the casemaking moths to the heat in the car over a period of a couple of weeks. He seemed to think the exposure should kill all forms of the casemaking cycle.

I do not like killing anything, but the casemaking moths can’t seem to stay outside, away from my studio work and sweaters. Frustrating, but not the bane of my existence.