Comments for
bright orange with black spots, (Milkweed Bugs)

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Aide to removing milkweed bugs
by: Pat in PA

I have raised butterfly weed for years, used to have many cats. but since milkseed bug started visiting, not so many even though plenty of moms are laying eggs. I don't like those red and black bugs so use my dustbuster and vac. them off. Works great!
Large milkweed bugs
by: Moni

Linda
Milkweed bugs just suck juices out of the plant not aphids. Perhaps the wonderful beneficials in your garden ate the aphids. Lady beetles and their larva eat them and parasitic wasps lay eggs in them.

Aphids can transmit some plant diseases but I do not think they can transmit rust. It was probably due to the temperature and moisture conditions in your garden that helped the rust to develop.
beetles eating aphids?
by: Linda

I wondered if the bugs were eating the aphids. I had a huge problem with aphids and when the beetles showed up, the aphids were gone. Could anything like the beetles be causing the spots and rusty color turning up on my milkweed?
no monarchs
by: Becki

Moni -

Thanks for the information. I will try that. There are lots of milkweed bugs on the seed heads.

Becki
Large milkweed bugs
by: Moni

Becki
The best way to get rid of the milkweed bugs without affecting the plant should there be monarch eggs on your plants, is to knock them off into a bucket of soapy water.
Usually the milkweed bugs are on the seed heads which makes them easier to get to...you could cut the seed heads off also and put them in the soapy water or a plastic bag.
Monarch butterflies usually lay eggs on the leaves not the seed heads. Also Monarchs will usually lay eggs on the more tender leaves in the area not the old tough leaves.
no monarchs
by: Anonymous (Becki)

Thank you for your information. Is there a way to get rid of the milkweed bug in a non-toxic way? I have neighbors who are finding monarch eggs and caterpillars on their milkweed, but they don't have the milkweed bug infestation. Thanks, again
Large milkweed bugs
by: Moni

Anonymous
The milkweed bugs do not eat monarch eggs...they only feed on the milkweed plant.
Due to severe storms this past winter in Mexico where the monarch butterflies overwinter, there are fewer monarchs around this year.
Here is a great website to learn more about monarchs...what they eat, where they go in winter, etc
http://monarchwatch.org/
no monarchs
by: Anonymous

Could these bugs be eating monarch eggs? I'm growing the milkweed to attract monarchs, but never see them, but I do see lots of orange bugs with black spots on the milkweed. Thanks
Milkweed bugs
by: Moni

Katie
The silkweed is another common name for milkweed...the seeds inside the pods have silky fuzz that carry the seeds in the wind off to find a spot to grow. We would all have to use scientific names to get around all the common names there are for plants. The scientific names are Latin and universal around the globe. The scientific genus name for the various milkweed, silkweed, and butterfly weeds is Asclepias.

Found several of these on my milkweed pods this week, also. They move to the other side of the stem/pod if they see your shadow hovering over them.
Glad we could help!
New bug to my eyes and new weed
by: Katie

I have found this, new to my eyes, bugs on the silk weed pods. At least that is what one of my friends said the vine is as I didn't plant it here in my yard I did not know the name of the bug or the weed. Thanks for your info.
Thanks again Moni!
by: Carol

That's good news.
Milkweed bugs
by: Moni

That's right they will not do permanent damage, especially at this time of year. If they were there when it starts to flower they could damage the flower head. But you will not loose the plants from the little feeding they do.
thanks for the information
by: Carol

Thanks Moni. After your identification, I did some reading on these little critters and they seem to be pretty harmless. Since the plants die back each winter, am I right in assuming they will do no permanent damage? They are really pretty cool looking!
Milkweed bug nymphs
by: Moni

Carol
You have milkweed bug nymphs (youngsters) on your butterfly weed(which is in the milkweed family). They feed by sucking juices out of the plant and since milkweed is not of 'economic' value they are not considered a pest. Because this is a nymph it is not easy to know if it is a small or large milkweed bug. It does also resemble the boxelder bug nymph, but since it is feeding milkweed we know it is the milkweed bug. The adults are also reddish orange and black and are very striking in color.

Only special insects can feed on milkweed as the plant contains toxins. These toxins give any insect that feeds on this plant protection from predators. Other insects that might feed on butterfly weed would be monarch caterpillars or milkweed tiger moth caterpillars.
Thanks for the great photo!

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