Yellow Aphids!!!

[skip fox]

This year when I grew 40 healthy milkweed plants for Monarch caterpillars, yellow aphids attacked the plants daily. I could keep them down by every day crushing them with my fingers (a sticky mess) but after I let them go for a week, they were on every plant and damned near every stem and leaf. I didn't want to use insecticide because I thought the Monarchs might still come.

So last week, I went out (thinking the Monarchs weren't coming this year--last year they had left by this time but the population got hammered in Mexico last winder so they didn't come until late) with a spray bottle of 1/4 soap to water. Somehow 5-6 Monarch caterpillars were on the milkweed plants along with thousands of aphids.

I sprayed and it killed many aphids, but I think it made the leaves inedible and the Monarch caterpillars weren't there when I checked 2 days later.

Does anyone know what I should do next year?

Help. How do I discourage the aphids without discouraging the Monarchs????

[bettyellen]

1. I'd look for advice on Dave's garden forum. They're good at that. Also Rodale has a good site that's

totally organic, but Daves has a lot of good forums

[Phoenix61]

2. Have you tried neem oil?

It's safe for pollinators and should do the trick on the aphids.

[Warpy]

3. Check for ants, too

Quite a few ant varieties are aphid farmers, meaning they distribute the aphids all over the place and feed on the sticky residue they leave on stems. The best way to deal with aphids or any other non flying small pest is with a hard spray from a garden hose. Once you knock the pests off the plant, they'll be to soggy and discouraged to make the enormous hike back to the garden. You'll also get rid of the sticky, sugary stuff the ants feed on, so the ants will be lesa attracted to the garden and maybe more attracted to weeds like poke and jewel weed instead of your tomatoes.

And if you track the aphid farmer ants back to their nest, some boiling water down the hole will take care of them.

[skip fox]

9. I've looked often for ants

but have never seen then.

[lapfog_1]

4. Don't ladybugs love to eat aphids?

and I remember something about coffee (spray or grounds) that discourage aphids. google tells me the coffee grounds are a myth... sigh.

[Laffy Kat]

7. A lot of garden stores sell ladybugs.

I guess you'd just let them go on the garden with the problem and if there's a food sources there they'll hang out 'til it's gone.

[Eko]

5. Maybe this?

Natural Aphid Control with Aphid Hunter Wasps
"Ditch the carcinogenic pesticides and follow natures model with biological aphid control. Many of you probably know that ladybird beetles aka lady bugs and their larvae eat aphids but did you know that there are several other insects you can attract to your garden that just as eagerly devour those pesky aphids?"
https://steemit.com/gardening/@jetjockey/natural-aphid-control-with-aphid-hunter-wasps

[Donkees]

6. 5 second video:

I think a soft brush attachment would work better

[skip fox]

8. That's them, alright,

but probably too many to vacuum.

Looks like it's worth a try, as many of the other suggestions.

[LeftInTX]

10. Unfortunately any chemical, neem, soap etc will discourage caterpillars

You can apply soap when monarchs aren't around. A hard stream of water can help dislodge them.

https://monarchjointventure.org/resources/faq/aphids-on-milkweed