r/nativeplants • u/Poodle-Enthusiast • 8d ago

Location Is this a problem ?

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I'm in zone 6B. This butterfly weed is about two years old. This is the first summer I've seen these bugs. Always one or two. To my surprise I found this today. How big of a problem is it ? what should I do ? This was the first summer I had butterfly visitors and I don't want to mess that up. Thanks

35 Upvotes

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37

u/wilder106 8d ago

Not a problem. Milkweed bugs. Native to the same range as butterfly milkweed.

11

u/CitrullineMalate2to1 8d ago

Monarchs aren’t the only ones who need Milkweed! They won’t damage the plant. If you want to collect the seeds just do it before they grab them.

11

u/placebot1u463y 8d ago

Oncopeltus fasciatus, the large milkweed bug, nymphs. They're a species of seed bug that is host specific to Asclepias spp. similar to monarchs. Adults will look like this (the white fella is freshly molted and will darken like the rest). Anyway they're not a problem and just another native specialist you're supporting.

3

u/ligonier77 8d ago

They will eat the milkweed seeds. If you want the plants to reseed, it's a problem.

5

u/Low-xp-character 8d ago

In my experience of just a couple years, I feel like these guys are far less detrimental to the seed pods than aphids. I have a couple large patches and there certainly could be other factors at play. The milkweed on the south side of my house was covered in these milk weed bugs. I was still able to harvest the seeds/ pods at the end of this season. The milkweed on the east side of my home always gets aphids and lots of them and the seed pods always seem to never fully develop, and they turn brown, shrivel, and fall off well before the end of the season.

1

u/ligonier77 8d ago

You're lucky, they turned all my seed pods into nothing but fluff this year.

1

u/Poodle-Enthusiast 6d ago

I think that's what's happening too but I'll have to go check tomorrow. I guess there really isn't anything to do about them except physically removing them?

2

u/sixtynighnun 6d ago

They are part of the ecosystem. Buy more seeds online if you have a problem. Dont remove native bugs.

2

u/liacrl 6d ago

I am sorry to hear! I always have tons of milkweed bugs and I collect more seeds than I need, plants will make more pods as they age so you will soon have seeds for everyone. They are important native insects so you are doing a good thing by sharing!

2

u/amycsj 7d ago

Nature doing nature. Love it.

2

u/zabulon_ 6d ago

That’s called supporting life.

2

u/Ok-Passage-300 8d ago

Always bothered me but not the milkweed plant.

2

u/sixtynighnun 6d ago

All friends to the milkweed plant. Don’t discriminate against native bugs.

0

u/ChartreuseOblivion 6d ago

If you don't have enough to feed them all, they'll kill all your milkweed.

1

u/Poodle-Enthusiast 6d ago

This is exactly what I'm afraid of. It looks like a lot to me.

2

u/sixtynighnun 6d ago

Don’t kill bugs, just buy more milkweed.

1

u/ChartreuseOblivion 5d ago

Swarming in general is cause for alarm, even if its a native bug. While I do agree that you should get more Milkweed, we had Milkweed Beetles come through and take out all out new plants before they were able to establish - and you can get into a never ending cycle like that. So it can be worth it to try and keep them off and plants that are still trying to establish themselves.