08/31/2026
Milkweeds / Asclepias genus plants and even some vines in the Dogbane family feed more than just Monarch butterflies... and today we are going to discuss the value of "the others" a bit.
Oleander aphids are first up... because they are a great sign of whether your milkweed you are purchasing has been sprayed with insecticides or not. Oleander aphids are a nonnative insect that seems to have naturalized. If you put a Milkweed outdoors, you are bound to meet them first. Aphids suck sap from plants, rarely destroying well established plants, but feeding an incredible abundance of carnivorous insect larva--Ladybug Beetles, Green Lacewing larvae, Hoverfly/Syrphid Fly larva, and tiny, parasitoid wasps are commonly observed aphid predators. Aphids are very low on the food chain... and feed a lot more, including Hummingbirds! But aphids do obtain some protections from the plant. One study revealed aphids that fed on Tropical Milkweed eaten by Ladybugs reduced the reproductive rate of Ladybugs, which seems like it would slow this natural balancing mechanism... and also that foreign toxins can have really difficult to perceive effects that even cascade down the food chain.
And then there are the Milkweed Bugs... and this species seems to feed on flowers and seed pods--so they can certainly be problematic for people growing milkweed commercially or focussed on seed production. We have not personally witnessed a Milkweed bug being eaten ever... but a member of the community shared our favorite spider, the Regal Jumping Spider, feeding on one.
For those trying to produce seeds, we recommend covering seed pods with drawstring Organza bags for protecting some of these if it is your goal.
When humans center themselves, friending one life form and demonizing everything else perceived (accurately or inaccurately) as competition or predatory, this mindset arises. Yet the controlled research shows Monarchs having higher survival rates with more insects on the plants... highlighting the concept of predator dilution--more options available spreads predation to other species. Think of it like eating at a buffet--many options to choose from, and you might select the things you like in greater abundance, but you will probably eat some of the other options as well and not just eat the food you like most entirely and exclusively.
