Nature’s


Balance


Restoring Equilibrium when Aphids Invade Milkweeds


by Clement Kent M


any of us grow milkweed to help monarch   you’ve grown it in the last 10 years you might   


bright orange oleander aphids on the milkweed’s fresh top        pollinator fans do get upset by this, especially if the top shoots begin to wilt – though this is rare. Some will reach for a spray bottle. One big drawback about spraying your plants with any-


thing except water is that you might accidentally kill monarch eggs or caterpillars. Even a mild soap spray can kill infant monarchs.


So, what do you do? In many parts of the country, the


answer is “Wait!- sistance in the form of tiny “parasitoid” wasps. These ex- tremely small wasps hunt aphids, lay an egg inside them, and, like in “Alien,” a new wasp eventually hatches from the skin of an aphid. Take a close look at your aphids with a magnifying lens or a cell phone camera. Do you spot some of them swelling up into a rounder shape than her sisters, and turning brown or black? Whoopee! You’re watching nature regain her balance.


These waspish ladies will hatch from their cocoons with- in the aphid’s skin (Puts a whole new spin on dressing for


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