Inviting Syrphid Flies for Lunch!
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| Syrphrid Fly - Hover Fly |
How to best deal with Milkweed Aphids (Oleander aphids) which have a preference for Asclepias species (milkweed) has created a bit of a dilemma for sometime now.
As an aspiring organic farmer, applying pesticides is out of the question, besides it doesn’t make sense to raise native plants only to exterminate insects one attracts. In addition, there is risk of accidentally damaging butterfly eggs and larvae.
As an aspiring organic farmer, applying pesticides is out of the question, besides it doesn’t make sense to raise native plants only to exterminate insects one attracts. In addition, there is risk of accidentally damaging butterfly eggs and larvae.
In the past, I devised a strategy
which temporally outwitted those six legged beady-eyed, mustard colored aphids; I sold milkweed plants early in
the season, before they flowered. This provided a reasonable solution as
typically aphids infest our plants late in the summer. It quickly became apparent that
customers preferred purchasing plants in bloom, especially ones they were not
familiar with. Another possible course of action was to wipe down each
plant. Not only does that mask the problem, I honestly don’t have the time or
patience for it.