Even found some very small ones!
Pretty sure they were mating.
I wetted my fingers and swiped piles and heaps of the yellow aphids off the plant stems, into a bowl of soapy water. But after a while there's a strong very unpleasant odor and coming back inside I feel sick for hours- nauseated and headache. I think from the odor that came off the milkweed leaves I couldn't help breaking. It is a toxic plant after all. Maybe next time I should wear gloves, but I don't think that will keep the scent from bothering me.
I saw nearby the lovage plant was also looking a bit poorly-
But looking close it's for a good reason- there's swallowtail caterpillars!
I don't mind sharing, as the lovage grows far more than I ever use it.
and of the pattern that makes my youngest exclaim: "it's pretending to be bird poop!" Yep. I have more photos but will post them tomorrow or another day.
2 comments:
My milkweed always attracts aphids in the late summer but they never bother anything else so I just leave them since the ladybugs come visiting. I have had lovage in my garden for years but it has never hosted swallowtail caterpillars. My pussytoes are frequent hosts for painted lady caterpillars though :) You got so many monarchs, that is fantastic!
Since I posted this picture, two of the milkweed plants are completely eaten up- sans leaves. The aphids are much fewer in numbers since I've been removing some nearly every day this week. I'd love to host painted lady caterpillars- I remember raising some of those as a kid from a science project we did (I think from a nature center program?) They're so pretty!
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