A profusion of milkweed bugs (Oncopeltus fasciatus) congregates on dwarf gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides ‘Radicans’).
N. Jordan Franklin, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson Extension
When I started this series of K.I.S.S. gardening advice, I hoped to inspire those who didn’t know where to begin gardening and those who may have lost joy in their gardening pursuits. After all, there are plenty of things to worry about these days, and gardening should not be one of them. Gardening should provide a respite and an escape from our screen technology culture. So let’s take the advice of Willie Nelson’s boy, Lukas, and “Turn off the news and build a garden.”
While gardening can be therapeutic and relaxing, pests stress plants (and gardeners) from time to time. Imbalances and deficiencies in a garden ecosystem often cause disease and insect pests. Just as people living in a healthy environment, eating a balanced diet, and exercising will have few health problems, the same is true for plants. Improving the soil, choosing the right plant for the right place, proper planting techniques, and appropriate maintenance practices all contribute to healthy plants. But still, from time-to-time pests occur.
The past few summers, I’ve had outbreaks of milkweed bugs on my butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa). It is distressing to see hundreds of orange and black insects covering every butterfly weed in my garden. Most pest insects are kept in check by natural insect predators. However, due to the cardenolide toxins milkweed bugs accumulate in their bodies by feeding on milkweeds, insect predators do not eat them, so they multiply.
Milkweed bugs love to suck sugar-rich fluid from butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa) seed pods in the late summer.
N. Jordan Franklin, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson Extension
My garden is built to attract beneficial insects. I occasionally use neem oil and insecticidal soap to control insect pests in the vegetable garden. But I don’t want to spray those on my milkweed, just in case Monarch butterfly eggs are present. Instead, I got a bucket, added water and dish detergent, and set to shaking milkweed bugs into the soapy concoction. I dispatched hundreds of milkweed bugs without an insecticide in about 15 minutes.
Milkweed bugs (and many other insects) do not fare well against soapy water in a bucket.
N. Jordan Franklin, ©2022 HGIC, Clemson Extension
My point is this: It is not necessary (or sustainable) to take extreme measures to control garden pests. Are there times when something stronger may be needed? Sure. But start with healthy plants, progress to manually removing insects and using less toxic pesticides, and save the synthetic stuff for emergencies. Following this advice, will make these emergencies fewer and far between.
Visit HGIC 1721, Incorporating Beneficials Into the Gardeners Toolkit, and HGIC 2770, Less Toxic Insecticides, for more information about garden-friendly pest control.
