My family and I recently went for a walk through the UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden. There are beautiful gardens and tree groves where you can reconnect with nature and see others also enjoying the space.  There is also signage throughout the gardens with information about the trees and plants, which are native to California and other parts of the world.

We spent most of our time wandering around the beautiful California Native Plant Garden.  There was a gentle breeze that carried a fragrant scent from the surrounding sage plants.  We came across some students who were excited to pet our dogs, Suzy and Buster. One young man told us that he has two border collies at home that he dearly misses, a reminder of the homesick feeling I also had when I went off to college… made us smile!

We continued our walk, and I was excited to see what seemed like a forest of Milkweed (Asclepias) plants! This discovery was exciting to me since the Milkweed plant is essential habitat for Monarch butterflies.  The Monarch butterflies are currently listed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species as Endangered.

I kept an open eye to hopefully spot a Monarch butterfly but did not see any in the area. However, I did notice some bright, black and orange bugs on many of the leaves and plant buds.  Some of the bugs were up to ¾ inch long and the small ones looked like bright orange aphids (as pictured here).

I did some research to find information on these colorful bugs and it turns out that they are actually called “Milkweed bugs” (Oncopeltus fasciatus).  I also learned that the Milkweed bugs do not cause damage to the plant, unless there is an infestation, or interfere with the Monarch population cycles.

If you see Milkweed bugs on your Milkweed plants, here are a few things to consider: 

• First, avoid using harmful pesticides that can destroy the monarchs.
• Consider early prevention by cleaning up debris during the Fall, and removing habitation needed for winter survival.
• If the bugs are not causing problems for the plants or Monarchs, there is no need for action since they are also part of a healthy local ecosystem.
• If you have a minor infestation, blast them off with a water hose or pick them off by hand.
• If there is a huge infestation, avoid chemical pesticides and instead consider insecticidal soaps that may help.

There is always something new to learn from a pleasant day of walking. I encourage you to plant and grow some Milkweed plants in your garden. Here is a link from Xerces Society about milkweed propagation and restoring Monarch habitat:  https://xerces.org/monarchs.