Posts Tagged: Oleander aphids

Will Milkweed Bugs Eat Aphids?

Yes, they will! Milkweed bugs gained the nickname of "seed eaters" for primarily eating the seeds of milkweed. Actually, they are opportunistic and...

Yes, milkweed bugs feed on oleander aphids. This is a large milkweed bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus) with an aphid. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Yes, milkweed bugs feed on oleander aphids. This is a large milkweed bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus) with an aphid. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Hey, I'm Eating as Fast as I Can!

Have you ever seen the larva of a lady beetle (aka ladybug) dining on an aphid? Lights! Camera! Action! So here is this charming little immature...

An immature lady beetle (larvae) chowing down on an oleander aphid. This photo was taken on a milkweed plant in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

An immature lady beetle (larvae) chowing down on an oleander aphid. This photo was taken on a milkweed plant in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A well-fed adult lady beetle (aka ladybug) ignores a fat Oleander aphid. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A well-fed adult lady beetle (aka ladybug) ignores a fat Oleander aphid. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Enemy of the Gardener

Aphids, don't you just hate them? Especially those oleander aphids that suck the very lifeblood out of our milkweed plants that we're struggling to...

Oleander aphids clustering on a milkweed stem. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Oleander aphids clustering on a milkweed stem. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Aphids magnified on a Leica DVM6 microscope, operated by Lynn Epstein, UC Davis emeritus professor of plant pathology.

Aphids magnified on a Leica DVM6 microscope, operated by Lynn Epstein, UC Davis emeritus professor of plant pathology.

Wash Their Mouths Out With Soap

We're not the only ones "celebrating" the first week of spring. The oleander aphids are doing a happy dance on our milkweed plants. We think they're...

Oleander aphids absolutely love tender milkweed plants. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Oleander aphids absolutely love tender milkweed plants. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Close-up of an army of aphids on milkweed. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Close-up of an army of aphids on milkweed. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

How Small Is Small?

Sometimes in a world of towering skyscrapers, jumbo jets and warehouses big enough to hold a small planet--or at least a state the size of...

A lady beetle, a monarch caterpillar and an infestation of oleander aphids. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A lady beetle, a monarch caterpillar and an infestation of oleander aphids. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

An oleander aphid on "the nose" of a monarch caterpillar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

An oleander aphid on "the nose" of a monarch caterpillar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

An oleander aphid on the back of a monarch caterpillar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

An oleander aphid on the back of a monarch caterpillar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

An oleander aphid crawling on a tentacle of a monarch caterpillar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

An oleander aphid crawling on a tentacle of a monarch caterpillar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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