Comments on: Milkweed and Friends http://melissawiley.com/blog/2009/07/17/milkweed-and-friends/ Children's Book Author Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:37:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Anne http://melissawiley.com/blog/2009/07/17/milkweed-and-friends/comment-page-1/#comment-14362 Anne Mon, 20 Jul 2009 12:28:39 +0000 http://melissawiley.com/?p=4619#comment-14362 We had our very first Milkweed beetles this weekend! No seedpods yet, but, unfortunately, TONS of aphids. And yet, despite their destructiveness, it was very cool to find the ladybugs there eating them and the ants there herding them. And teaching my son about them was an interesting experience as well. I think he was more interested in catching and moving the ladybugs and then in spraying the plants with soapy water than in the gaining of knowledge, but he did do an excellent job with the sprayer. We had our very first Milkweed beetles this weekend! No seedpods yet, but, unfortunately, TONS of aphids. And yet, despite their destructiveness, it was very cool to find the ladybugs there eating them and the ants there herding them. And teaching my son about them was an interesting experience as well. I think he was more interested in catching and moving the ladybugs and then in spraying the plants with soapy water than in the gaining of knowledge, but he did do an excellent job with the sprayer.

]]> By: Melissa Wiley http://melissawiley.com/blog/2009/07/17/milkweed-and-friends/comment-page-1/#comment-14348 Melissa Wiley Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:10:59 +0000 http://melissawiley.com/?p=4619#comment-14348 Lindsay, thank you!! We spent some time yesterday trying to ID the bugs but had no luck. I was hoping someone here would know... I'm cracking up about their name. They were all over the milkweed pods at 8:30 in the morning. When I went back out an hour later, they were gone. In the cool of the evening, there they were again. We'll have to read up on them a bit. Here they are at Bug Guide: http://bugguide.net/node/view/244787/bgimage Lindsay, thank you!! We spent some time yesterday trying to ID the bugs but had no luck. I was hoping someone here would know…

I’m cracking up about their name. They were all over the milkweed pods at 8:30 in the morning. When I went back out an hour later, they were gone. In the cool of the evening, there they were again. We’ll have to read up on them a bit.

Here they are at Bug Guide: http://bugguide.net/node/view/244787/bgimage

]]> By: Lindsay http://melissawiley.com/blog/2009/07/17/milkweed-and-friends/comment-page-1/#comment-14347 Lindsay Sat, 18 Jul 2009 15:01:51 +0000 http://melissawiley.com/?p=4619#comment-14347 And those are "Small Milkweed Bugs" (rather than "Large Milkweed Bugs") on the seed-head. My son was impressed as he has taken lots of photos of Large Milkweed Bugs but has never seen the Small M.B. That is the name used in Kaufmann's field guide -- guess you can see why it got its name! And those are “Small Milkweed Bugs” (rather than “Large Milkweed Bugs”) on the seed-head. My son was impressed as he has taken lots of photos of Large Milkweed Bugs but has never seen the Small M.B. That is the name used in Kaufmann’s field guide — guess you can see why it got its name!

]]> By: Theresa http://melissawiley.com/blog/2009/07/17/milkweed-and-friends/comment-page-1/#comment-14340 Theresa Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:37:59 +0000 http://melissawiley.com/?p=4619#comment-14340 Cool picture! And Jennifer that is awful!!!! Cool picture! And Jennifer that is awful!!!!

]]> By: Jennifer http://melissawiley.com/blog/2009/07/17/milkweed-and-friends/comment-page-1/#comment-14337 Jennifer Fri, 17 Jul 2009 19:09:43 +0000 http://melissawiley.com/?p=4619#comment-14337 I love milkweed seeds! Aren't they just mesmerizing? We finally got our milkweed planted - our first planting (you will appreciate my outrage over this) was sprayed with something very toxic at the growers w/o the nursery knowing and the caterpillars DIED after ingesting it. Isn't that just ridiculous? There is one reason to plant milkweed and that's as a food crop. I love milkweed seeds! Aren’t they just mesmerizing? We finally got our milkweed planted – our first planting (you will appreciate my outrage over this) was sprayed with something very toxic at the growers w/o the nursery knowing and the caterpillars DIED after ingesting it. Isn’t that just ridiculous? There is one reason to plant milkweed and that’s as a food crop.

]]> By: Melissa Wiley http://melissawiley.com/blog/2009/07/17/milkweed-and-friends/comment-page-1/#comment-14336 Melissa Wiley Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:57:06 +0000 http://melissawiley.com/?p=4619#comment-14336 We've got seedpods by the dozen! And caterpillars too, WOOHOO!!! We’ve got seedpods by the dozen! And caterpillars too, WOOHOO!!!

]]> By: Laurie M http://melissawiley.com/blog/2009/07/17/milkweed-and-friends/comment-page-1/#comment-14335 Laurie M Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:53:12 +0000 http://melissawiley.com/?p=4619#comment-14335 That is a gorgeous shot. Almost looks animated... the brown seeds on the white background!! Save me some seeds!!! That is a gorgeous shot. Almost looks animated… the brown seeds on the white background!!
Save me some seeds!!!

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