Yes its normally to use Hydrogen Peroxide when making Bubble hash .. I wouldn’t worry about overusing it though. Does that affect the caterpillars negatively if later, eggs are laid on the plants and caterpillars eat the leaves? Spined Soldier Bug Nymph (we believe) feasting on Monarch Caterpillar. I don’t think there is any disease of a milkweed plant that will kill caterpillars. While DEET may kill aphids on your milkweed, it’s also going to kill monarch eggs and caterpillars. ). Hi Andrea, I don’t know much about specific fungus types, but the techniques listed have worked well to prevent and stop the spread of milkweed fungus in our northern garden. Visit our Facebook Page to discuss this article! What could be causing this problem? I have two milkweeds that are doing somewhat well. Do not compost diseased leaves/stems and risk spreading fungus spores into the soil. Use a spray bottle to thoroughly soak the infected plants. I would cut all the plants down to the ground and treat the stubs and soil as well as clean all the surrounding surfaces. Hi Donna, in Minnesota I used the treatment preventatively in the soil before milkweed returns. I am so interested in the H2O2 thing. When spraying plants, make sure you get all sections and under the leaves too…, Well, I found more spots today, removed the leaves, and sprayed the plants and sprayed the dirt with an almost 50-50 solution of 3% hydrogen peroxide. You might be familiar with the butterfly gardener catchphrase plant it and they will come. It is working its way up from the bottom of the plants. Hi! I have a lot of milkweed- probably 15 different patches throughout my yard. Prepare a cup of soapy water or half-alcohol and half-water mixture. But if it’s sickly, obviously I don’t want to do that. I apply hydrogen peroxide according to this helpful chart: Alcohol, however, also is lethal to monarch eggs and larvae, so care must be taken when dabbing. I have used the hydrogen peroxide solution with some success. If an egg is on a problem leaf, you can cut off a small piece of the leaf (with the egg) and place it on a healthy cutting or leaf. Plant diseases shouldn’t affect caterpillars, but if you have access to healthier milkweed I would use that. I have some yellow/orange looking leaves. Tony, I’ve been concerned about my milkweed leaves turning purple and dropping off. Do you think this is fungal? This is happening on both our ground-planted swamp milkweed and also on our potted tropical milkweed plants. At least I know what to do next year. Is this from too much shade or what? I have not used bacteria based fungicides before and don’t know how they would affect monarchs or your local ecosystem. it may perform better if it’s allowed to go through the winter part of it’s growth cycle, which it is able to do in perennial zones that still experience a true winter where the plant dies back. During that time I have raised a few hundred monarchs very successfully indoors. I wash all my outdoors buds. Hi Sandra, sorry to hear this. Of course it could be the incoming monarchs and their eggs but to me that just doesn’t seem right. The acceptance from the EPA is based on data from extensive testing on each product. 3) Use Hydrogen Peroxide to Kill Fungus Gnats. This year I’m really confused and scared. Thoughts? I will definitely remove these. The only plants not infected are the family jewels plants. Any suggestions? Hi Kelly, that’s way too many caterpillars for one plant. I have successfully released 4 with 2 chrysallis pending. 2. Milkweeds can take full sun with some wilt if temp goes up to 110 , temp around 80-mid 90’s should be ok …they don’t need much water after the first year. I usually remove/discard those leaves and it’s never developed into a serious problem. 2. If left for the leaf hoppers, they’ll quickly spread the bacteria to other plants in the vicinity. I want to get ahead of the fungus this year because last year I was far behind. It killed the aphids, didn’t harm the butterfly weed and the cats seemed to be ok. Hi Allie…hard to say. Here’s more short and long term strategies on: My milkweed on the patio have white mottling on the leaves. You can kill lots of gypsy moth caterpillars simply by wrapping your tree trunks with a band of burlap bags. I typically remove the affected leaves…, We mostly use h202 preventatively on the soil before the plants emerge in spring. PS…I don’t think it would be toxic to future eggs/caterpillars, but you could always rinse off the plants with water if you are concerned. I’m not positive but it might be leaf scorch from too much sun. Hi Renee, this is how swamp milkweed goes out every season. It has never developed into a serious issue, so I don’t believe it’s a fungus/disease. H2O2 kills gnat larvae on contact. I don’t think h202 would hurt them, but I’ve never sprayed it directly on them. Please help, I still have 2 cages with cats. Over the years, I’ve been less concerned about what’s ailing our milkweed, and more concerned about treating it early. I recently bought and planted 4 nice sized Asclepias curassavica ‘Silky Deep Red’ – Red Butterflyweed plants. There are flies that predate on the caterpillars and young chrysalides. Is it a light dusting or a drench? When it make sense, prune away entire sections of the plant. check out this post to learn more about monarch predators and what you can do to save more monarchs: Hi Tony, is it safe to spray milkweed with a baking soda mixture or would it be harmful to cats. I’ve not been successful with the last 80+ caterpillars. It is so odd! Because everything is freshly planted, I have hand watered all the new plants (all are drought tolerant plants, ground cover) and not sure if I have too much or not enough water now for the milkweed. It’s been all day now and they’re slow to munch. Of course as a Purdue entomology grad i think they are the best. Replenish their milk?– for fungi similar to blackspot, try this simple rose remedy after removing the affected leaves: note: If you’re spraying sickly milkweed and notice webbing on the plant, you’re probably dealing with microscopic (almost) spider mites and can check out our milkweed pests page for specific treatment options. I sure would like to get some input so I can get back on the right track and stop killing all these caterpillars. I thought it was from the heat and lack of rain this summer, but now I’m going to remove all of the yellow mishapen plants and hope for some healthy ones to come back up. Today it’s wilting and almost looks like it’s rotting at the base. I would try them. I can’t find anything that says if this is normal Fall behavior or not (chicago, zone 5b). Thanks for your time. I successfully raised over 50 butterflies at the beginning of the season and now the last 3 cages have been dying as the cats get nice size , they stop eating and just sit there for days and gradually die. About 75% of them seem to be trying to leave the plant. They create a horrible stink, like a stink bug. Any pesticides/insecticides that kill milkweed bugs will also kill Monarch and Queen caterpillars. I grew my seeds in 8 “cow pots” sitting in a plastic container sitting on heat mats and all under lights. Hi Claire, we typically use the h2o2 preventatively on small plants and soil before the plants come up. My question is I now have Monarchs laying eggs. It’s a simple three step method. Do you know how often I can spray? I have gotten better, and I'm covered in scars. In continuous growing regions, tropical milkweed should be cut back periodically so fresh growth can emerge: I started several tropical milkweed from cuttings, and they were doing well until a couple of days, the leaves have tiny white spots and the leaf color is lighter green. Within the last 2 days I have had several cats die. (Skip to the bottom to see what you can do if you find your caterpillars in this situation.) That kills them outright. This way you can find caterpillars and protect the plants. You can wash the aphids off by hand with a mild soap solution or use an insecticidal soap, but these solutions will kill caterpillars that are present during the actual application. Most universities have a insect rearing lab that could answer your question. I’m not sure if foreign substances would affect their perception…again, you can always test. Note that bleaching eggs can help prevent the transmission of viruses and bacteria to monarchs, and can lower the risk of OE transmission, but will not completely kill all of the OE spores. 1. When plant leaves get fungus, I remove them so it won’t spread. Spray well, and rinse well. I have never seen plants have an adverse reaction to it and I often use more than the charts. April 16 at 8:34 pm. They suggested I call the department of agriculture. I’m in central Florida. Do you know if those bacteria based fungicides are safe to use around monarchs? Hi Katie, this is normal for swamp milkweed and I’m not sure what causes this. 1/4 cup of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide; 2 tablespoons of Rubbing Alcohol (or old-style mouth wash like Listerine) 1/4 tsp. I use the measurements for sick/fungusy plants…2 cups in a 2 gallon watering can of the 3%. Those little beggars will crawl up your arm and bite like chiggers and will drive you crazy for a day. We use the hydrogen peroxide preventatively, soaking the soil before the plants emerge in spring. I’ve never seen so much damage and havoc before. I have a gray film on the leaves of my plants. Can They get root rot? I have since removed my other cats onto another plant. I checked for spiders/mites etc but can’t seem to figure out what has happened. Yesterday they ate everything and today, I cleaned and replaced food with fresh cuttings from the same found space I’d fed them leaves from before. Mix equal parts 3% hydrogen peroxide and distilled water. I have a lot of yellow and black spotted leaves. I don’t want to hurt them.. It happened in just a couple of weeks. Hydrogen peroxide also helps your plants grow by putting more oxygen into the soil. I have seen a lot of ants. Hi Toney, I already get news from your web site but my issue is leaves turning yellow and falling off with lots of weird looking spots all over so I am thinking it might be a fungus of some sort and I am not sure of how to get rid of this problem without killing the eggs. Although hydrogen peroxide is a disinfectant and antiseptic, it is not as effective as copper fungicide in preventing late blight on tomatoes. Milkweed is pretty resilient. If an infected butterfly lays eggs, they will be infected and can spread the OE to other healthy cats who crawl over the same plants. Can I spray Hydrogen Peroxide on Monarch Eggs and Caterpillars? Will they be fine having been on that plant? All it takes is about five to ten caterpillars to demolish your plant. I live in central FL and this is my second year raising monarch butterflies. 10% hydrogen peroxide will kill weeds. It’s the sort of thing I see when my blueberries need more acidic soil – sclerosis. I only spray water on monarch-occupied plants. Water at the base of the plants– this is less necessary if your plants have good air circulation. Thanks in advance for your help! I don’t spray h202 on eggs/caterpillars so I can’t say for sure if it would harm them. More info here: I planted tropical milkweed in a sunny area in my moist garden about four weeks ago. Any suggestions? I noticed I do have some plants with blackish spots and not so nice looking. hi Kat, if your plants are getting too much direct sun too quickly the leaves can burn. Which ratio would that be? Just break off yellow leaves and discard. Simply: 1. Subject. I hope the disease pages link helps you figure out what’s going on…good luck! I planted the plants in my yard and the Monarchs showed up within days. So I’m unsure why after many months it’s begun dying. In the spring I lost over 40 and called the first nursery. Is there something I can use to wash the milkweed, a mild solution of ??? As of this morning I have officially lost over 40 caterpillars again. I have a ton of cats on my milkweed plant, mostly very young to about a week or so in size. Hi Gloria, hydrogen peroxide is actually food for plants, adding more oxygen to the roots. I have not seen any aphids on them or other bugs for that matter. It starts off with small Yellowish brown bumps all over the underside of the leaves. Remove sick leaves–  Whenever you come across sickly milkweed leaves, remove and discard. According to a Sept. 15 statement, three Zep disinfectants kill COVID on surfaces in just one minute. When leaves turn yellow, or start getting spotting/discoloration, try one or more of the following: If you’ve successfully conquered milkweed diseases by using other techniques not listed, please share your experience and help a gardener out…, Valentine Gift Ideas for a Butterfly Lover, Start or Improve your Monarch Butterfly Garden, Butterfly Garden Book for Monarchs- Instant Download, Top Tools, Supplies, and Resources for Raising Monarch Butterflies, Monarch Butterfly Kits to Raise Caterpillars into Butterflies, 25 Milkweed Plant Ideas for North American Butterfly Gardens, Winter Sowing Milkweed Seeds Part 1: Supply Checklist. This sounds like it would be a good idea for you next season. I also need to know if it’s safe to spray with H2O2 solution when eggs and cats are present? After yesterday’s wild feat i expected most of these leaves to be gone by now. The tachnid fly has been covered. Using a 1% hydrogen peroxide solution will help to repel insects and will also kill any eggs that may have been laid. No way. I normally use a pint of Hydrogen peroxide to 3 gallons of weed, and ice and water . Is this something that happens to milkweed? The pheromone bag is a great idea; I’ve never seen any to buy. I don’t spray monarch eggs/caterpillars directly with hydrogen peroxide and not sure if/how it would affect them. One potential bacteria that causes this to happen is: Hi there. During the season, I never spray any foliar treatments on milkweed because monarchs use their feet and head to detect whether a plant is milkweed. I have never heard of these leaves potentially hurting caterpillars, but I’ve never found any caterpillars on those leaves either. I dug up a large tropical milkweed after last years first frost and it grew beautifully all winter. I bought a few Milkweed plants so I could attract and photograph Monarch butterflies. Any suggestions? Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) it is made up of Hydrogen (H2) and Oxygen (O2), however H2O2 has an extra Oxygen atom in an unstable arrangement – it is this extra negatively charged Oxygen atom that gives H2O2 its useful properties. These cuttings aren’t a perfect looking as some of the others but I can’t identify what I’m seeing. Filed Under: Milkweed Garden Ideas, Milkweed Garden Pests and Guests, Organic Gardening. They’re not planted very close together. We remove any problem leaves and treat soil preventatively with hydrogen peroxide which has worked well for us. Why are my plants’ leaves turning purple? I removed the whole plant to be safe and when I checked the underside of all its leaves I found 2 small cats. They can be removed by hand-picking. Is this fungus? I’m especially concerned because this is only happening to one of my plants, although they do get different amounts of sun exposure. While I’m not seeing many aphids (the ladybugs are getting them! I have also noticed that the leaves on some plants (even in other locations) are very small. The nurseries don’t seem to be any help. Hydrogen peroxide both treats and further prevents pest infestation. Thin out the herd– if your milkweed plants are crowded, your milkweed patch can become a breeding ground for fungi. More info here: What is the best way to trim back my milkweed? I’ve got them separated into three different milkweed cuttings. Hi Tony, I live in MA and have about 9 growing cars of various ages. Here are some questions to ask yourself if you see either of those symptoms. I’m worried that if it continues happening in the weeks ahead, we may end up with not enough leaves for our monarch caterpillars to munch on. This article mentions using a hydrogen peroxide mix to kill fungus. It can be especially bad with curassavica. I suspect they came from the same butterfly and the sae thing would have happened in the wild, but it’s horrible to watch. Do you know what would cause this stunted growth and discoloration? Monarch caterpillars rely on milkweed plants and that’s why female monarchs choose to lay their eggs on milkweed plants. I would not spray with the solution if any caterpillars are on the affected plants but rather remove them, then spray. The thought of insect shit in the weed is a major issue for me ,,, I haven't ever dealt with that issue myself .. Spider mites and fungi/mold I have . Hi Cait, I cut ours back with a hand pruner. A: You definitely should not use any toxic insecticide, since that could kill the caterpillars as well. I then explained that I had been doing things this way for a long time and never before had a problem. I soak the soil with the solution before plants start coming up. Looking good at 3″ ,tall They seem happy alongside my tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. I’m new to the this and don’t want to do anything that is going to worsen the situation. Thanks. This was a very helpful article on fungus. Several seemed to have tried to chrysallis to early since I see the silky black pile on the leaf and they were very small. Many plant diseases and fungus are the result of low oxygen levels in the roots. 1. And how do I treat it? It can be used as a foliar spray to control fungal diseases like powdery mildew, or to control microbial pests in the soil or small insects like spider mites and fungal gnats. For the first time, my milkweed is covered with rust fungus. Should I try and find new cuttings from a different source? I've wiped out the little bastards with BT, but now I'm wondering if a bud wash would be a good idea to clean off any residual BT and leftover caterpillar poop. I'm at the end of my healing and now stocked up on TTO, ACV, Hydrogen Peroxide for ever! 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