Potentially seeing beneficial bug benefits! Maybe?

[Lmbauer2017]

I bet you're talking about those yellow aphids that gather around the milkweed seed pods. So far, I haven't found any studies on those insects, but MY theory is that they're beneficial to the milkweed. It always looks to me like they're grooming the seed pods somehow. No kidding. (My garden has been pesticide-free since 1970.)

For many MANY years I grew milk weed and I left those yellow aphids alone. There were some ants, but not a plague of them. A vast number of caterpillars hatched into Monarchs, no problem. Sometimes I "ran out" of milkweed, there were so many caterpillars. I really do think those yellowy/orange aphids serve a purpose, some symbiotic purpose, in keeping the milkweed healthy.

Here's one thing I read online: "While a high concentration of aphids on your milkweed may look 'bad' these insects are not necessarily causing harm to monarchs; unless they are in extremely high density, there are usually not enough aphids to kill the plant."

Yes those are the ones! So last year both milkweed plants got completely destroyed by the aphids. This year one one remains, and it began getting a few stalks covered. BUT, when I looked closer I found a ladybug systematically climbing up and down each stalk looking for aphids! I honestly couldn’t believe my eyes. I literally had a bug helping relieve the milkweed plant so that it could grow and live long enough to provide food.

This seems to be the pattern. I introduce some new delicious plant, it gets swarmed and demolished. Then next year the predators come and even things out. I like this… I can live with this. I stopped killing caterpillars and spraying copious amounts of neem everywhere because of it. We’ll see if this milkweed plant can stick it out this year