# Milkweed Bugs



## For wheelin (Oct 29, 2014)

Greetings, new to the forum and hope to contribute as well as learn a thing or two.

We live in southern California and are for the first time ever infested with milkweed bugs. Odd thing is we don't have milkweed! We live on almost three acres and keep the property dragged and strategically water trees and shrubs. The majority of the property is dirt and scattered small tumble weeds. The bugs appear to be covering what tumbleweeds we do have. I assume that the tumble weed is a type of milkweed they can feed on. They also appear to be coming in from adjacent property.

After reading about them, I see they primarily feed on milkweed, but I have observed them carrying small peices of what seems to be small parts of weed stems, but the stems are dry, not fresh cuttings with any amount of milk (sap?). Could this be nesting material? 

I don't understand that.

Anyway, being that there are thousands and thousands of these things from tiny nymphs to full grown and I am worried the dog will eat them. She kinda eats anything, and I'm told they could be dangerous to pets.

As I have read they are harmless otherwise, should I even try to eradicate them? If they eventually go away, will they hibernate and return now every year? We've lived in this location for nearly 20 years and have never seen them before.

Thanks for any ideas...


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## Gustavas (Oct 4, 2014)

If you don't have milkweed around then the bugs are harmless, they can be harmful if eaten by a dog in large amounts because the bugs eat the toxic milkweed, therefore no milkweed plants, no toxic milkweed bugs. 

If you haven't had an issue before, I would wait until next season to see if they are back in force before trying to control them in any way.


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## For wheelin (Oct 29, 2014)

Thanks Gustavas, simply because there are
so many, we mixed a batch of insectacidle soap which seamed to kill where we sprayed...the weather is cooling off right now and we are actually expecting some rain tonight, and they seem to have retreated down into the gopher holes.

Will continue to,monitor and deal with them as we can.

Thanks again.


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