Author Topic: Milkweed And Pollination question  (Read 19733 times)

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Offline Jen

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Milkweed And Pollination question
« on: August 24, 2014, 12:35:16 am »
I want to plant milkweed on the bank behind our house to see if I can get any monarch's to use them to hatch their young.

1. Do deer eat milkweed?

2. Does the milkweed have a bloom that would attract honeybees?
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Offline riverbee

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Re: Milkweed And Pollination question
« Reply #1 on: August 24, 2014, 12:52:35 am »
YES jen, awesome plant for monarchs and honey bees!
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Offline Jen

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Re: Milkweed And Pollination question
« Reply #2 on: August 24, 2014, 01:01:02 am »
Cool! We have deer come thru our back alley all day long, would they eat milkweed?
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Offline Zweefer

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Re: Milkweed And Pollination question
« Reply #3 on: August 24, 2014, 02:03:08 am »
Most deer will leave milkweed alone, but be careful of rabbits - they love to chew on the stalks.
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Offline pistolpete

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Re: Milkweed And Pollination question
« Reply #4 on: August 24, 2014, 02:25:33 am »
Must be a different milkweed than we have up here.  I've never seen a single bee on it. 
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Offline Jen

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Re: Milkweed And Pollination question
« Reply #5 on: August 24, 2014, 12:58:54 pm »
No rabbits here, so that's good ~
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Offline Slowmodem

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Re: Milkweed And Pollination question
« Reply #6 on: August 24, 2014, 01:16:50 pm »
No rabbits here, so that's good ~

The thing about rabbits is that they breed like rabbits. 
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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Milkweed And Pollination question
« Reply #7 on: August 24, 2014, 01:23:32 pm »
I have always understood that the "sap" from the milkweed was poisonous to most critters like deer and rabbits?
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Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: Milkweed And Pollination question
« Reply #8 on: August 24, 2014, 01:40:32 pm »
This program, located at the University of Kansas, is headed by Dr. Chip Taylor.  He is an annual speaker at our beeclub funday.  This a fabulous program and you might find some answers here Jen.
http://www.monarchwatch.org/

Dr. Taylor, with help from volunteers, planted a pollinator garden just about 1 mile from my house.  The site is on top of an EPA super fund site where chemicals had leached out into the soil and ground water.  Now it is a nice park with walk ways, benches and informational signs.

I think Taylor, who is head of the entomology dept. at KU, spends a large portion of his time in South American and Mexico doing research on Monarchs and Honey Bees.

Offline Jen

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Re: Milkweed And Pollination question
« Reply #9 on: August 24, 2014, 01:46:57 pm »
It's so rare that I see a Monarch around here. This year I have seen way more Swallow Tails than usual every day. Really enjoying that. But if could bump up the Monarch's... Man! That would be soo cool!
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Offline barry42001

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Re: Milkweed And Pollination question
« Reply #10 on: August 24, 2014, 03:29:06 pm »
Sap of milkweed is toxic to most animals, few things, for example monarch caterpillars, feed on them, is also why so few things prey on them. Have a large collection of stalks where milkweed was. They are recovering slowly. Cycled through about 100 monarchs.
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Offline Jen

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Re: Milkweed And Pollination question
« Reply #11 on: August 24, 2014, 03:42:07 pm »
Is milkweed an invasive weed, taking over the land? Sure is an exquisite weed with seed, silk, and pod ~


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Offline Slowmodem

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Re: Milkweed And Pollination question
« Reply #12 on: August 24, 2014, 04:23:33 pm »
Greg Whitehead
Ten Mile, TN
Beekeeping at 26.4 kbs

Offline Jen

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Re: Milkweed And Pollination question
« Reply #13 on: August 24, 2014, 04:35:54 pm »
Holy Shmolly! I've seen documents on this nasty stuff.
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Offline barry42001

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Re: Milkweed And Pollination question
« Reply #14 on: August 24, 2014, 04:48:17 pm »

Milkweed with monarch caterpillars
Second egg
Stalks
Lol:D
« Last Edit: August 24, 2014, 04:52:28 pm by barry42001 »
"if a man is alone in the woods, and speaks and no woman is there to hear him. is he still wrong?

Offline Jen

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Re: Milkweed And Pollination question
« Reply #15 on: August 24, 2014, 05:13:45 pm »
OMG! That would be thrilling to watch  ;D
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Offline barry42001

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Re: Milkweed And Pollination question
« Reply #16 on: August 24, 2014, 05:18:02 pm »

Bottom pic, just hatched out of pupa case
« Last Edit: August 24, 2014, 05:19:32 pm by barry42001 »
"if a man is alone in the woods, and speaks and no woman is there to hear him. is he still wrong?

Offline Jen

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Re: Milkweed And Pollination question
« Reply #17 on: August 24, 2014, 05:20:41 pm »
Gorgeous! I'm gonna get me some of those next year.... hopefully  :)
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Offline barry42001

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Re: Milkweed And Pollination question
« Reply #18 on: August 24, 2014, 05:40:00 pm »
That seed case, broad cast seeds where you want them, water them every few days
"if a man is alone in the woods, and speaks and no woman is there to hear him. is he still wrong?

Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: Milkweed And Pollination question
« Reply #19 on: August 24, 2014, 06:48:45 pm »
If I remember correctly member Walt B, from Texas, volunteers with Monarch research.  I believe he goes out and reports when he sees eggs, etc.  You might PM him, Jen.