Florida can get overrun with monarch butterflies over the winter. They come down from Canada and parts of the North. Some use Florida as a stopping point on their way to Mexico, sometimes even using oil drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico as way-points to rest. Scientists are still unsure how many actually do this versus simply using Florida as their wintering destination.
Still other populations have made a more permanent home here, and these monarch butterflies can be problematic. This creates a bit of a paradox in pest control management. Monarch butterflies are imperiled. More than 80-percent of their population has disappeared over the last few decades. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is due to levy a decision on their protection status within the next few years. In the meantime, they’re researching whether the butterflies should be protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Many residents even plant milkweed gardens to help attract monarch butterflies. They’re certainly not what we typically think of when we think of pests.
There are populations of monarch butterflies in Florida that may be dangerous to migrating butterflies. This is due to the propagation of non-native tropical milkweed plants. As a result of their presence, some monarch butterflies are establishing year-round colonies. These monarchs do not get the benefit of migration and are therefore more likely to carry parasites that can pass to migrating butterflies.
This creates a very complicated pest control environment for this species. They’re not protected…yet. Certainly, they can be pests in certain environments. Year-round colonies may be unhealthy for the larger population of migrating butterflies. Non-native milkweed might be considered an undesirable plant, while native milkweed is helpful to butterflies. Milkweed can attract its own pests, like aphids, that need to be managed.
What this all leads to is a situation where some will want to attract monarchs, and so will want other pests eradicated and aggressive, non-native milkweed eliminated from their garden. Still others will view the monarch butterflies as pests, and will want them diverted to a different location. The situation will vary and that calls for experts who can develop unique plans to help attract, or repel, monarch butterflies.
Whatever your needs, Slug-A-Bug has that expertise and we’ll be happy to help you ensure your own approach to monarchs is effective.