I've squashed 2 of them down here in Campbell last week when emptying a couple of EarthTainers. They contained tan bark in them so maybe the previous poster has them correctly identified. They moved pretty fast, so I didn't have a chance to really look at them, other than the bright orange and black markings. This Season, I've got the Take Down Garden Spray at the ready for the Psyllids and Tomato Russet Mites. I am using silver reflective plastic much in the 'Tainers this Season to bring some brightness to the underside of the leaves. We will see if this has any deterrent on the critters.... Plants are about 18 inches tall now and some are flowering. Raybo

Just to clarify, are we speaking of orange aphids or milkweed bugs? Adult milkweed bugs aren't only orange, but I've noticed preschool sessions of milkweed bug nymphs (which are orange) on some of my plants, which I've never had in the past. Guess this was their reproductive year in my garden, LOL. It's funny how there's so many babies located in one area, and not scattered around the plant. Guess it's true that there's safety in numbers, except when a human dumps & swishes the 'class' in a cup of soapy water LOL. Milkweed bugs are seed feeders, so yes, they do damage, but, I've never seen them do damage to the plants, unlike the aphids...

Was instant messaging with an entomologist friend of mine and showed him your post... Violetta: what are your thoughts on this? http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/clematis/msg061027269390.html?1 Friend: completely orange is a pretty rare color scheme for aphids Friend: but the main way to tell if they are aphids vs. somthing else is to look at them closely and see if they are sort of sedentary, with their little feeding beak stuck in the plant, vs. other orange insects, such as the nymph stage of milkweed bugs or mites - which tend to be pretty mobile Violetta: and if they are something else? Friend: the treatment might depend on what they are, but if we are dealing with only a few plants, wiping or blasting off the offending insects by hand tend to be the most effective and efficient method Friend: what is the geographic range of that forum? Friend: location is important for knowing which species they are Friend: if they can take a digital image and send it to me, I could at least tell them what type of pest it is, Friend: and then recommend what to do, at least for that type of pest Friend: but again, wiping them off works for many different types of pest Friend: it's less effective for those that 1) are coming in continuously from some source, or 2) develop and multiply very rapidly (eg. aphids) Violetta: k, i'm posting a response now, thank you

I found this online "But, while the adults rarely cause any problems, the young larvae will feed on the fine root hairs of your plants, causing them to lose vigor and develop yellow leaves. They can also tunnel into the base of cuttings or plant stems, which can be devastating for succulents, leeks, or onion seedlings in particular. Fungus gnats search out moist soil in which to lay their eggs. The eggs are about 1/100 inch in length and laid in clusters. Larvae are translucent gray to white worms, about 1/4 inch long, with shiny black heads. These insects can infest a crop from wet, algae-covered areas in the garden, from contaminated potting soil or by flying short distances from plant to plant." Fill a container with vinegar (red wine vinegar in my case) with a couple drops of dish soap added to break the surface tension. In a couple of hours there are around eight of them. I also ordered this on Amazon. I don´t want them all over my house when I get my meyer lemon tree inside. I hope this information helps.