I kill over half of them, and let about 1/4 live. They do hurt the milkweed, but they are also loved by Ladybug Lions (ladybug nymphs) as a food source. So like Martha said, it depends on whether you want nature to take her course. I don't want my milkweed wiped out by these sap-sucking bugs, but I also like having ladybugs around. So I control the population. BTW, I'm talking about the soft-bodied insects, not the beetles. Thankfully, I have never had a problem with the beetles, never even seen one.

Hey guys Thanks for the advice. Several things are working against us though... First, I had divided them up - and there were babies in each clump, and they came apart pretty easy, either way - so my guess is both were planted in clumps, to begin with. Second, Size - Different growing conditions, etc - radical variance in size - And to begin with, all of mine were approx the same size - from several sources, so age vs size is indeterminable. Are there any actual physical characteristics of , say, a single plant, of each? Thanks

I had the same problem with cats jumping the fence and laying under the shrubs and killing the birds in my back yard under the feeders. I got so fed up that I called the humane society and they loaned me a cage for 10 days at a time. Last summer I trapped 3 possums - 11 cats and so far this year 3 cats. They even come and pick up the cats. They have a website and put the cats up for adoption. I have some neighbours who dont like it but too dang bad. There is a bylaw that says cats are to be on a leash - caged outside or kept inside. One neighbour who has since moved away.....even threatened me while the truck was here to pick up his cat. They were told to pay $90 to retreive the cat.....they didnt as it was put up for adoption. His cat was never inside anyways and was sorta wild. That cat even would get on the hood of my car and peeeee on my windshield. I saw yellow on my windshild and figured out what it was. He sprayed everywhere...ewwwwwwwwww. When I turned on the fan in my car the smell was so nasty. I had to take the car to the car wash serveral times because of that. I have 3 or 4 new cats in the area again...stocking my birds. They even sit on edge of goldfish pond as well trying to catch a fish. Good luck and yes the water gun for kids work good. I have one that sprays 25 feet and cats hate the water. Russ

Better is to buy a cheap humidifier and run it 24/7. Misting doesn't last long in a heated house. Palms in my experience do best in a sunny window in a cool humid room over the winter.