You said you have monarch and pollinator garden.,but you used the term to deter Monarchs and refer to the milkweed being eaten by aphids. Deter means to keep way..when you want to attract Monarchs to the milkweed which is their food. Pretty sure you meant you want to attract them and deter the aphids..?? Of course the Monarch butterfly caterpillars will be the ones eating the milkweeds and will cause the milkweeds to look pretty chopped up…as they should. I’ve. Not noticed aphids bothering milkweed because it’ so very bitter and poisonous to a lot of other bugs. Perhaps using some of the common aphid deterrents around or near milkweed would keep aphids off….. mine grow in the neighbors fence row and is now covered with the terrible,wild honeysuckle and i don’t bother them at all.
You said you have monarch and pollinator garden.,but you used the term to deter Monarchs and refer to the milkweed being eaten by aphids. Deter means to keep way..when you want to attract Monarchs to the milkweed which is their food. Pretty sure you meant you want to attract them and deter the aphids..?? Of course the Monarch butterfly caterpillars will be the ones eating the milkweeds and will cause the milkweeds to look pretty chopped up…as they should. I’ve. Not noticed aphids bothering milkweed because it’ so very bitter and poisonous to a lot of other bugs. Perhaps using some of the common aphid deterrents around or near milkweed would keep aphids off….. mine grow in the neighbors fence row and is now covered with the terrible,wild honeysuckle and i don’t bother them at all.