Greenfly invasion
Last post 06-07-2009 9:04 AM by Kesira. 37 replies.
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23/06/2009 02:54 PM
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- Kesira
- Elkesley, Nottinghamshire
- 15 Jun 2009
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Sorry for the double post. Been doing some hunting around and found soemthing I had forgotten about. Marigolds! I@m a little annoyed with myself because I did know this but it had slipped my mind. Plant marigolds around the garden, especially near plants which suffer from green and blackfly and it will sort it out. Simple and organic. Now, for those curious as to 'why' this works, as I was, it is not the pefume as I had previously suspected. it is infact the flat leaves of the flower. Hoverflies (or parasitic wasps as some call them) feed on flowers with flat leaves due to their use of a feeding tube. Marigolds are especially attractive to them so they will come on droves for them. In turn they then kill off all the greenfly in the manner described in another post. So there we go! Will be planting lots of marigold seeds.
Gardening Tip
When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it was a valuable plant.
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23/06/2009 03:15 PM
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- miranda
- Oxfordshire
- 17 Nov 2004
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2,977
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I was also wondering if the low ladybird numbers had been noticed. Did a search about and found a few comments and questions on other forums, all saying 'where are the ladybirds' but nothing 'official'. Maybe they're late this year or maybe a lot didn't get through the winter? I guess we'll see.
That's interesting about the marigold flowers. Got lots of marigolds here 
Parasitic wasps different to hoverflies. There's a good page here: http://chrisraper.org.uk/Html/parasitica.htm - I've got a photo that I took of a parasitised aphid and will post it if I can find it.
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28/06/2009 10:48 AM
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- Kesira
- Elkesley, Nottinghamshire
- 15 Jun 2009
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33
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ahh my apologies MIranda, I repeated what i'd read in the info about marigolds. That said they were the same thing and I naughtily took it as given. My bad. Just glad the marigold thing appears to be true!
Gardening Tip
When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it was a valuable plant.
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29/06/2009 11:55 AM
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I've had a lot of greenfly/black fly and scale insects this year. I was getting a bit worried, but over the last couple of days I've seen loads of baby ladybirds. The little monsters are now busy munching away on everything so maybe they were just a little slow on the uptake with the cold winter.
This year I've been totaly pesticide free, in the past I've sprayed and then regreted it. I also planted lots of marigolds too, although they haven't flowered yet so I doubt it could be them helping yet.
Fingers crossed for the rest of you.
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29/06/2009 06:11 PM
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- Anne
- North Lanarkshire
- 29 Jun 2009
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Hi I'm new to this. I have inherited a lovely mature garden with my new house and a lot of the plants are new to me. I have noticed that there are a lot of greenfly on my roses too, and no, I haven't seen any ladybirds either. Will go on the hunt for some marigolds. Thanks
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29/06/2009 06:24 PM
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- miranda
- Oxfordshire
- 17 Nov 2004
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2,977
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For the first time this year I've also seen a good number of ladybirds and several larvae. It's reassuring as I had wondered where they all were.
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30/06/2009 09:37 AM
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- MissFlax
- Wymondham, Norfolk
- 26 May 2009
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32
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Tonnes of blackfly and greenfly in Wymondham, Norfolk, my parents garden in Hethersett has been affected also. My friend's mum in Old Catton, Norwich has also been affected.
My friend in Beccles on the Norfolk/Suffolk border seems pretty unaffected.
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30/06/2009 12:35 PM
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- chriss
- iwuk
- 06 May 2009
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my garden has more greenfly and blackfly this year than ever before. I don't know why but can only assume it has something to do with the dry and warm weather we are having this summer. It is encouraging to hear that others are experiencing the same. I was beginning to think that my garden was an easy target for these pests. I am trying to keep their numbers down by hosing them down in the evening. A bit expensive on the old water meter but it saves the veg plants from being ruined. I also have a lot of roses that are affected.
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01/07/2009 05:36 PM
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Many more aphids around here too - but not to the swarming extremes others describe. Not many ladybirds but a few, noticeably not the indegenous species but those recent arrivals from the EEC! None of these EEC ladybirds seem to like aphids as they seem to avoid the plants with them on.
We had plenty of UK ladybirds around in April but have not seen any when needed.
Strangely now, after roses had taken initial hit of aphids (with ants farming) they are now clear, and its my lupins that are getting the brunt of their attention.
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02/07/2009 12:35 AM
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I have also planted a lot of marigolds this year in with my vegetables and also near to my roses as I also understand that they deter greenfly. I also save all my plastic kitchen sprayer bottles, wash them out and fill them with soapy water to spray on my runner bean tops and flowers to get rid of the greenfly and blackfly from my roses, and anywhere else I find the little blighters!. I also tip the used soapy washing up water in with my plant troughs , flower tubs, veg and over the leaves (when the sun is not on them)! and this seems to work a treat for me.
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02/07/2009 07:40 PM
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- Phot's-Moll
- The sunny South coast.
- 06 Jan 2007
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3,347
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The ladybirds are coming! I spotted a few last week and the numbers are increasing - hurrah!
Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.
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02/07/2009 07:51 PM
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I haven't seen any ladybirds yet in my garden Phots they seem to be very late this year, anyway they shouldn't be short of food when they come
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02/07/2009 07:54 PM
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- Phot's-Moll
- The sunny South coast.
- 06 Jan 2007
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3,347
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No, they should be able to increase rapidly - as long as people don't use sprays on the greenfly and kill the ladybirds too. As the pests breed more quickly than our spotty friends the greenfly will quickly return, but the ladybirds will be gone for much longer.
Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.
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02/07/2009 08:01 PM
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I wonder will the soapy water harm the ladybirds too? if so I'll stop using it, Thanks I didn't think of that one!
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02/07/2009 09:21 PM
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- Phot's-Moll
- The sunny South coast.
- 06 Jan 2007
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3,347
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I'm sure that would be much less harmful, but it might be a good plan to stop as soon as you see any ladybirds. btw, do you know what young ladybirds look like? If you don't it's easy to think they're pests as they're very weird looking. http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/ladybird.htm
Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.
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