Hoverflies

[Cloud]

I have never seen so many hoverflies in my garden!!!!
I grew English Marigolds this year for the first time and the amount of hoverflies is amazing.
But guess what no aphids!!!!
Bit worried though cos I ain't seen no Ladybirds.

[SueA]

Same here Cloud, lots of hoverflies but only seen about 2 or 3 ladybirds all year. Not many butterflies either just a few Speckled woods, large whites, Holly blues & gatekeepers. Here's a pic. of one of my hoverflies.

[ellkebe]

I grew marigolds for the first time this year in a bid to attract more insects and now I have to go through swarms of hoverflies to deadhead them (the marigolds, not the hoverflies )

I've had loads of ladybirds and their little 'dragons' - what I've really noticed the absence of this year is bees.

[lottie dolly]

i have seen quite a few bees on my lottie,my grandaughter counted 6 working the runner beans 2 weeks ago,have also came accross a few lady birds,not as many as last year,everything seems to be growing great guns,

[Marthaclematis]

I've got those hoverflies in abundance too. I've seen one ladybird in the past week and one stag beetle (I screamed like a girl, I have to admit I don't like them, esp when they fly!!!) - that'll teach me not to make woodpiles especially so they'll have somewhere to live won't it. Dh says they're endangered, is that right?

[Capsid]

I've got those hoverflies in abundance too. I've seen one ladybird in the past week and one stag beetle (I screamed like a girl, I have to admit I don't like them, esp when they fly!!!) - that'll teach me not to make woodpiles especially so they'll have somewhere to live won't it. Dh says they're endangered, is that right?

Yes stag beetles are protected, they are in decline in the UK and only live in the south east where it is warmer. The adults only live for a few months during which they mate and lay eggs in rotting wood, the pupa lives for aaround 7 years but due to habitat destruction their numbers are on the decrease, so please keep your log piles. Unfortunately I live in the midlands and don't have the benefit of seeing these summer marvels.

As for other insects, there does seem to be a lack of butterflies this year.

[armadillo]

I've seen a few ladybirds - I had a family of 4 or 5 very spotty ones living on one of my sunflowers, also noticed lots of bees which is good.
Not many butterflies though, despite having a buddleia. I remember when I was little we had a buddleia and it was always absolutely covered with butterflies, several species.

[rogesse]

We had plenty of ladybugs (home grown and harlequin) and their 'little dragons' (how cute, we call them mini dinasaurs cos they look like prehistoric crocodiles!) - but only during spring, they are virtually non-existant now.

Sadly there has also been a lack of hoverflies, hubby's favourite insect but lots of different species of bumble (red bums are my favourite)

On the plus side - where have all the slugs gone? Actually, don't answer that, I don't care. No doubt they will be back........

[lynda66]

i've only seen one ladybird, but it flew off when it had cleared my rose bush of greenfly, a couple of flowers have started coming out in the back garden now, so today i've seen 3 bumble bees for the first time ever in my garden (i've never had flowers since i moved in nearly 4 years ago)

and there have been loads of hoverflies today, gotta be at least 10 (believe me thats a lot for my garden lol) seen a couple of white butterflies the last few days, but no others, maybe its because it's a newly planted garden? but hopefully it's just the start of things to come

[ellkebe]

I guess I've been spoilt for bees over the past few years as there used to be 30 or so at any time on the lavender bushes - but I had to take them all out this winter, and the rosemary, as everything had been decimated by rosemary beetles

Butterflies are certainly scarce this year - the nearby park has one whole side given over to buddleia, and even so, there's hardly a butterfly to be seen.

Good riddance to the slugs though, especially compared to last year. We put in a (very, very!) small pond this year, and within a week a frog had taken up residence. I was watching him on slug patrol yesterday evening - so much more relaxing than doing it myself - but then the storms arrived!

[HappyMouffe]

We've had lots of hoverflies, and the butterflies have started arriving now but I've seen very few honey bees this year, just bumblebees.

[Two_Sheds]

I've got lots of hoverflies on my Calendula (English marigold) and Limanthes (poached egg)
Loads of bees on my lavender (Munstead) and Scabious (black & red)
I've got a few ladybirds, not a lot this year. I'm growing nasturtiums to attract blackfly away from my beans; the ladybird larvae will then eat the blackfly.
I found a lacewing in my compost heap, I think it was lost.

There are 100s of Cabbage Whites fluttering about now. They get caught and squashed i'm afraid

[Cloud]

Wish I hadn't said about lack of cabbage whites earlier in the year cos now I got hundreds of the little buggers!

[Kristen]

I went to check might Sprouts yesterday, and found some small caterpillars. Thanks for the heads-up

[tootles]

The only problem with hoverflies is that they sound like mosquitos!!!
I don't want to squash the good guys.........