Is it the year of the greenfly?

[janeyo]

And no-one told me?
I have loads all over my outside toms. Don't remember this many lastyear the whole summer.... Does this mean it will also be a bumper year for ladybirds?

[GreatBlah]

Get some french marigolds and also sow some marigolds with single flowers near by as hoverfly also like green fly.

[beaufontboy]

Same here, lods of greenfly already, very few last year ! Whats going on !!

[rogesse]

Loads of greenfly here and strangely trying to give my pepper plants a go (a hiding to nothing there!) - on the plus side where are all the slugs?

[Reks]

I agree, seeing greenflies, aphids and all kind of bugs on plants I never saw last few years.....not good at all

[Two_Sheds]

Well, I've had lots of ladybirds for weeks, and haven't seen a single aphid on the plot (yet).

Very few at home either.

(I sow calendula and limnanthes in the autumn to provide early food for hoverflies, ladybirds, bees etc)

[Sonata]

I haven't seen a single ladybird yet..but also have hordes and hordes and HORDES of aphids. They're on the roses (obviously), the strawberries (poor plants), the coriander...everything.

[SarzWix]

I haven't seen any yet, but I've seen blue tits in both gardens (usually only see them out back) so maybe they're collecting them all for me?

[JILLY JACKSON]

Came in from the garden yesterday covered in them!Then looked down to see my dog also covered in them too! Defo year of the greenfly here.

[Lazgaot]

My rosebush is covered 3 deep at the moment in aphids and greenfly. What's the best remedy? Commercial spray or a weak detergent spray?

[Reks]

I use my hands....squish them!!!! I tired a general bug spray on the aphids on my hosta buds and they seem to work too.

[FB.]

Aphids seem to thrive in warm, dry years. I guess that heavy rain washes them off the leaves and that low temperatures slow their growth.
I seem to remember seeing lots of ladybirds in hot summers of the past and have seen very few in recent years, so there may be a link.
There are plenty of predators around and the predator populations are building up in recent weeks.

I prefer to use chemical-free control; a water pistol or a spray-gun that has never been used for chemicals. The aphid predators are susceptible to the same insecticides that kill the aphids, as well as being far less numerous, so the moment you start spraying insecticides, you will have to continue treating, or be prepared to wait up to a couple of years for predator populations to recover.

[Madasafish]

too cold here for greenfly.
Lupins get covered as do dahlias and nasturtiums - in late June...

I spray with soap solution... and spray .. and spray...

[francesbean]

Yep aphids on roses and honeysuckle -strangely seen no ladybirds at all so far this year.
Also squishing gooseberry sawfly -but so far they are not as bad as last year.
I also have no snails!

Something definately seems out of kilter.

francesbean

[Two_Sheds]

I also have no snails!

thank the lordy.
We've had a very dry 5-6 weeks. I haven't noticed (hardly) any slug/snail damage this year.
Even my direct-sown stuff is growing OK, which is unusual.