"Tim" wrote in message
newsprqwsxfw3wxhha1@localhost...
On Tue, 17 Jun 2003 11:14:12 +0100, Druss wrote:

"Pickle" wrote in message
...

"Bart Bailey" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 16 Jun 2003 09:22:09 +0100, "Druss"
wrote:

These things are up to 1.5 inches long, about 5mm
in diameter, excuse units, and seem to have a very long thin tail
coming
out
of one end.

Rat-tailed maggots? They are the larva of a kind of hoverfly.

They sound about right from descriptions on the web, though they cover a
lot
of adult stages. I only hope they are all the aphid eating types of
hoverflies.

Isn't it only the larvae of hoverflies that feed on aphids? The adults
drink nectar, I thought. Like lacewings.
So.... rat-tailed maggots are useless for eating aphids. Hoverflies are
nice anyway.
Tim.

This would seem to be true, they are not going to eat many aphids in teh
comfrey liquid, however they are apparently still good polinators.
One point though, having made no provision for them to be able to get out, I
found at least half of them dead the other day, fished the otehrs out and
set them free to squirm through the grass, i.e. I think I may have fed the
birds !!!, but one or two might survive it.

Duncan