On Fri, 16 Jul 2004 12:54:39 +0100, Martin Brown
wrote:

The last couple of weeks has seen a huge increase in the numbers of
little black flower (pollen?) beetles. Now reaching a stage where
anything in the garden that is yellow quickly becomes coated in a
writhing mass of black beetles.

Courgette flowers are particularly badly affected. Even seemingly inert
yellow objects like my neighbours "marigold" yellow rubber kitchen
gloves get coated. Marigolds are just about the only yellow flower in
the garden that is not submerged under a layer of black beetles.

I made the mistake last week of walking outside in a yellow sweat shirt
and was instantly plastered in the things too.

Any ideas what makes them appear in such huge numbers all of a sudden?
Flowers are a bit thin on the ground at the moment after a cool damp
fortnight. Does anything bother to eat them?

I don't remember having this problem last year.

Are they that much of a problem then?
I rather like the contrast of shiny little black dots against the
flowers - and I've always assumed they're part of the pollination
process.

Bit of a bummer if you want cut flowers for the house, I suppose!

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{whoisat}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk