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Old 27-07-2006, 04:09 PM posted to rec.gardens.edible
Harry Chickpea Harry Chickpea is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Jul 2006
Posts: 11
Default Flies on my Plum Tree.

Eileen wrote:


Thank you all for your replies.


I have attached a photo taken yesterday of the pests.


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That is a bluebottle.

These flies deposit their eggs in manure, decaying garbage or dead
animals. The only effective way to eliminate them is to find where
they are laying eggs. If the plum has fruits, open a few up and see
if they are infesting them (especially ones on the ground).

Otherwise, sniff (literally) around the area. You might discover a
dead possum or raccoon hidden in weeds, or you might find a
particularly fetid pile of garbage.

I once experienced an infestation of these and houseflies of epic
proportions. I was living in the country, and a neighbor was making
extra money by selling his topsoil. After he removed the best of it,
he got a bright idea and allowed a dairy to dump truckloads of whey
onto the subsoil as a soil amendment. Within a week, I literally
could not open a door without a hundred of these flies entering the
house. I've slogged through manure in a barnyard and been pestered by
flies, but never experienced anything as extreme as this.

The flies are attracted to the smell of carrion, so one way to reduce
their numbers slightly is to make a "big stinky" trap. Find a
widemouthed gallon jug, and make a funnel of window screening to sit
in the mouth of it. Clip the bottom of the cone so it is open only
about 1/2" to 3/4" Then take a golf ball sized clump of raw hamburger
and drop it in the bottle. Add water to about 1/2 way up the side of
the hamburger ball. Place the cone on top and secure it with duct
tape. Hang the bottle under the tree and away from the house -
otherwise 1. you won't be able to stand the smell once it starts to
work, and 2. animals will try to get to the meat in the bottle as it
first starts to stink.

Flies will be attracted to the rotting meat and enter through the
funnel, and not be able to escape. Their bodies will add to the
stench. Trust me, it'll be bad, but it will significantly reduce the
numbers of flies.

Use flypaper (hardware store item) to stop more of them. Hang some in
your tree, put some by your doors and windows.

All this is only stopgap. You must find the eggs and eliminate the
source if you want real relief. If the plum tree is harboring them
and creating a breeding ground, I would remove it.