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What insects will eat greenfly?
Hi.
What insects will eat greenfly (without then becoming pests themselves)? I know about ladybirds, but are there any others? How do I either encourage ladybirds into my garden or breed them myself? Ditto any other useful insects. TIA, Jeff |
What insects will eat greenfly?
"Jeff" wrote in message
m... Hi. How do I either encourage ladybirds into my garden or breed them myself? Ditto any other useful insects. TIA, Jeff I seem to remember a ladybird breeding kit being shown on one of the stalls at Chelsea during the BBC coverage. Can't remeber who was selling it though :-( Letting nettles grow in your garden will attract many beneficial insects including ladybirds, parasitic wasps, lacewings and hoverflies which will all act as natural pest control. Jeannie |
What insects will eat greenfly?
"Jeff" wrote in message m... Hi. What insects will eat greenfly (without then becoming pests themselves)? I know about ladybirds, but are there any others? How do I either encourage ladybirds into my garden or breed them myself? Ditto any other useful insects. TIA, Jeff You will never get enough predatory insects to make a significant impact on greenfly. Some people here say birds will eat them (like tits and finches) however no one has told that to the said birds on my garden who seem to ignore them. -- Tumbleweed Remove my socks for email address |
What insects will eat greenfly?
On Wed, 2 Jun 2004 08:57:55 +0100, "Tumbleweed"
wrote: "Jeff" wrote in message om... Hi. What insects will eat greenfly (without then becoming pests themselves)? I know about ladybirds, but are there any others? How do I either encourage ladybirds into my garden or breed them myself? Ditto any other useful insects. TIA, Jeff You will never get enough predatory insects to make a significant impact on greenfly. Some people here say birds will eat them (like tits and finches) however no one has told that to the said birds on my garden who seem to ignore them. That was our experience too. I saw tits picking insects off the undersides of leaves, but they completely ignored the greenfly. Spraying with soapy water as recommended here was cheap, simple and effective. |
What insects will eat greenfly?
"Tumbleweed" wrote in
: "Jeff" wrote in message m... Hi. What insects will eat greenfly (without then becoming pests themselves)? I know about ladybirds, but are there any others? You will never get enough predatory insects to make a significant impact on greenfly. Some people here say birds will eat them (like tits and finches) however no one has told that to the said birds on my garden who seem to ignore them. This kind of thing does very much depend on what your neighbours are doing and what the wider local wildlife situation is like. I have few pest problems in my garden here in Cornwall, surrounded by non- intensively-farmed fields and rather neglected woodland. In my small Cheshire garden, I seemed to be waging constant and ineffective war on all kinds of pests. I'm pretty sure this was because the local bird population was tiny, and mostly pigeons! I don't know if the fact that every other gardener seemed to have a garage filled with chemical deterrants of various sorts was cause or effect - maybe a bit of both. Victoria -- gardening on a north-facing hill in South-East Cornwall -- |
What insects will eat greenfly?
Do you have lots of ants? In my garden they very actively farm the greenfly
and blackfly meaning that beneficial insects are kept well away. Paul DS. |
What insects will eat greenfly?
|
What insects will eat greenfly?
On 2/6/04 11:58, in article , "Jane
Ransom" wrote: In article , Jeff writes Hi. What insects will eat greenfly (without then becoming pests themselves)? I know about ladybirds, but are there any others? Hover flies. A hover fly can lay several hundreds of eggs on a plant and each larvae will eat up to 400 greenfly during its life time. I think that wasps also eat greenfly but am not 100% sure. Some urglers recommend (swear that the problem disappears) dotting those bird peanut feeders round the garden. The theory is that a bird will have a coupe of caterpillars for starters, a few peanuts and then a few dozen green/black/white fly for pudding!! It works for us, I must say. We have feeders in the garden and several in the greenhouses and both are alive with birds. We have wrens, blackbirds, blue tits, chaffinches and sparrows nesting in the greenhouses and all those plus thrushes in the garden. They feed on the peanuts in winter and adults will take them now, too but we often see them with their beaks stuffed with 'wrigglers' to take to their babies. -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove the weeds after garden to email me) |
What insects will eat greenfly?
"Victoria Clare" wrote in message . 240.23... "Tumbleweed" wrote in : "Jeff" wrote in message m... Hi. What insects will eat greenfly (without then becoming pests themselves)? I know about ladybirds, but are there any others? You will never get enough predatory insects to make a significant impact on greenfly. Some people here say birds will eat them (like tits and finches) however no one has told that to the said birds on my garden who seem to ignore them. This kind of thing does very much depend on what your neighbours are doing and what the wider local wildlife situation is like. I have few pest problems in my garden here in Cornwall, surrounded by non- intensively-farmed fields and rather neglected woodland. In my small Cheshire garden, I seemed to be waging constant and ineffective war on all kinds of pests. I'm pretty sure this was because the local bird population was tiny, and mostly pigeons! I don't know if the fact that every other gardener seemed to have a garage filled with chemical deterrants of various sorts was cause or effect - maybe a bit of both. Victoria -- Havent sprayed in my garden for donkeys years, lots of small birds (and pigeons), some plants get covered in greenfly (and decimated by them). Lupins being a prime example. I know for a fact that the next door neighbour on one side doesnt spray, the other garden is a fair way away, just grass fields behind which get cut but not sprayed. Its often used an excuse that you must have been spraying or someone nearby must be spraying, if you have got lots of pests. It aint so. The simple fact is that generally pests like greenfly can vastly outbreed their predators (e xcept in artificial circmstances such as the parasitic wasps in greenhouses) and that their numbers are controlled either through seasonal factors (for example winter) or shortage of food. Pretending that nature will strike a balance which includes mopping up all the greenfly and caterpillars on your plants is just that, a pretence. -- Tumbleweed Remove my socks for email address |
What insects will eat greenfly?
"Tumbleweed" wrote in
: Its often used an excuse that you must have been spraying or someone nearby must be spraying, if you have got lots of pests. It aint so. The simple fact is that generally pests like greenfly can vastly outbreed their predators (e xcept in artificial circmstances such as the parasitic wasps in greenhouses) and that their numbers are controlled either through seasonal factors (for example winter) or shortage of food. Pretending that nature will strike a balance which includes mopping up all the greenfly and caterpillars on your plants is just that, a pretence. I'm not pretending. Nor did I say that 'nature would strike a balance'. I still think, (having tried it), that gardening 'organically' in a small garden surrounded by other non-'organic' gardeners is a bit pointless. Your stuff will be affected by other people's approach: you can't pretend you are on a desert island when the council is squirting weedkiller through your fence. If everyone else in the area has the same problem, it may (or may not) not be caused by the use of pesticides, and it might well not go away if they weren't used. I don't know of any detailed tests. Do you? So far, we seem to be working with anecdotal evidence on both sides of the discussion. I genuinely don't have greenfly problems here. If they aren't being controlled by predators, what other factors would you suggest? It could be the soil or climate, but I'm not clear how those interact with greenfly populations. The difference in bird and insect life is one of the more obvious things. I still sometimes get aphid problems on houseplants: putting them outside usually clears them. Victoria -- gardening on a north-facing hill in South-East Cornwall -- |
What insects will eat greenfly?
"Paul D.Smith" wrote in message . net... Do you have lots of ants? In my garden they very actively farm the greenfly and blackfly meaning that beneficial insects are kept well away. Paul DS. Oooh oooh Nick McClaren will 'ave you for that heresy!! (Even though they do the same in mine) -- Tumbleweed Remove my socks for email address |
What insects will eat greenfly?
"Sacha" wrote in message ... On 2/6/04 11:58, in article , "Jane Ransom" wrote: In article , Jeff writes Hi. What insects will eat greenfly (without then becoming pests themselves)? I know about ladybirds, but are there any others? Hover flies. A hover fly can lay several hundreds of eggs on a plant and each larvae will eat up to 400 greenfly during its life time. I think that wasps also eat greenfly but am not 100% sure. Some urglers recommend (swear that the problem disappears) dotting those bird peanut feeders round the garden. The theory is that a bird will have a coupe of caterpillars for starters, a few peanuts and then a few dozen green/black/white fly for pudding!! It works for us, I must say. We have feeders in the garden and several in the greenhouses and both are alive with birds. We have wrens, blackbirds, blue tits, chaffinches and sparrows nesting in the greenhouses and all those plus thrushes in the garden. They feed on the peanuts in winter and adults will take them now, too but we often see them with their beaks stuffed with 'wrigglers' to take to their babies. if you can see them wriggling, then either your birds are remarkably tame and let you get within 6 inches, or the wrigglers are not greenfly! -- Tumbleweed Remove my socks for email address |
What insects will eat greenfly?
"Victoria Clare" wrote in message .209... "Tumbleweed" wrote in : Its often used an excuse that you must have been spraying or someone nearby must be spraying, if you have got lots of pests. It aint so. The simple fact is that generally pests like greenfly can vastly outbreed their predators (e xcept in artificial circmstances such as the parasitic wasps in greenhouses) and that their numbers are controlled either through seasonal factors (for example winter) or shortage of food. Pretending that nature will strike a balance which includes mopping up all the greenfly and caterpillars on your plants is just that, a pretence. I'm not pretending. Nor did I say that 'nature would strike a balance'. I still think, (having tried it), that gardening 'organically' in a small garden surrounded by other non-'organic' gardeners is a bit pointless. Your stuff will be affected by other people's approach: you can't pretend you are on a desert island when the council is squirting weedkiller through your fence.# Thats not the case with my garden though. If everyone else in the area has the same problem, it may (or may not) not be caused by the use of pesticides, and it might well not go away if they weren't used. I don't know of any detailed tests. Do you? So far, we seem to be working with anecdotal evidence on both sides of the discussion. tests for what? Its a fact that greenfly populations are not controlled by predators. Thet grow, thrive and survive untol the cold weather comes. I genuinely don't have greenfly problems here. If they aren't being controlled by predators, what other factors would you suggest? It could be the soil or climate, but I'm not clear how those interact with greenfly populations. The difference in bird and insect life is one of the more obvious things. I still sometimes get aphid problems on houseplants: putting them outside usually clears them. Victoria -- A variety of factors makes the difference. randomness for one, nature is like that. next year I might not have any and you might have lots . Also, do you spray with water or soap or pinch them off when you see them? I dont, maybe I should, as killing one greenfly at the start will prevent a huge number a few weeks later. But is that ecological? is killing them by a different means any better? Also, the plants you grow. Not all the plants in my garden have a greenfly problem, in fact its just the apple and lupins AFAICS. The lilies have a few lily beetles, but no greenfly, and until I cut it down last week a small patch of stinging nettles was *covered* in blackfly. -- Tumbleweed Remove my socks for email address |
What insects will eat greenfly?
On 2/6/04 16:21, in article ,
"Tumbleweed" wrote: "Sacha" wrote in message ... snip They feed on the peanuts in winter and adults will take them now, too but we often see them with their beaks stuffed with 'wrigglers' to take to their babies. if you can see them wriggling, then either your birds are remarkably tame and let you get within 6 inches, or the wrigglers are not greenfly! They are *extremely* tame not to say downright over-familiar! They whizz past our noses, literally inches away - a chaffinch nearly hit me on the head yesterday as we both went through the same doorway! Two years ago, my stepson left his fleece hanging from a wire in the greenhouse and forgot it overnight. Next morning, a wren was building a nest in the collar, so he couldn't use that for a while. And another wren built a nest in some bits and pieces of equipment stored a couple of feet above a potting bench where there is always someone at work. These last two years a wren has built her nest *under* a potting bench in one of the houses and happily flits in and out, whoever is there. The small double has a lot of stuff actually planted in it, and one side is a great long bank of Fuchsias. People are walking up and down past them all day choosing bedding plants etc. and those Fuchsias get many nests in them. Cake and bread crumbs from the tea room go into a cardboard box in the big double and birds flock to that. It's only inches away from the till and there are people moving around constantly, walking past it, watching the birds and so forth. They hop onto tables while customers are eating - some flap them away - most watch in fascination. They hop onto the table in the greenhouse when the staff are having their morning coffee and cake and if you put your cake down for a second, they're onto it like lightning! The water trough in the garden has a small fountain in it and customers sitting at the tables nearby often find themselves taking part in some bird's bath time, like it or not! Apart from their own kind, there are no predators here, no cats and those that visited were seen off by our Jack Russells. In fact, one of the comments we get so often from customers is what pure joy it is both to hear the birdsong and see them come so close to people. It does give a huge feeling of privilege. -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove the weeds after garden to email me) |
What insects will eat greenfly?
"Tumbleweed" wrote in
: I don't know of any detailed tests. Do you? So far, we seem to be working with anecdotal evidence on both sides of the discussion. tests for what? Its a fact that greenfly populations are not controlled by predators. Thet grow, thrive and survive untol the cold weather comes. And your source is? I'm not being awkward, I want to know! How do you know for a fact that greenfly populations are not controlled by predators? A variety of factors makes the difference. randomness for one, nature is like that. next year I might not have any and you might have lots . Also, do you spray with water or soap or pinch them off when you see them? I dont, maybe I should, as killing one greenfly at the start will prevent a huge number a few weeks later. But is that ecological? is killing them by a different means any better? No, I don't usually bother here (I did in Cheshire or things went crispy!). But why would human 'predation' make a difference if bird predation doesn't? Most of the plants I'm growing now, I was also growing in cheshire. Plants that were severely affected by aphids in Cheshire include rose 'LD Braithwaite' & 'New Dawn', and several varieties of honeysuckle. None are afflicted with more than the odd bug here. Basil was a problem at both locations, but then I grow it on the windowsill inside. Here, cherry trees seem less prone to blackfly, though it is still an issue. Victoria -- gardening on a north-facing hill in South-East Cornwall -- |
What insects will eat greenfly?
: example winter) or shortage of food. Pretending that nature will strike a : balance which includes mopping up all the greenfly and caterpillars on your : plants is just that, a pretence. : : -- : Tumbleweed : : Remove my socks (they stink)for email address : No it's not a pretence, it really works, I have done it on my allotments and only need to crush a few greenfly and blackfly between my fingers to give a little help : |
What insects will eat greenfly?
"Jeff" wrote in message m... Hi. What insects will eat greenfly (without then becoming pests themselves)? I know about ladybirds, but are there any others? How do I either encourage ladybirds into my garden or breed them myself? Ditto any other useful insects. TIA, Jeff ********* It has been my experience that ladybirds are completely ineffective in greenfly control. The problem is that I have never ever seen a plethora of ladybirds anywhere, so when you look at a preponderance of greenfly on plants and the zero effect the efforts of half a dozen ladybirds I can assure you that the statement is a myth. In fact, I have observed ladybirds at "work" resting on an infested leaf but I have never seen a ladybird scoff a greenfly. I have never seen more than half a dozen at any one time. Can it be that persons other than I have seen swarms of them?. I certainly have seen swarms of green and blackfly many times. I most certainly have seen mnay times swarms of ants collecting greenfly and toting them down the stems to their storage underground crypts where they use them as milch cows. Doug. ******** |
What insects will eat greenfly?
Sacha wrote in message k...
They are *extremely* tame not to say downright over-familiar! They whizz past our noses, literally inches away - a chaffinch nearly hit me on the head yesterday as we both went through the same doorway! Two years ago, my stepson left his fleece hanging from a wire in the greenhouse and forgot it overnight. Next morning, a wren was building a nest in the collar, so he couldn't use that for a while. And another wren built a nest in some bits and pieces of equipment stored a couple of feet above a potting bench where there is always someone at work. These last two years a wren has built her nest *under* a potting bench in one of the houses and happily flits in and out, whoever is there. The small double has a lot of stuff actually planted in it, and one side is a great long bank of Fuchsias. People are walking up and down past them all day choosing bedding plants etc. and those Fuchsias get many nests in them. Cake and bread crumbs from the tea room go into a cardboard box in the big double and birds flock to that. It's only inches away from the till and there are people moving around constantly, walking past it, watching the birds and so forth. They hop onto tables while customers are eating - some flap them away - most watch in fascination. They hop onto the table in the greenhouse when the staff are having their morning coffee and cake and if you put your cake down for a second, they're onto it like lightning! The water trough in the garden has a small fountain in it and customers sitting at the tables nearby often find themselves taking part in some bird's bath time, like it or not! Apart from their own kind, there are no predators here, no cats and those that visited were seen off by our Jack Russells. In fact, one of the comments we get so often from customers is what pure joy it is both to hear the birdsong and see them come so close to people. It does give a huge feeling of privilege. I haven't used any chemicals in my garden for several years now, my nearest neighbours are over 400 yards away, so not likely to be affected by whatever they use. I often find greenfly on my roses, but wihtin a week they are clear, only thing that I do have problems with is gosseberry sawfly, but then the plants recover and the fruit is untouched. Having blue-tits nesting in a box next to a big rose bush is useful as they dont have far to go when feeding young. Mike |
What insects will eat greenfly?
"Victoria Clare" wrote in message .207... "Tumbleweed" wrote in : I don't know of any detailed tests. Do you? So far, we seem to be working with anecdotal evidence on both sides of the discussion. tests for what? Its a fact that greenfly populations are not controlled by predators. Thet grow, thrive and survive untol the cold weather comes. And your source is? I'm not being awkward, I want to know! How do you know for a fact that greenfly populations are not controlled by predators? 3 years of studying ecology at university. And I cant say I did greenfly in particular, but its to do with the mathematics of how fast they grow compared to their predators. They simpy outbreed them. A variety of factors makes the difference. randomness for one, nature is like that. next year I might not have any and you might have lots . Also, do you spray with water or soap or pinch them off when you see them? I dont, maybe I should, as killing one greenfly at the start will prevent a huge number a few weeks later. But is that ecological? is killing them by a different means any better? No, I don't usually bother here (I did in Cheshire or things went crispy!). But why would human 'predation' make a difference if bird predation doesn't? because the human one might kill the first ones, the ones that gives rise to the thousands on a plant. The birds presumably arent going to bother until there is a large jucy amount of them as it woudnt be energy efficient just to look for single greenfly. THough I've never seen any of the small birds in my garden eating greenfly. Lost of other insects but not greenfly. Too small to botherwith? Most of the plants I'm growing now, I was also growing in cheshire. Plants that were severely affected by aphids in Cheshire include rose 'LD Braithwaite' & 'New Dawn', and several varieties of honeysuckle. None are afflicted with more than the odd bug here. Basil was a problem at both locations, but then I grow it on the windowsill inside. Here, cherry trees seem less prone to blackfly, though it is still an issue. Interesting, I get none on mine. But no cherries either, the birds have those :-( Victoria -- -- Tumbleweed Remove my socks for email address |
What insects will eat greenfly?
Tumbleweed wrote:
"Jeff" wrote in message m... Hi. What insects will eat greenfly (without then becoming pests themselves)? I know about ladybirds, but are there any others? How do I either encourage ladybirds into my garden or breed them myself? Ditto any other useful insects. TIA, Jeff You will never get enough predatory insects to make a significant impact on greenfly. Some people here say birds will eat them (like tits and finches) however no one has told that to the said birds on my garden who seem to ignore them. I recently saw small nesting type boxes screwed to 12 inch long sticks. Instead of the usual 1" hole in the front for the bird to fly through the box was enclosed except for several holes (approx. 6mm dia) drilled through the front. Apparantly, the sticks are placed in the borders over Autumn and Winter for ladybirds to nest in and then stuck in the ground in greenhouses in the Spring to feed on aphids. Simple but clever though not sure how effective they are. Dave Dave |
What insects will eat greenfly?
On Wed, 2 Jun 2004 08:55:35 +0100, Jeannie wrote:
Letting nettles grow in your garden will attract many beneficial insects including ladybirds, parasitic wasps, lacewings and hoverflies which will all act as natural pest control. Is it possible to grow nettles in pots so they don't get away from you? Or do they cannily manage to sneak out the drainholes and take off? I don't consider myself an eco-freak of any description, but I really like the idea of encouraging predatory insects in this way. And I know where nettles abound, so I can dig male plants and thereby avoid any seeding around. (Nettles aren't common locally because it's generally too dry in summer, but they grow luxuriantly in some damp places -- you have to know where to look.) And: are there any other plants that also encourage predatory insects? -- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada [change "atlantic" to "pacific" and "invalid" to "net" to reply by email] |
What insects will eat greenfly?
In article , Tumbleweed
writes 3 years of studying ecology at university. And I cant say I did greenfly in particular, but its to do with the mathematics of how fast they grow compared to their predators. They simpy outbreed them. If you haven't got greenfly, you won't have anything for the predators to live on. Gardening in a wildlife friendly way involves maintaining all levels of the food chain - take out the lower links and you'll lose the whole chain. OK, I know you're not trying to garden in a wildlife friendly way. I think your aim is different from mine. If you can tolerate a low level of greenfly - greenfly are present, but not killing plants - then the predator approach works very well and has lots of added advantages in terms of birds, butterflies and so on. If you want a sterile garden with not a single greenfly in sight, then you're going to have to resort to pesticides. In doing so you will, of course, kill beneficial insects as well, but your plants will look pristine. because the human one might kill the first ones, the ones that gives rise to the thousands on a plant. The birds presumably arent going to bother until there is a large jucy amount of them as it woudnt be energy efficient just to look for single greenfly. THough I've never seen any of the small birds in my garden eating greenfly. Lost of other insects but not greenfly. Too small to botherwith? Do you have the right small birds? They're not all insect eaters. Bluetits seem to be the best for eating aphids, as others have said, and I often see them eating aphids on the honeysuckle outside the kitchen window. -- Kay Easton Edward's earthworm page: http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm |
What insects will eat greenfly?
"Tumbleweed" wrote in
: And your source is? I'm not being awkward, I want to know! How do you know for a fact that greenfly populations are not controlled by predators? 3 years of studying ecology at university. And I cant say I did greenfly in particular, but its to do with the mathematics of how fast they grow compared to their predators. They simpy outbreed them. Could you could cite published research? I too have a degree - and I know that it doesn't make me an expert on even the stuff I did my postgrad work on! I just have an advantage when it comes to knowing where to look things up. I also have a number of friends with biology/ecology degrees who are wedded to the idea of predator control, so I am suffering from mixed messages. ;-) Victoria -- gardening on a north-facing hill in South-East Cornwall -- |
What insects will eat greenfly?
Do you have the right small birds? They're not all insect eaters. Bluetits seem to be the best for eating aphids, as others have said, and I often see them eating aphids on the honeysuckle outside the kitchen window. How can you have "wrong" or "right" birds in the garden? Surely you get what arrives don't you? You can't choose them. I can sort of see your point though. I cannot stand magpies and chase them away at every opportunity, so I suppose, for me, they must be the wrong birds. I do the same with grey squirrels - nasty creatures. John In limine sapientiae |
What insects will eat greenfly?
"Rodger Whitlock" wrote in message
... On Wed, 2 Jun 2004 08:55:35 +0100, Jeannie wrote: Letting nettles grow in your garden will attract many beneficial insects including ladybirds, parasitic wasps, lacewings and hoverflies which will all act as natural pest control. Is it possible to grow nettles in pots so they don't get away from you? Or do they cannily manage to sneak out the drainholes and take off? I don't consider myself an eco-freak of any description, but I really like the idea of encouraging predatory insects in this way. And I know where nettles abound, so I can dig male plants and thereby avoid any seeding around. (Nettles aren't common locally because it's generally too dry in summer, but they grow luxuriantly in some damp places -- you have to know where to look.) I'm sure you would be able to grow them in pots although I have never tried. When I took over my allotment they were everywhere, a sea of nettles in fact. While I cleared most of the allotment, I left a nettle patch at the back and there are lots of ladybirds on them at the moment. I also cut some of the nettles down and put them in a water butt to make a foul smelling but effective plant food. I've heard that brambles are also good at attracting beneficial insects, but I could be wrong about that. I'm sure a Google search will turn up loads of info, like this, snipped from http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/smartli...artgardens.pdf (Not sure if the link will work on the ng) snipThe first is to encourage beneficial insects to visit your garden and feed on the non-beneficial insects.The best plants to grow to attract beneficial insects are some ofthe traditional cottage garden plants like Achillea, Anaphalis (Yarrow), Asters,Calendula (Marigold), Eschscholzia (California Poppy), Helianthus (Sunflower),Limnanthes ("poached egg") and Solidago (Golden Rod).These may be grown asannuals crops, or the herbaceous specimens may be grown in permanent plantingpockets.The second approach involves growing plants that will provide support for non-beneficial insects. Planting to support non-beneficial insects may sound a little odd,but attracting them to your garden by providing a food reserve means you will also attract predatory beneficial insects like ladybirds and lacewings.The most suitableplant for this is the common nettle, which is best cultivated as mint - planted in acontainer to prevent unwanted spreading. This supports nettle aphid which doesnot attack any other plant but does provide food for the ladybird and lacewing.snip HTH Jeannie |
What insects will eat greenfly?
"Jeannie" wrote in message ... "Jeff" wrote in message m... Hi. How do I either encourage ladybirds into my garden or breed them myself? Ditto any other useful insects. TIA, Jeff I seem to remember a ladybird breeding kit being shown on one of the stalls at Chelsea during the BBC coverage. Can't remeber who was selling it though :-( Letting nettles grow in your garden will attract many beneficial insects including ladybirds, parasitic wasps, lacewings and hoverflies which will all act as natural pest control. The bottom line is that it is not really feasible to control pests with a population of predators. The food supply is far too irregular to maintain the defending army. Franz |
What insects will eat greenfly?
"Rodger Whitlock" wrote in message ... On Wed, 2 Jun 2004 08:55:35 +0100, Jeannie wrote: Letting nettles grow in your garden will attract many beneficial insects including ladybirds, parasitic wasps, lacewings and hoverflies which will all act as natural pest control. Is it possible to grow nettles in pots so they don't get away from you? Or do they cannily manage to sneak out the drainholes and take off? How many nettles in how many pots would you need to attract enough predators to cope with an infestation of green or blackfly? And how are the predators to stay alive when they have eradicated the pests? I don't consider myself an eco-freak of any description, but I really like the idea of encouraging predatory insects in this way. And I know where nettles abound, so I can dig male plants and thereby avoid any seeding around. (Nettles aren't common locally because it's generally too dry in summer, but they grow luxuriantly in some damp places -- you have to know where to look.) And: are there any other plants that also encourage predatory insects? Franz |
What insects will eat greenfly?
"Victoria Clare" wrote in message .207... "Tumbleweed" wrote in : I don't know of any detailed tests. Do you? So far, we seem to be working with anecdotal evidence on both sides of the discussion. tests for what? Its a fact that greenfly populations are not controlled by predators. Thet grow, thrive and survive untol the cold weather comes. And your source is? I'm not being awkward, I want to know! How do you know for a fact that greenfly populations are not controlled by predators? A variety of factors makes the difference. randomness for one, nature is like that. next year I might not have any and you might have lots . Also, do you spray with water or soap or pinch them off when you see them? I dont, maybe I should, as killing one greenfly at the start will prevent a huge number a few weeks later. But is that ecological? is killing them by a different means any better? No, I don't usually bother here (I did in Cheshire or things went crispy!). But why would human 'predation' make a difference if bird predation doesn't? It is a fact that bird predation is almost negligible. I have for years successfully encouraged a healthily mixed population of various garden birds, including insect eaters, of course. That does not appear to have given me any marked protection against this, that and the other sucking insects. Human predation is a different matter. We are beings with vastly improved intelligence compared with birds, we know what we wish to eradicate and we know what murderous methods to apply to achieve our goal. And when we have killed off every greenfly, we don't go hungry, since they are not a food source for us. Most of the plants I'm growing now, I was also growing in cheshire. Plants that were severely affected by aphids in Cheshire include rose 'LD Braithwaite' & 'New Dawn', and several varieties of honeysuckle. None are afflicted with more than the odd bug here. Basil was a problem at both locations, but then I grow it on the windowsill inside. Here, cherry trees seem less prone to blackfly, though it is still an issue. Franz |
What insects will eat greenfly?
"Sacha" wrote in message ... On 2/6/04 16:21, in article , "Tumbleweed" wrote: "Sacha" wrote in message ... snip They feed on the peanuts in winter and adults will take them now, too but we often see them with their beaks stuffed with 'wrigglers' to take to their babies. if you can see them wriggling, then either your birds are remarkably tame and let you get within 6 inches, or the wrigglers are not greenfly! They are *extremely* tame not to say downright over-familiar! They whizz past our noses, literally inches away - a chaffinch nearly hit me on the head yesterday as we both went through the same doorway! But chaffinches are not particularly good at demolishing greenfly. Two years ago, my stepson left his fleece hanging from a wire in the greenhouse and forgot it overnight. Next morning, a wren was building a nest in the collar, so he couldn't use that for a while. And another wren built a nest in some bits and pieces of equipment stored a couple of feet above a potting bench where there is always someone at work. These last two years a wren has built her nest *under* a potting bench in one of the houses and happily flits in and out, whoever is there. The small double has a lot of stuff actually planted in it, and one side is a great long bank of Fuchsias. People are walking up and down past them all day choosing bedding plants etc. and those Fuchsias get many nests in them. Cake and bread crumbs from the tea room go into a cardboard box in the big double and birds flock to that. It's only inches away from the till and there are people moving around constantly, walking past it, watching the birds and so forth. They hop onto tables while customers are eating - some flap them away - most watch in fascination. They hop onto the table in the greenhouse when the staff are having their morning coffee and cake and if you put your cake down for a second, they're onto it like lightning! The water trough in the garden has a small fountain in it and customers sitting at the tables nearby often find themselves taking part in some bird's bath time, like it or not! Apart from their own kind, there are no predators here, no cats and those that visited were seen off by our Jack Russells. In fact, one of the comments we get so often from customers is what pure joy it is both to hear the birdsong and see them come so close to people. It does give a huge feeling of privilege. I agree entirely, except that the birds you mention do not actually eat greenfly and blackfly to any noticeable extent. Franz |
What insects will eat greenfly?
"Sacha" wrote in message ... On 2/6/04 11:58, in article , "Jane Ransom" wrote: In article , Jeff writes Hi. What insects will eat greenfly (without then becoming pests themselves)? I know about ladybirds, but are there any others? Hover flies. A hover fly can lay several hundreds of eggs on a plant and each larvae will eat up to 400 greenfly during its life time. I think that wasps also eat greenfly but am not 100% sure. Some urglers recommend (swear that the problem disappears) dotting those bird peanut feeders round the garden. The theory is that a bird will have a coupe of caterpillars for starters, a few peanuts and then a few dozen green/black/white fly for pudding!! It works for us, I must say. We have feeders in the garden and several in the greenhouses and both are alive with birds. We have wrens, blackbirds, blue tits, chaffinches and sparrows nesting in the greenhouses and all those plus thrushes in the garden. They feed on the peanuts in winter and adults will take them now, too but we often see them with their beaks stuffed with 'wrigglers' to take to their babies. Do you still have the blue tits now that they are needed to cope with the insect pests? Mine have gone to their summer quarters. Franz |
What insects will eat greenfly?
"Franz Heymann" wrote in message The
bottom line is that it is not really feasible to control pests with a population of predators. The food supply is far too irregular to maintain the defending army. Franz I think that, while encouraging beneficial insects into your garden may not entirely solve your pest problems, it does help, otherwise why wasn't the world covered in greenfly and other pests before the advent of insecticides. I also think, as another contributer pointed out futher down the thread, that the magnitude of the pest problem entirely depends upon your point of view. If you want your garden to be pristine and completely free of all pests you will probably have to use some kind of insecticide to kill them and planting nettles et al will never solve your problems, if however, you don't mind a few green fly, and would rather not use chemicals, then cultivating plants that encourage natural predators is beneficial to some extent. As an aside, I have used this method, togther with companion planting on my allotment and have never had to spray with anything in 4 years, which I think is something of a success :-) Jeannie |
What insects will eat greenfly?
On 3/6/04 15:16, in article , "Franz
Heymann" wrote: "Sacha" wrote in message ... snip It works for us, I must say. We have feeders in the garden and several in the greenhouses and both are alive with birds. We have wrens, blackbirds, blue tits, chaffinches and sparrows nesting in the greenhouses and all those plus thrushes in the garden. They feed on the peanuts in winter and adults will take them now, too but we often see them with their beaks stuffed with 'wrigglers' to take to their babies. Do you still have the blue tits now that they are needed to cope with the insect pests? Mine have gone to their summer quarters. Franz I don't know what you mean by summer quarters but yes, the blue tits are still here and the Little Owls are back, while the rooks are taking their annual holiday. -- Sacha (remove the weeds after garden to email me) |
What insects will eat greenfly?
On 3/6/04 15:16, in article , "Franz
Heymann" wrote: "Sacha" wrote in message ... snip Apart from their own kind, there are no predators here, no cats and those that visited were seen off by our Jack Russells. In fact, one of the comments we get so often from customers is what pure joy it is both to hear the birdsong and see them come so close to people. It does give a huge feeling of privilege. I agree entirely, except that the birds you mention do not actually eat greenfly and blackfly to any noticeable extent. Franz They don't seem especially fussy as to what they eat. For all I know they also eat some of the biological control predators we use! -- Sacha (remove the weeds after garden to email me) |
What insects will eat greenfly?
On Thu, 03 Jun 2004 17:56:42 +0100, Sacha
wrote: I agree entirely, except that the birds you mention do not actually eat greenfly and blackfly to any noticeable extent. Franz They don't seem especially fussy as to what they eat. For all I know they also eat some of the biological control predators we use! LOL! |
What insects will eat greenfly?
In article , John Edgar
writes Do you have the right small birds? They're not all insect eaters. Bluetits seem to be the best for eating aphids, as others have said, and I often see them eating aphids on the honeysuckle outside the kitchen window. How can you have "wrong" or "right" birds in the garden? wrong or right for the purpose - in this case eating greenfly. If the only birds in your garden are seed eaters, you are not going to observe them eating greenfly. Surely you get what arrives don't you? Of course. Whether they decide to stay around depends on the conditions that you encourage, but that isn't really relevant to the point I was making. You can't choose them. I can sort of see your point though. I cannot stand magpies and chase them away at every opportunity, so I suppose, for me, they must be the wrong birds. I do the same with grey squirrels - nasty creatures. Elegant movers, and not so nasty if you're in a city where squirrels are not over abundant and any sort of wildlife is welcome. -- Kay Easton Edward's earthworm page: http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm |
What insects will eat greenfly?
Kay Easton wrote in
: In article , John Edgar writes Do you have the right small birds? They're not all insect eaters. Bluetits seem to be the best for eating aphids, as others have said, and I often see them eating aphids on the honeysuckle outside the kitchen window. How can you have "wrong" or "right" birds in the garden? wrong or right for the purpose - in this case eating greenfly. If the only birds in your garden are seed eaters, you are not going to observe them eating greenfly. In my garden, I have observed blue tits and I think also great tits rummaging round the tips of my rose bushes and honeysuckles. They don't seem to damage the plants, so I have always assumed they are eating greenfly ( I don't get that close, so maybe they are up to something else - dunno what tho). At any rate, those plants don't have a greenfly problem, though I did find the odd one here and there when I looked today. Victoria -- gardening on a north-facing hill in South-East Cornwall -- |
What insects will eat greenfly?
On Thu, 3 Jun 2004 08:54:04 +0100, Kay Easton wrote:
Do you have the right small birds? They're not all insect eaters. Bluetits seem to be the best for eating aphids, as others have said, and I often see them eating aphids on the honeysuckle outside the kitchen window. When it comes to birds, the UK differs so greatly from the PacNW that discussion is moot: entirely different species. But it is true that encouraging certain species can benefit the garden. We have a little bird here, the bushtit. (You may have it in the UK, too, but heaven's only knows if the name is used in the same way.) I enjoy putting out lumps of suet for them in the winter. Hang a nice lump of suet from a string so the rats and raccoons and such can't get at it, and watch the bushtits go to town. I've seen over a dozen on a single lump. (They're charming little birds that seem to travel in flocks of thirty or forty and come swinging through every fifteen minutes or so as they make their rounds. I put up three or four such feeding stations every year -- suet is very cheap at the local grocery store. Mirabile dictu, it turns out that the bushtits, encouraged by the suet, also work hard at cleaning up the garden. I had the great pleasure of watching one closeup through a window while it was working over a Cytisus battandieri. It took a while to figure out just what my little feathered friend was doing, but eventually I could see that he (she?) was methodically searching for, and eating, coccoons of small caterpillars. My C. battandieri is alway chewed up by some small caterpillar, and they evidently pupate in situ. Next winter, suet in the cytisus. -- Rodger Whitlock Victoria, British Columbia, Canada [change "atlantic" to "pacific" and "invalid" to "net" to reply by email] |
What insects will eat greenfly?
On 3/6/04 23:28, in article
, "Victoria Clare" wrote: snip In my garden, I have observed blue tits and I think also great tits rummaging round the tips of my rose bushes and honeysuckles. They don't seem to damage the plants, so I have always assumed they are eating greenfly ( I don't get that close, so maybe they are up to something else - dunno what tho). At any rate, those plants don't have a greenfly problem, though I did find the odd one here and there when I looked today. Victoria I have the same impression from the blue tits we see in the garden. We grow few roses so perhaps we have fewer greenfly, as a result. ;-) -- Sacha www.hillhousenursery.co.uk South Devon (remove the weeds after garden to email me) |
What insects will eat greenfly?
"Jeannie" wrote in message ... "Franz Heymann" wrote in message The bottom line is that it is not really feasible to control pests with a population of predators. The food supply is far too irregular to maintain the defending army. Franz I think that, while encouraging beneficial insects into your garden may not entirely solve your pest problems, it does help, otherwise why wasn't the world covered in greenfly and other pests before the advent of insecticides. To a first approximation it was. Why else did anybody bother to develop insecticides? {:-)) I also think, as another contributer pointed out futher down the thread, that the magnitude of the pest problem entirely depends upon your point of view. If you want your garden to be pristine and completely free of all pests you will probably have to use some kind of insecticide to kill them and planting nettles et al will never solve your problems, if however, you don't mind a few green fly, and would rather not use chemicals, then cultivating plants that encourage natural predators is beneficial to some extent. As an aside, I have used this method, togther with companion planting on my allotment and have never had to spray with anything in 4 years, which I think is something of a success :-) I would agree with that. (Or were you just lucky? {:-)) Franz |
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