Hi,

earlier in the year (and still, to some extent) we had a plague of greenfly.
The leaves on the plums and apples were solid underneath with green sucking
things.

Last weekend we were suddenly covered in ladybirds - just everywhere.
Presumably a sign that the first generation did well off the greenfly crop
and bred like good little predators with a super abundance of prey.
Glad to see them, sorry there were so many on the lawn - hope they
compost/mulch down well.

This morning the air is full of (I think) hoverflies. These look like
semi-transparent wasps. It almost looks like snow blowing horizontally,
there are so many. Sounds like it is raining when you go under our garden
tenty thing - all the flies bashing against the material from underneath.
Slightly worrying that they all seem to be heading West in a steady stream -
where are they coming from and where are they going?

So that is 3 plagues so far - do we have another 4 to go?
Slightly worried about my firstborn son now (well, more so than the usual
worries about unemployment, lack of money, ability to do nothing until 22:00
when he suddenly comes alive and starts cooking.....bloody graduates).

Anyone seen Nostrodamus around recently, I've got a couple of questions.

Cheers
Dave R
--

David W.E. Roberts wrote:

Hi,

earlier in the year (and still, to some extent) we had a plague of
greenfly. The leaves on the plums and apples were solid underneath
with green sucking things.

Know the feeling, never seen as many!

Last weekend we were suddenly covered in ladybirds - just
everywhere. Presumably a sign that the first generation did well off
the greenfly crop and bred like good little predators with a super
abundance of prey. Glad to see them, sorry there were so many on the
lawn - hope they compost/mulch down well.

I had lots of ladybirds earlier in the year, but they dissapeared to
be replaced by black wnd white fly over everything.

This morning the air is full of (I think) hoverflies. These look
like semi-transparent wasps. It almost looks like snow blowing
horizontally,

Well, I've just come in from the garden, after being amazed at how
many there were - thousands of them. Lots of butterflies too, only
white ones though.

Do they eat white and blackfly, I've noticed that over the last few
days, they are much reduced. I was thinking the soapy water and
squishing them was gradually working, but maybe the hoverflies are
having a feast!

So that is 3 plagues so far - do we have another 4 to go?
Slightly worried about my firstborn son now (well, more so than the
usual worries about unemployment, lack of money, ability to do
nothing until 22:00 when he suddenly comes alive and starts
cooking.....bloody graduates).

Also looking for a job and broke as well!

Anyone seen Nostrodamus around recently, I've got a couple of
questions.

If you see him, I've a couple as well!

--
Regards, Charles
Unobfuscate to reply by mail
vnews a in a ring cthorpe roundblob ukfsn anotherblob org
"I really cannot tolerate intolerance"

David W.E. Roberts wrote:

Hi,

earlier in the year (and still, to some extent) we had a plague of
greenfly. The leaves on the plums and apples were solid underneath
with green sucking things.

Know the feeling, never seen as many!

Last weekend we were suddenly covered in ladybirds - just
everywhere. Presumably a sign that the first generation did well off
the greenfly crop and bred like good little predators with a super
abundance of prey. Glad to see them, sorry there were so many on the
lawn - hope they compost/mulch down well.

I had lots of ladybirds earlier in the year, but they dissapeared to
be replaced by black wnd white fly over everything.

This morning the air is full of (I think) hoverflies. These look
like semi-transparent wasps. It almost looks like snow blowing
horizontally,

Well, I've just come in from the garden, after being amazed at how
many there were - thousands of them. Lots of butterflies too, only
white ones though.

Do they eat white and blackfly, I've noticed that over the last few
days, they are much reduced. I was thinking the soapy water and
squishing them was gradually working, but maybe the hoverflies are
having a feast!

So that is 3 plagues so far - do we have another 4 to go?
Slightly worried about my firstborn son now (well, more so than the
usual worries about unemployment, lack of money, ability to do
nothing until 22:00 when he suddenly comes alive and starts
cooking.....bloody graduates).

Also looking for a job and broke as well!

Anyone seen Nostrodamus around recently, I've got a couple of
questions.

If you see him, I've a couple as well!

--
Regards, Charles
Unobfuscate to reply by mail
vnews a in a ring cthorpe roundblob ukfsn anotherblob org
"I really cannot tolerate intolerance"

"Charles Thorpe" wrote in message
...
David W.E. Roberts wrote:
snip
This morning the air is full of (I think) hoverflies. These look
like semi-transparent wasps. It almost looks like snow blowing
horizontally,

Well, I've just come in from the garden, after being amazed at how
many there were - thousands of them. Lots of butterflies too, only
white ones though.

Do they eat white and blackfly, I've noticed that over the last few
days, they are much reduced. I was thinking the soapy water and
squishing them was gradually working, but maybe the hoverflies are
having a feast!
snip

Good point - I wonder what they do feed on?
Whatever it is, there had better be a lot of it!

"Charles Thorpe" wrote in message
...
David W.E. Roberts wrote:
snip
This morning the air is full of (I think) hoverflies. These look
like semi-transparent wasps. It almost looks like snow blowing
horizontally,

Well, I've just come in from the garden, after being amazed at how
many there were - thousands of them. Lots of butterflies too, only
white ones though.

Do they eat white and blackfly, I've noticed that over the last few
days, they are much reduced. I was thinking the soapy water and
squishing them was gradually working, but maybe the hoverflies are
having a feast!
snip

Good point - I wonder what they do feed on?
Whatever it is, there had better be a lot of it!

"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message
...
Hi,

earlier in the year (and still, to some extent) we had a plague of
greenfly.
The leaves on the plums and apples were solid underneath with green
sucking
things.

Last weekend we were suddenly covered in ladybirds - just everywhere.
Presumably a sign that the first generation did well off the greenfly crop
and bred like good little predators with a super abundance of prey.
Glad to see them, sorry there were so many on the lawn - hope they
compost/mulch down well.

This morning the air is full of (I think) hoverflies. These look like
semi-transparent wasps. It almost looks like snow blowing horizontally,
there are so many. Sounds like it is raining when you go under our garden
tenty thing - all the flies bashing against the material from underneath.
Slightly worrying that they all seem to be heading West in a steady
stream -
where are they coming from and where are they going?



The larvae of the hoverfly eat aphids.

For years my Pyracantha was covered with aphids, the leaves would go black
and fall off.

Last year it was covered with hoverflies and clear of aphids. This year is
the best its ever looked.

My garden is swarming with hoverflies and not an aphid to be seen.

--
Regards,
Alan.

Preserve wildlife - Pickle a SQUIRREL to reply.

"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message
...
Hi,

earlier in the year (and still, to some extent) we had a plague of
greenfly.
The leaves on the plums and apples were solid underneath with green
sucking
things.

Last weekend we were suddenly covered in ladybirds - just everywhere.
Presumably a sign that the first generation did well off the greenfly crop
and bred like good little predators with a super abundance of prey.
Glad to see them, sorry there were so many on the lawn - hope they
compost/mulch down well.

This morning the air is full of (I think) hoverflies. These look like
semi-transparent wasps. It almost looks like snow blowing horizontally,
there are so many. Sounds like it is raining when you go under our garden
tenty thing - all the flies bashing against the material from underneath.
Slightly worrying that they all seem to be heading West in a steady
stream -
where are they coming from and where are they going?



The larvae of the hoverfly eat aphids.

For years my Pyracantha was covered with aphids, the leaves would go black
and fall off.

Last year it was covered with hoverflies and clear of aphids. This year is
the best its ever looked.

My garden is swarming with hoverflies and not an aphid to be seen.

--
Regards,
Alan.

Preserve wildlife - Pickle a SQUIRREL to reply.

"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message
...
Hi,

snip

This morning the air is full of (I think) hoverflies. These look like
semi-transparent wasps. It almost looks like snow blowing horizontally,
there are so many. Sounds like it is raining when you go under our garden
tenty thing - all the flies bashing against the material from underneath.
Slightly worrying that they all seem to be heading West in a steady
stream -
where are they coming from and where are they going?

snip
According to the local news they all blew in from the Continent.
Never seen anything like it before in Walton on the Naze.
Children screaming, women fainting, strong men turning pale then all of them
going home again without spending money.
Were the local tradespeople choked?
Too right.

"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message
...
Hi,

snip

This morning the air is full of (I think) hoverflies. These look like
semi-transparent wasps. It almost looks like snow blowing horizontally,
there are so many. Sounds like it is raining when you go under our garden
tenty thing - all the flies bashing against the material from underneath.
Slightly worrying that they all seem to be heading West in a steady
stream -
where are they coming from and where are they going?

snip
According to the local news they all blew in from the Continent.
Never seen anything like it before in Walton on the Naze.
Children screaming, women fainting, strong men turning pale then all of them
going home again without spending money.
Were the local tradespeople choked?
Too right.

wrote in message
...
On Mon, 2 Aug 2004 13:11:05 +0100, "David W.E. Roberts"
wrote:


"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message
...
Hi,

snip

This morning the air is full of (I think) hoverflies. These look like
semi-transparent wasps. It almost looks like snow blowing horizontally,
there are so many. Sounds like it is raining when you go under our
garden
tenty thing - all the flies bashing against the material from
underneath.
Slightly worrying that they all seem to be heading West in a steady
stream -
where are they coming from and where are they going?

snip
According to the local news they all blew in from the Continent.

Which one?
In the Netherlands the wind has been north - north westerly for days
and besides there isn't a plague of hover flies here. The IJsselmeer
was covered in a carpet of dead greenfly in places last weekend. Do
you think they are the remains of a hover fly binge?

It is no good trying to hide behind statistics.
We all know it is your fault :-)

The local flow here seemed to be east to west, but then you usually get
onshore winds during the day.
Perhaps they swarm offshore at night from Belgium and the Netherlands then
catch the onshore winds in the morning for the east coast UK.

I blame the EEC and lack of border controls :-)

wrote in message
...
On Mon, 2 Aug 2004 13:11:05 +0100, "David W.E. Roberts"
wrote:


"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message
...
Hi,

snip

This morning the air is full of (I think) hoverflies. These look like
semi-transparent wasps. It almost looks like snow blowing horizontally,
there are so many. Sounds like it is raining when you go under our
garden
tenty thing - all the flies bashing against the material from
underneath.
Slightly worrying that they all seem to be heading West in a steady
stream -
where are they coming from and where are they going?

snip
According to the local news they all blew in from the Continent.

Which one?
In the Netherlands the wind has been north - north westerly for days
and besides there isn't a plague of hover flies here. The IJsselmeer
was covered in a carpet of dead greenfly in places last weekend. Do
you think they are the remains of a hover fly binge?

It is no good trying to hide behind statistics.
We all know it is your fault :-)

The local flow here seemed to be east to west, but then you usually get
onshore winds during the day.
Perhaps they swarm offshore at night from Belgium and the Netherlands then
catch the onshore winds in the morning for the east coast UK.

I blame the EEC and lack of border controls :-)