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  • Little grey flies

    Hi Folks

    Hope someone can help
    ( I have also posted this on Weeds Pests and Diseases )

    Earlier this week i took the covers off my raised beds for the first time and within an hour my lettuce and spuds were covered in hundreds of little flies, they were dark grey, not sure if these are what you call blackfly.
    I washed them away with water and recovered them again,
    Today i took the covers off again and check to see if there were any more flies and all was clear but within an hour they were covered again

    Any help greatly appreciated

    ps. I have read that people use soapy water to keep flies off, do you think this will help

    Cheers
    John
    Cheers .... John

    Web link to our Allotment website http://lawsonsallotment.btck.co.uk/

    PS my plot is 9 shown on the Plot Holders Pictures

  • #2
    Are they flea beatles? If so a good organic way to get shot of the little blighters is to cover a piece of card with black treacle, run your hand over your crop whilst holding card over it, the little beggers jump up and get stuck to the treacle.
    Don't know if that is your problem but worth a try. Good luck, Miffy
    When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant. ~Author Unknown

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    • #3
      Might be fungus gnats ? They love to be indoors, in the warmth and damp, chomping on seedlings with succulent leaves, giving them all sorts of 'orrible diseases.
      I have been plagued with these on my seedlings on my windowsills this year, I think they came in as eggs with the potting soil. My guess is that they lay their eggs in humus. So I went online and researched, did what the YouTube videos said; I put sand over the damp soil in the pots, removed all sources of rotting/fruity vegetation (they love compost heaps !) and put up sticky flypaper. Fairly made a big difference, I only get the occasional one now lurking under the pots, and when the local house spiders get going that will be them sorted. ( I hope. I don't like protein supplements in my tea !)
      Blackflies are much bigger and fatter than fungus gnats, don't jump about the same even in warm weather - they just sit in a large black, traffic jam mass on the growing tips, don't even move when the hand of doom comes down to squash them.
      Soapy water as once used is now banned, even in organic circles, because of the chemical residues in soap. (Think about it - Fairy Liquid and its pals' ingredients are made in petrochemical refineries !) But you can get organic sprays based on Essential Fatty Acids, such as Growing Success' "Bug Killer", they are about as ecofriendly as you will ever get - work by the physical effects of sticky plant oils on the insects breathing spiracles I think.
      There's no point reading history if you don't use the lessons it teaches.

      Head-hunted member of the Nutter's Club - can I get my cranium back please ?

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      • #4
        Thanks for the advice Miffy & Snohare

        They seem to be very similar to the type i have in and around the compost bin and as this is very close to the beds i am wondering if they are migrating when i remove the covers
        I have removed them again today and as usual within an hour they were full so i gave them a tokan spray with soapy water and it has done the trick
        Any idea what type of fly they are if they are coming from the compost bin and will they cause any problem with the composting

        Cheers
        John
        Cheers .... John

        Web link to our Allotment website http://lawsonsallotment.btck.co.uk/

        PS my plot is 9 shown on the Plot Holders Pictures

        Comment


        • #5
          They could be blackfly or fruit flies, the latter are often found in compost. Did you use your own compost to feed the soil before planting? They could have been in the soil and have come out because they have been uncovered.
          Best wishes
          Andrewo
          Harbinger of Rhubarb tales

          Comment


          • #6
            If they are fruit flies then they will not harm the compost I don't think, but they are a sign it is too moist if I remember correctly. Don't quote me on that though !
            There's no point reading history if you don't use the lessons it teaches.

            Head-hunted member of the Nutter's Club - can I get my cranium back please ?

            Comment


            • #7
              Cheers andrewo

              This is the first time I have grown anything
              I only started the compost bin at the same time i built the raised bed so the compost is still green at the moment
              the MPC i bought was the large heavy bags from B&Q, all my veggies have come up great at the moment just keep getting the anoying flies,
              soapy water seems to be doing the trick but after the rain they all come back
              Hopefully the flies won't cause too much trouble to the Veggies
              Any perminant remmidies would be great

              Chees
              John
              Cheers .... John

              Web link to our Allotment website http://lawsonsallotment.btck.co.uk/

              PS my plot is 9 shown on the Plot Holders Pictures

              Comment


              • #8
                I Have just added a weeks worth of shredded news papers so hopefully that will dry it up a touch
                Hopefully that will sort out the flies
                Cheers
                John
                Cheers .... John

                Web link to our Allotment website http://lawsonsallotment.btck.co.uk/

                PS my plot is 9 shown on the Plot Holders Pictures

                Comment

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