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Help, can anyone identify this little guy? I'm overwintering a few things on the windowsill in my lounge. Some of the chilli plants have had whitefly. Now I've had a few of these guys appear over the past couple of weeks. Was wondering if they are beneficial or not, have they been attracted by the whitefly or do I just happen to have got some eggs from somewhere?
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There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those that understand binary and those that don't. -
looks like a hoverfly Hoverflies and yup, they are good for getting rid of bugs
Hoverfly - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia -
Thanks Lynda, so they probably "smelt" the whitefly and couldn't resist an all-you-can-eat buffet. Not overly happy about having flying things in the lounge but as long as they are beneficial and it's only one or two I guess I can tolerate it. If they start to bother me I guess I could catch them and move them to the greenhouse
There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those that understand binary and those that don't.Comment
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yeah, they may have actually hatched from the soil?? cos of it being warm, don't kill em they are good lol, greenhouse may be the way to go, i hate things flying round the house, beneficial or not lol
i think it's only the larvae that eat the bugs ??? though sure an expert will be along soon to put me right if that's not the caseLast edited by lynda66; 19-01-2009, 01:16 PM.Comment
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How would you go about catching em?WPC F Hobbit, Shire police
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glass over the top and a bit of cardboard
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Exactly. That's what I did with the first couple. I'm not a buddhist, but I don't kill stuff unless it's annoying meOriginally posted by lynda66 View Postglass over the top and a bit of cardboard
There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those that understand binary and those that don't.Comment
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Great line for your local chavs.Originally posted by HotStuff View Post...... but I don't kill stuff unless it's annoying me
I vote Hoverfly also, think they do not have a very long life though.Always thank people who have helped you immediately, as they may not be around to thank later.
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They don't seem to live long as you say Peter, and they tend to go rather dopy and then just peg out. Beneficial insects though.Whoever plants a garden believes in the future.
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Particularly after Prof Peabody's experience last Friday.Originally posted by Peter View PostGreat line for your local chavs.
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...tml#post349169Last edited by HotStuff; 19-01-2009, 10:13 PM.There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those that understand binary and those that don't.Comment
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Hoverflies and tiny black parasitic wasps (look like tiny gnats) are my biggest "aphid control" allies. I do all I reasonably can, to encourage them.
Ladybirds and lacewings are not common here.
I exploit hoverflies to keep my aphid problems down, since I try to grow things with no sprays.
Hoverflies will lay eggs, which then hatch into tiny, coloured (often orange), maggot-like creatures that crawl around the plants, looking for aphids and the like.
I allow some of my stronger-growing apples to get overrun with aphids, so that I can "harvest" the hoverfy larvae (they end up overcrowded anyway) and I move them onto other plants where aphid attacks are beginning.
Just a few hoverfly larvae can decimate an aphid population in a few days..Comment
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