South East/London Gardeners - are you afflicted this year?

[LittleWingSoul]

Seem to have the worse infestation of black and green fly I've ever experienced!I have an elder tree at the back of the garden and if you stand underneath it you get "rained" on with the detritis from the black fly! Can't treat an area the size of the entire garden with a a squirty bottle of water and washing up liquid... Do I just live and let live? What's different this year?

SE here too and only seen two ladybirds so far. I NEED them ASAP.

my philadelphus is also over-run. it happens every year. you can get rid of them by spraying with diluted washing up liquid, or you cross fingers and hope the ants and ladybirds do their stuff - mine havent yet

@1jan2021 - I’d suggest removing them after they flower (for the insects) but before they set seed, then - as otherwise you’ll have four times as many next year! They are the thugs of my garden, along with bindweed and brambles. We coexist with an uneasy truce...