Black fly destroying my garden

[shdodnbek]

Anyone else?

They're on practically every bush and fruit tree with masses of ants nurturing them. We always get some but this years it's gone mad.

I'm treating with a neem oil and fairy liquid solution which is helping a lot but I need to spray it frequently to stay on top!

Blasted things..

Just wait it out, not long before the predators arrive. I have an infested crab apple tree, I've been advised that strengthening the tree with foliar fertiliser sprays and feeding it will help more than spraying it with washing up liquid will. Plus I worry that washing up liquid might kill other insects

Stop treating!

Neem oil, garlic, washing up liquid etc do not discriminate between different insects.

Once you start interfering like this you’ll be stuck in a vicious cycle of constantly needing to treat as the numbers of predatory insects will be so low.

Leave alone.
Yes your plants will look a state for this year, they may possibly die though I have to say I have never, ever, experienced a plant die through aphids but leave well alone and you’ll notice the aphids becoming less of a problem with each passing year.

Ok this is good to know. I assumed as I wasn't using a bayer pesticide I was doing a good thing. I shall cease.

I need to try and lure ladybirds and such like to my garden instead. 🤔

Im fairly sure you can buy ladybird larvae online (it’s the ladybird babies that eat the most aphids)

Yes soooo sick of this too! They've recently attached onto my runner beans. They've already destroyed my broad beans and so far I have no crop from some good plants . They're spreading like crazy and I've only had one lady bird so bloody far!

Pinch out the top 3-4 inches of board bean stems above the beans once flowering stops, gets rid of the blackfly on the tips. Works on currants too. Might be a tad late for this year. I hate using chemicals but must say I do get a lot of satisfaction from a good blasting session with the hose kn the jet setting. It doesn't completely clear them but does slow them down a it. Don't do if you've sighted baby ladybirds though- don't want to knock them off.

@Powertothepetal

Im fairly sure you can buy ladybird larvae online (it’s the ladybird babies that eat the most aphids)

I didn't realise it was the larvae. I had considered buying some ladybirds but assumed they'd all fly off. This makes more sense.

@OneMoreForExtra

Pinch out the top 3-4 inches of board bean stems above the beans once flowering stops, gets rid of the blackfly on the tips. Works on currants too. Might be a tad late for this year. I hate using chemicals but must say I do get a lot of satisfaction from a good blasting session with the hose kn the jet setting. It doesn't completely clear them but does slow them down a it. Don't do if you've sighted baby ladybirds though- don't want to knock them off.

Ooh yes. I did this on my rhubarb the other day. Very satisfying. Not many of my other plants can withstand the blasting though.

Take heart! I posted a thread a few weeks ago because I was infested with black fly, well not me personally, but my garden. I sat on my hands and can report that while there are still some about it is nothing like the amount it was before, and I have seen a few ladybirds about too so am assuming there were some earlier ones who kindly laid eggs and unleashed their hungry larva . Thank you natural predators.

Good advice above re pinching out broad bean tips as I understand they are particularly vulnerable.

I agree put the pesticides away! I used to cover it all in soap too and it's been a few years since I stopped and I have just taken this photo of my apple tree, you can see there are so many aphids the leaves are curling, and then like magic these guys-harlequin ladybird larvae turn up, they are amazing. You don't need to bring them in, they'll just arrive. There are actually four different types of ladybird larvae on my aphid covered plants at the moment. Also if you encourage birds you'll find sparrows and blue tits will actually lick aphids off the plants it's wonderful to watch them.

Late to the party but my clematis buds are absolutely caked in black fly. Never had this problem before for years. We normally have loads of ladybirds but seem to have none at the moment. The neighbours seem to be phobic of all little bugs and were talking about getting rid of the ladybirds a while back, so I'm wondering if they did somehow and this is linked.

Sorry to hear that @Celandines, I think it may be general problem though. My veg are all caked in black fly too and they're under all the leaves. No ladybirds in sight here either, although my friends had their aphids sorted by ladybirds a few weeks ago. I've hardly had any crop because they've been so overwhelming on my plants.

I don't hold out much hope in terms of help from the ladybirds sadly. We do get lots if ladybirds in our garden, but our plum trees have been sick with honeydew aphids for 4 years now, and it's slowly spread to our apple trees, although they seem less susceptible. On the plus side the bees and hover flies are loving it! Black aphids are all over my dahlias, but whilst they look ugly they don't seem to harm the plants muchast least. Everything is out of balance because of the dry weather / climate change and habitat loss :-(.

Mine were on my nasturtiums but nowhere else. Nasturtiums proliferating too well to be bothered, not much left on them now though. Maybe they attract them, protecting other plants?

Yes my nasturtiums too. Well, the smaller plants. My monster nasturtium is unaffected.