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Lynda

lynda1andersonlynda1anderson Posts: 5
in Problem solving
Hi, Please do any of you know what these bugs are?
We bought and at a pineapple and then put the head in water as someone told me it may flower.
It didn't.
When I took it out of the water to put in the compost I found these.
I have no idea if they were in the pineapple when we ate it or if they fell from the sky.
Please help
Regards
Lynda
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Posts

  • lynda1andersonlynda1anderson Posts: 5
  • lynda1andersonlynda1anderson Posts: 5

  • lynda1andersonlynda1anderson Posts: 5
    They wriggle a lot and swim in water. I have a couple of short videos but don't know how to attach them.

    Regards
    Lynda
  • Kitty 2Kitty 2 Posts: 5,150
    I'm no bug expert, but could they be rat tailed maggots? They're the larvae of the drone fly.
    There was a video of one doing the rounds on the internet a few days ago.
  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    @Kitty 2 there is such a thing?!?!  As if normal maggots weren't bad enough!
  • Alan Clark2 in LiverpoolAlan Clark2 in Liverpool Posts: 2,190
    Rat tailed maggots will emerge from the water to pupate into large hoverflies, which are attractive and useful pollinators, so learn to love them!
  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    @Alan Clark2 in Liverpool I try, I really really do try, every year I'm improving and forcing myself to appreciate all the multi-legged creatures I come across in the garden.
  • Kitty 2Kitty 2 Posts: 5,150
    I've just been googling them @Mary370 to learn more.
    It seems that they live in stagnant water with a high organic content, so finding them in the pineapple/water dish makes sense. The 'tail' bit is actually a breathing tube.

    I doubt that they were in the fruit when you ate it @lynda1anderson. Most likely, the flies laid eggs in the excellent nursery conditions you provided when you tried to grow the pineapple top. 😊
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    You get them quite often in nettle tea if you leave it too long and don't cover it. The pineapple water must have smelled pretty bad to have become home for them  :#  If you're rooting plants in water like that it's best to change it every couple of days with fresh rain water.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Maybe we should all copy Lynda and grow our pineapple tops and breed our own hoverflies each spring/summer ... heaven knows we need them in the garden  :)

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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