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How to kill normal flies without killing hover flies?

TheRainyGardenTheRainyGarden Posts: 51
edited July 2021 in Problem solving
My garden is infested with flies - normal ones, huge green shiny ones, long-bodied ones, you name it. I think they were imported by cheap local compost I bought last year.... they just hang around in the garden, mostly on top of flowers. I had no idea that flies like normal flowers.... （hydrangea, begonia, daisy, etc, not pollinating flowers)I tried yellow sticky tape and home made vinegar trap, both didn't really work. I also got quite a lot of hover flies in the garden and don't want to kill them. I understand that both commercial pesticide and soap water will kill both. Is there a good way to only kill normal flies? I have even tried fly swapper to do it by hand but sadly can't catch up with the speed of them multiplying!
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  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    If you have nothing else to do you could use a Fly Swat- perhaps pretend you are playing tennis  (as Wimbledon coverage is rife ) - good exercise but other than that I doubt you will have much effect.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Maybe pretend you’re playing ‘squash’ rather than tennis 🤣 

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





  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    The insects will be doing your garden a favour. In time they will move on.
  • philippasmith2philippasmith2 Posts: 3,742
    Dovefromabove said:
    Maybe pretend you’re playing ‘squash’ rather than tennis 🤣 
    Never thought of that despite how obvious it should have been :D
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    Some rotting thing is attracting  them. Find that and they'll disappear 
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497

    B3 said:
    Some rotting thing is attracting them. Find that and they'll disappear 
    Probably all the dead flies...
    As Pansy says, there's about 7000 species of fly in the UK. The diversity is astounding and every one of them occupies some crucial ecological niche. Bees get all the PR but flies are doing some of the hard work as well.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    wild edges said:

    B3 said:
    Some rotting thing is attracting them. Find that and they'll disappear 
    Probably all the dead flies...
    :D
  • Chris-P-BaconChris-P-Bacon Posts: 943
    Is your garden 'wet' or do you have a pond or two? Flies are attracted to gardens with damp soil or water (especially still or stagmant and especially in hot weather).
    Encourage birds - if you're fortunate you'll attract Swallows or Swifts which take insects "on the wing" or equally as good, frogs.
    I love astillbes - so do Flies!.. it's the price I pay.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I find stamped snails attract flies until something else eats them. Not long here.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    If there is a  particular area of compost that is attracting flies, then covering the area with a thick mulch might help - sawdust, bark, grit etc.  It work for compost bins too. Hosing it down before hand throughly (long drench) might help too.

    I had a delivery of manure last year that was drenched in urea and stank to high hell for months - I guess a packaging error. I washed it out, mulched it for some months and it was fine after that.
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