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Blackfly on hedges

hiacedrifterhiacedrifter Posts: 119
in Problem solving
I've got some young native hedgerow plants and, like nearly everything in my garden this year, have lots of blackfly. Is there anything that works to get rid of blackfly that won't harm the various other insects?

Posts

  • robairdmacraignilrobairdmacraignil Posts: 782
    A jet of water from a hose can be used to wash them off or you could squash them with your thumb and fingers if you had the patience but if there are lots of black fly you should get predator insects like ladybirds and hover flies arrive to feed on them at some stage. Some small birds are also known to feed on them and just making your garden more welcoming for the natural predators should help. A water bath or small pond and lots of flowers to support the insects and maybe some nesting boxes for the small birds should help.

    Happy gardening!
    https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableveg/videos
  • hiacedrifterhiacedrifter Posts: 119
    robairdmacraignil said:
    A jet of water from a hose can be used to wash them off or you could squash them with your thumb and fingers if you had the patience but if there are lots of black fly you should get predator insects like ladybirds and hover flies arrive to feed on them at some stage. Some small birds are also known to feed on them and just making your garden more welcoming for the natural predators should help. A water bath or small pond and lots of flowers to support the insects and maybe some nesting boxes for the small birds should help.

    Happy gardening!
    Have you tried any of the organic insect sprays? 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    The problem with using anything other than water is that even the organic insecticides kill insects … and insects include the ladybird larvae, lacewings, wasps and hoverflies etc … and those are the ones that, along with the birds, will feed on the aphids … if you build up the population of all those in your garden you won’t have an aphid problem. While that’s happening just use a jet of water from the hose. 
    We did that for a few years when we first came here … now we’ve not had an aphid problem for years … and we grow aphids’ favourite foods such as honeysuckles, roses, beans and nasturtiums amongst many other plants. 
    😊 

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





  • robairdmacraignilrobairdmacraignil Posts: 782
    hiacedrifter said:
    robairdmacraignil said:
    A jet of water from a hose can be used to wash them off or you could squash them with your thumb and fingers if you had the patience but if there are lots of black fly you should get predator insects like ladybirds and hover flies arrive to feed on them at some stage. Some small birds are also known to feed on them and just making your garden more welcoming for the natural predators should help. A water bath or small pond and lots of flowers to support the insects and maybe some nesting boxes for the small birds should help.

    Happy gardening!
    Have you tried any of the organic insect sprays? 

    No. I let the insects in the garden here live without being sprayed. As the garden has matured its really nice to see the varieties that have settled in here and agree with Dovefromabove that even an organic insecticide will kill insects of all sorts. Much better to let an ecosystem in the garden develop to control pests naturally in my opinion.

    Happy gardening!
    https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableveg/videos
  • hiacedrifterhiacedrifter Posts: 119
    The only problem is some of the hedge plants only have 1 or 2 leaves. I might have to pick the black fly off my hand! 
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    What’s the problem with the hedge plants that they only have a few leaves?

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





  • hiacedrifterhiacedrifter Posts: 119
    Dovefromabove said:
    What’s the problem with the hedge plants that they only have a few leaves?
    Brand new bare root plants, started off as sticks a few weeks ago
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Can you post some photos … let’s see if we can help with them. 

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





  • robairdmacraignilrobairdmacraignil Posts: 782
    hiacedrifter said:
    Dovefromabove said:
    What’s the problem with the hedge plants that they only have a few leaves?
    Brand new bare root plants, started off as sticks a few weeks ago

    I would have thought bare root planting season normally ended in April.
    https://www.youtube.com/user/sustainableveg/videos
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