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Blackfly infestation - any ideas?

gilla.walmsleygilla.walmsley Posts: 339
in Problem solving
I've had my garden for 3 years now, the 1st year there were no problems but years 2 and especially this summer it has been completely infested with blackfly. I don't mean just a few, they've literally destroyed 80% of plants in my garden, including most of my veg and all the pond plants including the lovely lillies. It's really had a considerable impact on how I'm able to enjoy the garden because they've just killed almost everything - shrubs, annuals, all of it! Does anyone have any tips or thoughts as to why it would be SO bad? 
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  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    Boil some rhubarb leaves.  Allow to cool.  Drain liquid.  Place in household spray gun and use on the blackfly.  They last longer than the rhubarb so it'll be a wise precaution to keep a supply for the rest of this year and the start of next.
  • Robert WestRobert West Posts: 241
    I've never seen as much black fly as I have this year. Luckily they stuck mainly to my nasturtiums but they absolutely covered them until the plants looked black. I guess they liked those plants so much they didn't bother moving on to others. 
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    Be careful with the rhubarb,it's toxic,do you have fish in the pond? We always have terrible black fly,I gave up growing runner beans. Our front dahlias are full of them.
  • gilla.walmsleygilla.walmsley Posts: 339
    Robert what you describe on the nasturtiums is how it is for me on all plants - they turn them black because they're so infested and then they die. I have tried growing nasturtiums to detract them but if anything it made the problem worse. They killed all of my nasturtiums, cosmos, sweet peas, pond plants, lillies, broccoli, my beautiful snowball bush and many other things. The problem is so widespread that unfortunately I don't think spraying them with anything is an option - it would take me at least a couple of hours a day - and I also can't get into the pond (which is quite large).

    Is there anything that would be particularly attracting them to my garden? Or certain conditions? In my last garden I had zero blackfly at all...
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited September 2022
    Hose off the ones on the waterlilies.  The fish will love them.

    For the others, I squish them as soon as they are seen.  Very environmentally correct!   You don't need to remove 100%, leave some to encourage their predators

    Some plants are worse than others.  I have given up on aubergines.

    But the season is now cooling.  Get them earlier next year.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • gilla.walmsleygilla.walmsley Posts: 339
    I have been hosing them where possible but I think it's hard for me to convey just how bad the problem is - I would have to spend hours a day hosing my entire garden in order for them to be vaguely cleared. It's not just a few on certain plants, they've swarmed everything and turned all the plants black / killed them. My garden is extremely sunny - south facing, no shade, south east England - not sure if that has anything to do with it! Has anyone ever tried plants that attract ladybirds and other aphid killers, do they have any positive effect? The problem is so bad that it's made me want to move house, if that helps convey just how destructive it is!
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    Nothing attracts ladybirds and hover flies more than blackflies.
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • gilla.walmsleygilla.walmsley Posts: 339
    Hmm - so if there's already PLENTY of black fly then maybe companion plants for ladybirds etc isn't going to do anything! Thought I'd include some pics of my dead lily leaves, cosmos and water plantain - all killed by black fly!

     
  • Bee witchedBee witched Posts: 1,295
    Hi @gilla.walmsley,

    That looks truly awful.
    I agree with what others have said about targeting them early in the spring before they get too established.
    The other thing I'd do is put lots of bird feeders and nest boxes around to try and encourage an army of little helpers.

    Hope next year isn't as bad for you.
    Good luck going forward.

    Bee x

    Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders  

    A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I tend to cut off the worst bits and compost them. But if whole plants are covered, that's not much of an option.
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