Topic: Black Fly

[ceres]

and angelica stems!

[hopalong]

Thanks for the tips about elderflowers and angelica.  Certainly worth a try.  I've been growing nasturtiums around my broad beans to attract the black fly away, but that doesn't work - they just colonise both.  Pinching out the growing tips doesn't work either. The situation has been so bad that I've lashed out on some ladybirds, sent through the post by Green Gardener, and they have had some effect.  Thought I'd also try insectidal soap, available from the Organic Gardening catalogue (Chase Organics).

[Eristic]

ladybirds are around but ultimately the blackfly seem to be winning...

Last night I tries a combo of rubbing them off and puttig on a soapy washing up liquid solution to deter the fly.

Either leave it to the ladybirds or treat with chemicals. You can't do both.

[tim]

For the first time ever, no fly - as yet. SO lucky!!
And, dare I mention it - only one or two Cabbage Whites.

[BarriedaleNick]

Our site is covered with blackfly but we seem to have been blessed with ladybirds as well.  I sprayed my BBs once in April but since then I have left well alone and let nature take its course - seems to be working so far.

[tim]

I may have been unlucky but I have never known L/Bs keep up with the invasion. More theory than reality?

[dtw]

I've had some on my rhubarb this year, is that unusual?

[hellohelenhere]

I don't think the soapy solution works as a deterrent - you have to spray the aphids themselves, it works by contact, I think it suffocates them. So you could spray very carefully, but you still might get the odd ladybird/ladybird larva that you didn't notice.

[thifasmom]

Has anyone tried to put small branches of elderflower in amongst the plants?

This does work - just shove a few in the ground among the plants that you want rid of the blackfly and they will go!

Old Bird

thought i would give this a go and decided to pick some branches on the way home after the afternoon school run.

guess what i found on the some of the branches.................. yep you guessed - BLACKFLY ::).

think I'll give this tip a miss, sorry Old Bird :).

[thifasmom]

TM, what variety of beans are those in your pic? I'm doing something really wrong with runner beans - maybe keeping the plantlets in pots too long before I have put them out - all my plants so far are teeeny! Less than knee-high. :(

I'm afraid i don't remember the variety but it was a dwarf pod type with red flowers the pods didn't get more than 6 inches long and because i didn't realise this at the time i harvested the first two croppings later than i should have (as i was waiting for the pods to get a little longer) which meant that the outer pod was too tough to eat but the shelled fresh beans did make a mean stew yum :P.

i popped the remaining packet of seeds into one of the winter swaps and I'm growing a regular longer pod variety this year, which so far are doing well with fingers crossed no signs of blackfly to date.

[daxzen]

i am using a natural remedy

rhubarb leaves stewed in a large container with water and the infused liquid is stained and then sprayed on the affected plants - it really does deter and move the blackfly

[thifasmom]

i am using a natural remedy

rhubarb leaves stewed in a large container with water and the infused liquid is stained and then sprayed on the affected plants - it really does deter and move the blackfly

yes tried that last year and on green fly this year and it does work but my rhubarb is not looking to great so i don't want to deplete its leaves

[Eristic]

The secret of success using just nature is to keep predator and prey in balance. This means that you will never be completely free from pests such as aphids but their presence is vital to the food supply of the predator species.

No matter how careful you are when spraying, the cycle is broken. Kill all the blackfly overnight and any ladybird larvae will die of hunger while the adults simply fly away.

If you interfere and kill the blackfly you also kill the ladybirds one way or another. You have to choose whether you are a sprayer or leaving it to nature to cure. There is no middle ground.

[hellohelenhere]

The rhubarb leaf technique - do you stew the leaves in boiling water? Or do you mean, just soak them in a bucket?

[Flighty]

Helen just put plenty of rhubarb leaves in a bucket of cold water and leave for a couple of weeks. The smell is pretty awful so put it well out the way. 
I'm going to give it a try as as several plot neighbours reckon it works wonders!

[hellohelenhere]

Thanks Flighty, I'll give it a try. It can go down the end of the garden with the bin of stinky goop and the old dead snail traps. :)

[thifasmom]

for a quicker solution i pour boiling water over the leaves in a bucket and leave till cool or overnight then strain and pour into my 1L spray bottle and add a squirt of dish washing soap (if you have soap flakes/ horticultural soap then use that instead).

[susan1]

Hub swears by his smelly nettle infusion on his broad beans and it does seem to be working, plot next door covered ours staying clear :)