I always make Stinging Nettle fertilizer from the first flush of nettles - this year I haven't used it all yet and when I went to use it there are lots of plump fleshy maggoty thingies all swimming/moving around at the top of the liquid - does anyone have any idea what they are and if it's still OK to use?
Possibly rat-tailed maggots; do they have long 'tails' they use to breathe through? Whatever, it'll be perfectly usable.
we had them last year, yuuuuck !!!
uckily, ray's not as squeamish as me and used the compost tea,anyway :o ;D
I had lots in mine. Does not seem to affect the plants. The thrushes love them. My container was full of them but the next day they had all gone and a large frog hopped out of the mix. It was amazing that it did not mind the nettle mix at all.
Many thanks for all your responses, rat tailed maggots seem to fit the bill - I am pleased to be able to continue using it, I do agree very very 'yukky'
I always take them fishing. Practically everything with fins and a tail goes for them in a big way
The fish are probably used to them, and they don't normally have a hook inside!
but aren't rat's tail maggots the hover fly? amazing that such such yuk can tun into something so useful - my dank water butts were full of them during the hot spell
Are they really Calendula so I should leave them be?
yep :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat-tailed_maggot
Oh yuk have you read the bit about having them in your back passage? They are back enough in the nettle tea.
They do not seem to like comfrey though. I wonder if few comfrey leaves with the nettles would put them off.
I found a dead one in my pee barrel today.