Hover Fly

[nes]

Did everyone else know about these guys?

[img]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Syrphidae_poster.jpg[/img]

I didn't know about them at all, we always have lots and I thought they were sweat bees. I also now feel REALLY bad for getting rid of a few larva that were on my cauliflower.


[url]https://theselfsufficientgardener.com/episode-53-hoversyrphid-flies-beneficial-series[/url]

[applestar]

I love those guys!!
I still have trouble ID'ing their larvae. I'm pretty sure I squished some that were on clover early last spring before remembering they look similar to sawfly slugs. This year's goal will be to learn to positively ID the larvae. I do see the adults all the time -- Part of my Garden Patrol.

[nes]

There is a good picture in the link I posted (also a great podcast! just found it, love it!).

[img]https://theselfsufficientgardener.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/syrphidla2_I.jpg[/img]

Any green caterpillar like worm just gets me so nervous!

[soil]

we have them by the hundreds here in the spring and summer. more than a few different species. they are great pollinators as well as pest control.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Since I've nearly stopped spraying at all, the [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoverfly]syrphid flies[/url] are all over my garden, and mostly around my native area. Yea, I like these guys a LOT, part of my first line of defense... and like soil says, ding yeomans work pollinating now that honey bees are almost non-existant...

HG

[rainbowgardener]

Oh man, HG, is it confession time now? NEARLY stopped spraying? What kind of spraying is it that you still do? (Spray what, on what, for what problem?)

[The Helpful Gardener]

I still use neem, pyrethrin, hort oils, copper fungicides...

These count as spraying still...

HG