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+--- Thread: Hoverflies (/showthread.php?tid=2323)
Hoverflies - Veggie - 07-03-2025
Hoverflies don't get much publicity as beneficial insects unlike bees but they adore aphids, so that must be a good thing!
I came across this advice on how to attract hoverflies to the garden:-
"Attract adults by planting appropriate flower-rich habitats, but they will only remain if suitable densities of aphid prey are available. Hoverflies feed on the flowers of annual arable plants (such as cornflower, chickweed, knotweeds and shepherd’s purse) and hedgerow plants (wild carrot, cow parsley, hogweed and white campion). In addition, flower strips can be established specifically for hoverflies in and around fields containing coriander, buckwheat, phacelia or alyssum."
https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/identification-and-benefits-of-encouraging-hoverflies-in-field-crops
I have lots of coriander seeds which I won't be growing (as I don't like it) and I'm sure I have phacelia and alyssum too. So my plan is to mix them up and sow a "flower strip" near the veg patch. There's cow parsley & hogweed already, though I'd happily get rid of the hogweed! Sorry hoverflies.
More info at https://www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/hoverflies
RE: Hoverflies - Veggie - 07-03-2025
I've half filled a jam jar with old seeds that hopefully will attract hoverflies:-
Coriander
Phacelia
Ammi majus
Sweet Alyssum
Alyssum saxatile
Achillea -yarrow
Candytuft
Ageratum
Argemone platycerus
Added
Cornflowers
Field poppies
Blue scabious
RE: Hoverflies - Small chilli - 07-03-2025
Hoverflies are great. I’ve spent many an hour trying to photograph them in flight. It’s always a welcome sight to spot hoverfly Larvae on my chilli plants. I know my aphids are being controlled.
RE: Hoverflies - PyreneesPlot - 08-03-2025
I often find the larvae on lettuce leaves when I wash them, not a plant on which I often see aphids (other than the ones on the roots) but I guess there's enough.
RE: Hoverflies - toomanytommytoes - 08-03-2025
Hoverfly larvae always appear on my pepper plants in the greenhouse. I found them eating mealy cabbage aphid on red cabbage last year too. It's interesting to watch them feed, they grab an aphid then sort of rear up on their back legs and thrash around while they suck the juice out.
I always plant alyssum and gem marigolds in or around the greenhouse, since they are easy to grow, manageable in size and attract a broad range of predatory insects like ladybirds and parasitic wasps. They definitely like coriander flowers (there's also a small bee which really enjoys them), and fennel is good too.
Here's a more extensive list of plants - https://tomclothier.hort.net/page44.html
RE: Hoverflies - Small chilli - 08-03-2025
That’s a fantastic list . Thank you TMTT. I’m definitely growing some coriander this year.
I think that link needs to go in some sort of permanent reference section.
RE: Hoverflies - Mark_Riga - 08-03-2025
(08-03-2025, 02:04 PM)Small chilli Wrote: That’s a fantastic list . Thank you TMTT. I’m definitely growing some coriander this year.
I think that link needs to go in some sort of permanent reference section.
Good idea. I downloaded the csv and moved it into my gardening spreadsheet workbook.
RE: Hoverflies - Bren - 08-03-2025
Out of that list I only grow poppies and coriander. So I’ll try and add a few more.
RE: Hoverflies - Veggie - 08-03-2025
I've sown some of the hoverfly mix seeds around the perennial cauliflowers. Hoping that they'll be mutually beneficial.
I have this overwhelming urge to make more wildlife seed mixes - last year I said I would do more to attract butterflies to the garden. https://gardenandgossip.org/showthread.php?tid=2227&highlight=butterflies. That will be my next mix.