My-Garden-World Blog

The Hoverfly is a true soldier in the war against harmful garden insects.

You may have seen the hoverfly and mistook it for some sort of bee or wasp. That is it’s defense coloring to ward off predators. The hoverfly is harmless to humans, but deadly for aphids, thrips, and other plant sucking insects. They also make good pollinators.

There are different species found throughout the world. Some are what is called saprotrophs and their larvae (maggots) eat decaying plant materials and animals. The hoverfly we see around flowers and in our vegetable gardens are adults of the larvae species called insectivores. The larvae eat aphids, thrips, and  other plant sucking insects. The adults feed off nectar and pollen which make them good pollinators.

Aphids cause millions of dollars in plant damage every year. The hoverfly is being called upon by farmers and gardeners to help in the war on aphids. Companion planting is a centuries old technique used to fulfill a useful resource for nearby plants. In the case of the hoverfly, planting alyssum, lberis umbellata, statice, buckwheat, chamomile, parsley, and yarrow help to attract them to he garden.

Stay tuned for another beneficial garden insect in the next post.

‘Til next time,

Poppy

www.my-garden-world.com

marvin@my-garden-world.com