Kitchen Garden Forum

Help!

I've just been out to water my raised veg planter - it's covered in enviromesh which is hooped like a polytunnel. It's full of house flies.

There's nothing in the bed that's big enough for it to have eggs on it (just seeds and a few onions) but there must be about 50+ flies have appeared.

Are they coming from the soil? What can I do? This was last year's compost which was green manured over the winter and then that was dug through, and then topped up with some fresh compost which was again dug through.

Thanks
Mxx

Welcome to the forum Mandy!

I don't know if it relates to you but we have been having swarms of flies all over the county here in Dorset. I was chatting to a couple waiting the bus who said it was so bad in the High Street the shops had to close their doors to push to go in. Also a friends retirement party was invaded. There was no reason they would be attracted to these areas but not seen emerging just the swarms.

Hang in there for those with greater experience to respond to what may have occurred in your planter.

Never heard of anything like that…..I think I would just let them out and see if they stop emerging.

And a warm welcome to the forum from me too, Mandy.

Had this recently in a holiday house but with ladybirds… the heating had been put on for the first time and there were tons of them emerging from hibernation. I wonder if that has what happened with you? You’ve put enviromesh over the area which has warmed it up quickly and all the flies that were hibernating in a patch of the bed have emerged at once?