Hoverflies

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Hoverflies

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Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 05 9:20 am Post subject: Hoverflies
is it me getting timings mixed up or are there not so many hoverflies around yet/this year?

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 05 9:27 am Post subject:
I haven't really seen any and I've got coriander, limanthes and carrots in flower right now

tawny owl

Joined: 29 Apr 2005
Posts: 563
Location: Hampshire

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 05 9:49 am Post subject:
I've seen quite a few. They like my new philadelphus.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 05 10:22 am Post subject:
The first few appeared near our pond yesterday. I like hoverflies.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 05 11:45 am Post subject:
I think they arrive in large numbers a bit later in the season. We also like them and it's often good to hold your hand out near them for them to settle on. You can do that with dragon flies as well and watch them clean themselves.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 05 12:07 pm Post subject:
ooh, and you can get them to track orange pips, which is cool.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 05 12:09 pm Post subject:

sean wrote:

ooh, and you can get them to track orange pips, which is cool.

How do you do that

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 05 12:11 pm Post subject:
If you squirt an orange pip out of your fingers so it goes past the hoverfly then the fly flies a parallel course to the trajectory of the orange pip. It's something to do with the size of object/speed of movement.

Nanny

Joined: 17 Feb 2005
Posts: 4520
Location: carms in wales

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 05 1:10 pm Post subject: hoverflies
i haven't seen any at all and last year our elderberry bush was covered with them while it was in flower. only seen one or two lady birds as well was it because of the cold spell we had do yo suppose? p.s. when hte orange pip hits the ground do the hoverflies crash and burn?

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 05 1:55 pm Post subject: Re: hoverflies

Nanny wrote:

when hte orange pip hits the ground do the hoverflies crash and burn?

Nah, they only track it until its forwards speed drops. Then they go and hover smugly while the orange pip crashes.

N.V.M.

Joined: 05 Feb 2005
Posts: 207
Location: British Columbia,Canada,eh!

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 05 2:04 pm Post subject:
i took a pic the other day. its not easy getting them to pose for any amount of time.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 05 2:06 pm Post subject:
Great pic NVM do you mind if I hijack that for the glossary at some stage?

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Fri Jun 24, 05 9:15 am Post subject:
I think there were just lots and lots last year (although I think it was later) unless its my organic approach starting to take effect. The silly thing kept getting stuck in the conservatory, and I have to waft them out with a lid from a polystyrene box (The negihbours already think I'm daft, fortunately!)

N.V.M.

Joined: 05 Feb 2005
Posts: 207
Location: British Columbia,Canada,eh!

Posted: Fri Jun 24, 05 2:07 pm Post subject:

tahir wrote:

Great pic NVM do you mind if I hijack that for the glossary at some stage?

go ahead,no problem. i have a few more insect shots here too:

https://members.shaw.ca/northvanmike

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45669
Location: Essex

Posted: Fri Jun 24, 05 2:08 pm Post subject:
Great, thanks very much. Dunno when i'll get round to it though.

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