Black Fly

I must admit I do not like these things for two reasons. Firstly left unchecked they can completely destroy your crop and secondly they make my skin crawl.

While its quite easy to get rid of Black Fly when they are spotted, prevention is better than cure. Tagetes and Marigolds will attract Ladybirds and Hover Flies which feed on Black Fly but so does the common nettle.

This is because they also feed on the nettle aphid which arrives earlier in the year. These aphids will not attack your plants but will provide a source of food for ladybirds who will then be in a position to stop Black Fly from colonizing your beans.

So keeping a small area of your garden or allotment free from cultivation and just left wild will help to attract pollinators and predators.

Lacewing larvae also feed on aphids with out harming other plants.

There are other ways to attract the friends of the garden and that is by providing accommodation and attractants.

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