One of the prevalent pests we have in our own nursery are sciarid flie – small flies that buzz around the plants on the propagation benches. They seem particularly active in the winter months judging from the number of enquiries we get.
Sciarid Fly Behaviour
Sciarid Fly Adult
The adult sciarid flies live on and around the compost surface of pots, generally inside . The flies themselves are an unsightly nuisance but most of the damage is actually caused by their young. These are small white larvae that live in the compost and feed on the tender roots of plants and cuttings. In our own nursery we have seen them nibbling at the edges of banana seeds, and preventing germination.
Sciarid Fly Control
There are two main ways to get rid of them – either by predatory mites or by nematodes. You can learn more or purchase them throught this link – our Ladybird Plantcare site offers both.
We will be offering a specific set of nematodes to tackle this pest during the 2017 season. If you would like to be kept informed of when they are available please contact us by phone on 01825 721162 or by using the attached form.
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