[Sharonx]

Hi,
My PSB (which insidently isn't sprouting anything at the mo) has swarms of blue bottle flies all over it.
What can be causing this, it is driving me mad, you go anywhere near the plant and they fly everywhere. They aren't on any of the other plants like the brussels which are close by, so what is it that's attracting them?

Any suggestions how to get rid of them? I thought about taking the plants out but they are waist heigh and seem to be ok, and I recall that they don't sprout until February, but I may be wrong.

[Salmo]

I suspect they will go away soon. There is obviously something they like on the leaves. You could try spraying the leaves with a weak solution of washing up liquid.

PSB may srout in late February but most varieties usually wait until late March or early April.

[Sharonx]

Thanks for that Salmo,

I didn't realise they have such a long growing season, I put them in in April I think so a year before we get anything, blimmey that requires patients.

I am off to the lottie in a bit so I will go armed with some fairy and some milk for my courgettes.

[Riala]

What is PSB? I seem to have bluebottles on my Pumkpins/squash plants too.... thought it was something in the soil, but it is the leaves they sit on.

[viettaclark]

Maybe they're just soaking up the rays?

[DD.]

PSB = Purple Sprouting Brocolli. (for Riala).

Planting in April is very early. I sow my seed about then. I find if they are planted too early, they are prone to bolting.

Do you have any whitefly on them? Mine are covered, just wondering if the flies may be attracted by the honeydew they secrete.

[strangerachael]

I have the same problem - mine are under enviromesh but there are gaps at the bottom because they have grown so tall. There are hundreds of flies and hoverflies under it that can't get out, and make a horrible buzzing noise. Even when I remove the enviromesh they don't seem to want to come out. In the past though I have found that all these problems go awayonce the cooler weather arrives in autumn.
I also sowed and planted mine too early and it's bolting.

[Greengirl]

Flies are definitely attracted to aphid honeydew - don't know about whitefly, but I don't see why not.