[Hey Jude]

or does there seem to be loads of green and blackfly around this year? I expect some naturally, but every day as I walk round the garden I find there's something else that's been got at - today it's the dahlias, one of the darker leaved varieties, I was admiring the buds, and thought 'oh that's a bit of a thick stem' then on closer inspection saw it was absolutely heaving with blackfly - my spray gun's going to have to be surgically removed from my hand by the end of the summer at this rate!

[plot6b]

Nope!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There all around here as well

[Spana]

We have big patches of thistles which we leave to seed for the gold finches and they are covered in black fly but so far veg garden is free apart from a bit of grey aphid on some cabbages .

[Trillium]

It's the lack of rain in most areas that have brought them out in force - they love drier conditions. This year we've had a lot of rain, unusual for us, and the earwigs are out in incredible numbers - you have to shake out your socks before you put them on. Even had 3 fall out of a book page I'd set aside for the night.