Reply To: Blackfly attacking everything

[Katrine]

Thank you very much for your replies! I have watered well, but doing nothing more does feel like standing back and waiting for the blackfly to take over, though I do see the logic. I definitely need to dilute the soap more. Maybe I will try to just spray the worst bits and keep the watering up as a sort of compromise.

The information about ants is a revelation to me, though! We have had terrible trouble with ants this spring, and have eradicated about 20 nests already, but some still remain. They are getting harder to find… I had no idea ants caused any trouble in the garden, and only got mean when they started coming into the kitchen. I had noticed that the ants collected round the blackfly, but I didn’t realise they farm them! No wonder they have been spreading so well. This has given me hope that next year will be better, and that my garden isn’t some special haven for blackfly, so long as I get rid of the ants!

Thanks again,
Katrine.