I got lots and lots of Aphids on my Butterfly plant so much I was thinking of finding a predator but never got round to it. The plant is dieing cause of how hot and dry it’s been I put it in a bigger pot cause I don’t want to plant it in my wildflower border cause it’s just for Wildflowers.
My watercress at the pond is being pollinated by hoverflys and 2 are chaseing each other possibly Mateing at my pond.
then on top of the ledge surrounding the outside of the wildflower border I found a Hoverfly larvae on my Butterfly Blue plant eating the Aphids. it has been there for almost 2 days now and it is bigger now.
but cause the plant is dieing it could be thrown away so even though a predator has arived to control the numbers and is benefiting from it iv got bit of a problom cause I don’t want to throw it away with the larvae on it that is useing the aphids to grow into a pupae eventually
Have you got any ladybirds around the garden, Zo? They would likely love to have a go at some of the aphids. If it were mine, I’d water it and put it outside, maybe in semi-shade.
Not much but there was a Ladybeetle larvae on the Hornbeam tree this week
The plant has been outside since April and has been mainly pollinated by Bumblebees and hoverflys. It didn’t have any Aphids on it at all originally but I started noticeing them between May and this month there was only a few but by June they covered most of the stems. On one stem you can barely see any stem.
The plants leaves started drying up and the finished flower heads drooping in May but now it looks even drier and more dead than last month. On the 16th June I noticed a Hoverfly larvae and it is still on there so must be enjoying itself and is useing the Aphids to grow
but once my plant dies it might go in the bin and I don’t want to throw the plant away with the larvae still on it and useing it and with nature doing its thing dealing with the Aphids and feeding a hoverfly larvae and helping a hoverfly larvae grow.
even though the plant is dieing and will need to be thrown away then
I don’t want to throw it away until the larva has passed the eating stage but iv been told I need to throw it away when it’s dead cause it’s dieing Iv just noticed another hoverfly larvae now aswell so unless they all finish eating the aphids by the time it dies I don’t know what to do.
there going stick around until the Aphids are gone and I don’t know how long that will be. I don’t want to disturb the larvae until they have eaten them all and gone onto there next stage and I don’t want to throw it away with them still on the plant either
You know, there’s nothing wrong in keeping a plant that you think is dying. It’s just poured down here after several months of no rain. The stuff that looked dead in my garden will no doubt spring to life and I’ll be glad I just ignored the pots as something will be growing again. I’ve only had a garden for 12 years. It’s taken me a long time to leave things alone and just wait 
Put the plant behind a shed or something if it’s got to be out of the way.
I don’t think aphids would remain on a dead plant, so if it is supporting aphids it probably isn’t dead.
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Put the plant behind a shed or something if it’s got to be out of the way.