Bluebottle Flies On My Red Robin Hedge.

[r-englefield]

My hedge has hundreds of bluebottles I noticed that the hedge has greenfly would this be the reason for the flies. The hedge is about 4 years old and this is the first time with the problem. Thank you for any help to rid them.

[chanel5]

This might sound weird, but do you live in the countryside, where farmers spray slurry on the fields? I live in rural Northern Ireland, surrounded by fields that get sprayed regularly with a slurry spreader. Fine droplets of slurry float in the wind onto the nearby hedges, and they become very attractive to flies for a couple of days.

[r-englefield]

No I don't, I had them on another plant a couple of years ago but never this bad. I know it's not very nice but I've sprayed the hedge with fly spray, have to see what happens. Thanks for your reply.

[woofgang]

When ever I get a bluebottle swarm its because of something rotting or some un picked up poo somewhere....this time of year it might be an unnoticed baby bird carcass somewhere in the hedge...it doesn’t take much.

[Chipchopper]

Could be the unpleasant smell given off by the red robin (photinia) or perhaps the 'honey dew' secreted by the greenflies.
It probably won't last long. you could try spraying with a weak solution of washing up liquid.

[r-englefield]

Thank you all for your replies, I will check under the hedge and also spray with washing liquid. Many thanks.

[r-englefield]

Yeh, the flies have gone.