Master Gardener^sm Column for the Week of August 1, 2005
Charlie Spencer
Brunswick County Extension Master Gardener^sm Volunteer

Interesting thoughts about this-and-that questions received on the Extension Master Gardener Hot Line…

Syrphid Flies Seen Hovering About Many different species of syrphid flies can be seen at this time of year on flowers. Although these are flies, they look more like bees, from which they can readily be distinguished by their habit of hovering over flowers. Thus their two other common names: hover flies and flower flies. The adults feed only on pollen and nectar, but the immature stages are voracious aphid predators. See the following Web site for some examples: http://crawford.tardigrade.net/bugs/BugofMonth14.html

Bees in the Water Garden
We have had recent inquiries about bees in areas such as water gardens and swimming pools. What are they doing there (besides the backstroke)? Most likely they are seeking water during this dry period. (It was dry a couple of weeks ago). Some may need water just for hydration purposes. Others many need the water to make mud for their brood cells. These bees (often metallic) are solitary and not likely to sting. They do not have the defensive behavior of protecting a hive that social bees sometimes show. These bees can be valuable natural pollinators, especially with the current scarcity of wild honeybees. A small hand strainer or aquarium net can be kept handy to give them a lift if they fall into the pool. Honeybees need water for cooling their hive and diluting honey. If honeybees are a nuisance around a pool, other tactics can be used such as providing alternative water sources.

Nonflammable Ants
For whatever reason (does there have to be a reason?) we've had several people remark that there were more ants this year. Perhaps this is true on some local sites, but I have no reason to think this is true on any broader scale. When someone notices ants outdoors, the next question is often how to be rid of them. The answer is another question. Why? Very few outdoor ants move indoors. Outdoors, ants are a great asset to the ecosystem. They can aerate the soil and suppress populations of many lawn and garden pests. If they happen to reside exactly where you sit on your patio and truly annoy you, or if they are contributing to the health and well-being of an aphid population, that might be grounds for treatment. I personally don't have much tolerance for fire ants, which is another story.

In summary, there is no need to eradicate ants from the yard, just because they are ants. If treatment is justifiable, don't use a cannon when a pea shooter will do. Don't use gasoline. Small ants and small ant mounds can be treated on a small scale, usually. Large ant populations can usually be dealt with by treating the mound directly and sometimes with baits. There are many products on the market. Follow the directions for watering or not watering, as the case may be. Fire ant baits don't work for all other ants. If possible, try to find some identification of the type of ant so that an appropriate bait or treatment will be used.

Fireflies in the Landscape
Another not well-documented and interesting report is the decline of fireflies. One entomological note is that fireflies are not flies. Lightning bugs are not bugs, either. These are beetles that produce light through the miracle of bioluminescence. There are ten possible reasons that there may seem to be fewer lightning bugs:

1. Baby boomer memories are not what they used to be.
2. We caught so many as kids and left them in a jar to die overnight that they never recovered.
3. Too much night driving splatted them on windshields.
4. The Thousands Points of Light is no longer politically popular.
5. Baby boomers can't stay up that late, or peak activity conflicts with Jeopardy.
6. You live west of the Mississippi.
7. Most of us no longer live in homes surrounded by the same habitat in which we grew up.
8. There is too much light pollution at night.
9. Habitat destruction has occurred.
10. Pesticide use and pollution has occurred.

Reasons 7-10 may carry the most weight, if this is true. Firefly larvae like to feed on snails and slugs and possibly a few other soft-bodied night creatures. They are said to be able to track snails down by their slime trail. Good habitat and conditions for slugs and snails may produce good habitat for lightning bugs. The best lightning bug areas tend to be near water sources and on the edges of wooded areas with good organic soils. For more information about lightning bugs/fireflies and their habitat, visit the following Web site: http://ris.biosci.ohio-state.edu/projects/FFiles/frfact.html

Yellow Jackets Are Ready To Go
Though many other insect populations seem late this year, yellow jackets may be right on schedule or possibly early. There seems to be a lack of other insects around, especially the absence of the usual caterpillars on Japanese maple trees! Wasps and yellow jackets are great predators of other flying insects and caterpillars.

Be aware of the potential for yellow jacket nests around shrubs and when mowing the lawn. They generally nest in the ground in loose rooted areas beneath shrubs and trees or below-ground rotted wood. They do not reuse old nests. If the nest poses a stinging threat to humans or pets, control may be appropriate. Spray an aerosol hornet and wasp insecticide directly into the entrance hole at night. Don't use gasoline for this either! (Besides, it is too expensive.) Yellow jacket traps have not been shown to be effective in North Carolina.

Send your gardening questions or comments to: Brunswick County Master Gardener Column, P.O. Box 109, Bolivia, NC 28422, or call (910) 253-2610. Enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope if requesting information or a reply. Answers may be printed in this column.

For further information or assistance, please e-mail:
Charlie Spencer, Brunswick County Extension Master Gardener^smVolunteer

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Date Created 7/29/2005