Greenfly!

Bunneh

Good lord the little blighters are everywhere! I haven't seen so many in years... I daren't open my mouth to breath because I end up chewing a good few hundred and they're not particulary tasty...

Last evening's ride home I was covered in them, in my hair, on my face, all over my clothes. Got in, washed the clothes and stuck my head in a bucket of water, must have been a good 30 dead greenfly in that water afterwards.

Watch out guys and gals, I think it's an invasion!!

Harry B

They are probably a good source of nutrients

Stewie Griffin

Its God providing free and easy to consume Protein and you whinge about it? Get em down ya lad :roll: .

Actually small flying insects are the only thing that might get me to shave my legs, I end up with hundreds of them trapped at the end of a ride and Im not that hairy at all.

downfader

Must be a national thing then. Loads in Southampton when I rode on monday and wednesday mornings. Havent seen the flyng ats yet though, they're usually worse as they spray ascorbic acid or something and taste bitter.

shouldbeinbed

yep loads in the NW too.


worst infestation I ever saw was laydybirds when I was a kid camping in the New Forest, walking along Hythe(? - the one with the train on it) pier it was a moving crunching red carpet.

downfader

shouldbeinbed wrote:

yep loads in the NW too.


worst infestation I ever saw was laydybirds when I was a kid camping in the New Forest, walking along Hythe(? - the one with the train on it) pier it was a moving crunching red carpet.

My Mother often talks about the Ladybird invasion. I think she said it was 76, so a year before I was born. Similar stories of licking icecream and finding something crunchy.

shouldbeinbed

downfader wrote:

shouldbeinbed wrote:

yep loads in the NW too.


worst infestation I ever saw was laydybirds when I was a kid camping in the New Forest, walking along Hythe(? - the one with the train on it) pier it was a moving crunching red carpet.

My Mother often talks about the Ladybird invasion. I think she said it was 76, so a year before I was born. Similar stories of licking icecream and finding something crunchy.

thanks for that

IronHorse100

I've just been through a huge swarm in Bristol. Must be a national outbreak.

guilliano

I spent a ride on Tuesday sweeping the buggers off my legs and arms, but it was exactly the same last year around the Chilterns. What I have seen for the first time this year is those ladybirds with black shells and one red spot on each side...... they are meant to be deadly to other ladybirds aren't they???

deptfordmarmoset

I got on my bike this afternoon and noticed that there was a big blur of may flies hanging over my head. Hundreds of thousands of them. But by the time I'd got my gloves on they'd moved off to the other side of the road.

This is a talent I never knew I had: I repel flies :P

downfader

guilliano wrote:

I spent a ride on Tuesday sweeping the buggers off my legs and arms, but it was exactly the same last year around the Chilterns. What I have seen for the first time this year is those ladybirds with black shells and one red spot on each side...... they are meant to be deadly to other ladybirds aren't they???

Thought that was a modern myth

guilliano

No idea..... and to be honest I'm not bothered. All I know is one landed on me and refused to budge til I flicked the blighter off

downfader

guilliano wrote:

No idea..... and to be honest I'm not bothered. All I know is one landed on me and refused to budge til I flicked the blighter off

Lazy little.. he's got wings an all.

Flasheart

LOADS of the little buggers out on the ride last night :x

Radioactiveman

People please cycle with a fully open mouth to ensure maximum interception rates of said greenfly. I dont want the nasty little buggers invading my greenhouse again. They are a pita to get rid of. So open wide and think of the protein benefit and swallow as many as you can

Aggieboy

They are very fast breeders. It is possible to see a baby greenfly within a baby greenfly, that hasn't even been born yet. The high number of them will disappear soon, when the warmer weather brings out more of their natural predators (so said some boffin on Radio 5 Live).


I have actually got a little interest in Entomology. Mrs. Aggieboy has seen my spiders and bees so tonight she's going through my flies!!

OffTheBackAdam

Now wait a week or two and it'll be a plague of Ladybirds!

sheffsimon

downfader wrote:

guilliano wrote:

I spent a ride on Tuesday sweeping the buggers off my legs and arms, but it was exactly the same last year around the Chilterns. What I have seen for the first time this year is those ladybirds with black shells and one red spot on each side...... they are meant to be deadly to other ladybirds aren't they???

Thought that was a modern myth

No myth, those things are KILLERS!!!!!!!!

Lock your doors.

jellybellywmb

Worry not as I appear to have all of them on the front of my car!!!!

It looks like a rug!!

brin

There does seem to be lots of reports on other forums concerning these little buggers, had my encounter with them on wednesday, as for the mention of the ladybirds in '76' i remember it well, also remember it was one hell of a summer too, so get stocked up with the sun lotion and plenty of fluids before their prices go through the roof

Stewie Griffin

I have concluded that Castelli make their clothing out of spider webs.

mkirby

Had everything from greenfly up to bees hitting me in the face yesterday. I got told to brush them all off before i was allowed in the pub i was a see of green. Forgetting to take my specs was a big mistake.

Even saw a couple of snakes on the roads too.

beverick

There was mention of this in the local paper recently:

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Sud ... 6310534.jp

Meanwhile I looked as if I'd been coated with ground pistachios when I got back on Sunday morning.

Bob