They weren't there at first, now there are so many of them on the Stargazer and Aubade lilies, it detracts from their beauty, couldn't even take a photograph now without several being in it, didn't notice any last year. They don't seem to be doing any damage, must be going after the sugar. The blooms are so massed, large and beautiful this year on the SG's, you hardly see any foliage right now.

They are also a nuisance on my new Becky shastas, are not bothering anything else that I've noticed. And I was relieved when they were just flies before there were so many because they weren't JB's.

I am having enough trouble with various insects mainly on my roses and certainly don't want to have to find a relatively safe spray for flies, if there even is one safe for plants, think it best to just put up with them. I wonder what is causing it. I did buy a bag of cow manure last fall and worked it and some peat and city compost into the bed where the daisies are to amend the soil. That might be it, and they started on the shastas. I don't know what I have outside where they could be breeding except decaying leaf mulch in 2 bins I haven't quite used up yet and an uncovered garbage can for plant refuse I'm not set up to compost neatly yet. I want those open so water will get in there, it's cracked in the bottom and excess drains out.

One year my dad let the tenants have a cement platform built attached to the barn for cows. It was too close to the house and driveway, smelled horrid, and the same kind of flies were awful, was there this time of year then, no cows for a long time. Luckily I only got that one bag of manure and won't be using any more of it in my garden.