Grubs

I dug some King Alfred daffies today and found that a lot of the bulbs were getting chewed up by grubs. I found a big, fat, white one in the center of one bulb. Anyone know what type of grub would do this? Any way to prevent it in the future?....

I believe they are Narcissus bulb flies; here are some links:

http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/homehort/pest/bulbflies.htm
http://mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/Foliage/entomol/ncstate/fly4.htm

:) B

Yup... that looks like it. I never knew there was such a thing. I have a lot of bumble bees buzzing around the yard. Now I'm wondering if they're bulb flies. Just what I need... another pest to deal with!

One way is to place sand at the bese of each plant. The fly lays it's egg/s depending on the species just inside the hole left after the leaves die back. the sand should fill the hole to stop the grubs reaching the bulbs. they are a major snowdrop pest also.

Ack! I think I have these too! I have been bugging my DH to take care of our "bee" problem. We have these huge "bumble bees" that have been scaring my kids and everyone else off our front porch and they never go away. I have been trying to take a look when they get close and I don't see a stinger. Now I have to figure out how to get rid of them.

We have carpenter bees here and they are so territorial. One of them think that the entrance to the patio door belongs to her and she just won't leave at times. The condo association sends people out to spray every year and they are not quite as bad this year but last year was just horrible and the year before was even worse

I've been swatting them when I see them.

one way of getting around the problem is to plant a perennial over your bulbs because Narcissus flies like clear air space over bulbs and wont move under cover. They either look like or are Hoverflies

Arsenic's first link above shows the adult flies which are bumblebee mimics

Believe it or not, this year I started talking to the carpenter bees, asking them to seek quarters elsewhere. The population diminished by at least 75%!

They are a big problem, and for weeks one cannot go outdoors without a cloud of them hovering... I'm glad they listened to me, LOL.

darius,
i guess they are just like us only wanting a little "respect". :-)