How to make a hoverfly lagoon
Attract pollinating hoverflies to your garden with this hoverfly lagoon.
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
To do | yes | yes | yes |
Hoverflies are important garden pollinators. While many lay eggs on aphid-infested plants, some, like the drone fly (Eristalis tenax), need stagnant water to breed.
This hoverfly lagoon can be placed in a corner of the garden, where the organic matter added to the water will gradually break down, creating the perfect habitat for hoverfly larvae.
In this No Fuss video guide, Kate Bradbury explains how to make a 'hoverfly lagoon' in which certain species will come and lay their eggs:
Follow the quick steps in this guide to create your own hoverfly lagoon.
You Will Need
- Container, something to block up any holes if present – we used pond liner
- Organic matter, grass clippings are ideal, but leaf litter or bark chippings also work
- Twigs or sticks, we used bamboo
Step 1
Weigh out around 100g of organic material and choose a small container. Line it with pond liner or similar if it has a hole.
Step 2
Fill the container with your organic material. Cram in as much as possible, as it will break down very quickly.
Step 3
Add twigs or bamboo, placed vertically so the larvae will be able to climb up from the bottom when they're ready to pupate.
Step 4
Fill the pot with water and add extra clippings or leaf litter to the surface. This will give the adults something to land on.
Attracting other hoverfly species
Attract early hoverflies to your garden by growing a patch of nettles. These will attract nettle aphids, which hoverflies love.Festive subscription offer
Save 51% on the shop price. Subscribe to BBC Gardeners' World Magazine today and get 6 months of free seeds for Spring 2025.
Year Planner 2025 on sale
Starting to plan your gardening year? The Year Planner 2025 is packed with expert advice from the Gardeners’ World team, to ensure you have your best gardening year yet.
Discover our new digital travel brochure
Whether it's a thrilling Arctic cruise or a charming getaway to historic Bath, our NEW travel brochure has exciting options for everyone.
Discover Dangerous Plants
From witchcraft to murder mysteries, uncover the power of plants in the new BBC Gardeners' World Magazine podcast series.